Samuel ornitz biography facts

Samuel Badisch Ornitz (November 15, 1890 – March 10, 1957) was an.
Hollywood Ten, in U.S. history, 10 motion-picture producers, directors, and screenwriters who appeared before the House Un-American Activities.
Samuel Badisch Ornitz was an American screenwriter and novelist from New York City; he was one of the "Hollywood Ten" who were blacklisted from the 1950s on by movie studio bosses after his appearance.

•

The Hollywood Ten

Jay Roach’s drama TRUMBO follows the remarkable life of the titled writer (played by Bryan Cranston), from his triumph as a Hollywood screenwriter to his persecution by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to his determined climb to redeem his name and former glory. In September 1947, Dalton Trumbo was one of 43 members of the filmmaking community to receive subpoenas to appear before HUAC to answer questions about the spread of communism in Hollywood. Many of the more famous names––Robert Montgomery, Gary Cooper, Ronald Reagan, and Walt Disney––were chosen as “friendly witnesses,” people ready to give the committee what it wanted. Of these, 19––a group of all men composed mostly of screenwriters with some directors and one actor––refused to provide evidence. Of those 19, HUAC called 11 unfriendly witnesses to testify, the 10 who would become the Hollywood Ten (Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner, Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott, and Dalton Trumbo), plus German playwright Ber

•

Ornitz, Samuel, 1890-1957

Biography

Samuel Ornitz (1890-1957), American screenwriter and novelist from New York City; one of the "Hollywood Ten" blacklisted by movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism.

Suggest a Correction

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

Rose Pastor Stokes papers

Collection

Call Number: MS 573

Abstract: The papers consist of correspondence, writings, printed material, clippings, and other papers of Rose Pastor Stokes, writer, artist, and radical political and social activist. Much of the material relates to Stokes's activities and involvement with various radical groups, including the American Communist Party and the Socialist Party. The correspondence reflects these involvements and contains many letters exchanged with American political radicals, labor leaders, and anarchists from the...

Dates: 1900-1993

Found in: Manuscripts and Archives > Rose Pastor Stokes papers

•

Samuel Ornitz

American novelist

Samuel Badisch Ornitz (November 15, 1890 – March 10, 1957) was an American screenwriter and novelist from New York City; he was one of the "Hollywood Ten"^[2] who were blacklisted from the 1950s on by movie studio bosses after his appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee when he was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify about his alleged membership in the Communist Party. In his later years, he wrote novels, including Bride of the Sabbath (1951), which became a bestseller.

Early life and education

Born to a Jewish family^[3] in 1890 in New York City, New York, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Ornitz attended public schools and Hebrew School. His father became a successful dry goods merchant who wanted his sons to go into business with him. From an early age, Ornitz became interested in socialism, giving street talks at the age of 12, and writing.

Work

Unlike his brothers, Ornitz was not interested in following their father into business. At the age of 18 he