April 26, 1985, Los Angeles, California, United States
Spouse
Margaret Larkin
Fact
In 1938, his story "The Happiest Man on Earth" (published in Harper's Magazine) won 1st place in the O. Henry Awards.
Albert Maltz was born on December 28, 1908 in New York City. His parents, both immigrants from Russia, ran a small grocery store. He had two older sisters. Maltz was a bright child and an excellent student. He graduated from high school at the age of 16 and went on to study at Columbia University.
Maltz began his career as a journalist, working for various newspapers and magazines. He soon turned to writing fiction, and his first novel, The Underground Stream, was published in 1934.
Maltz was a committed Communist, and during the 1930s he was active in the Party. He traveled to the Soviet Union in 1935, and later wrote about his experiences in the book This Is My Country Too (1937).
In the 1940s, Maltz began working in Hollywood as a screenwriter. He wrote the screenplay for the classic film The Lost Weekend (1945), for which he won an Academy Award. He also wrote the screenplays for such films as Broken Arrow (1950) and The Naked and the Dead (1958).
In the 1950s, Maltz became increasingly critical of the Soviet Union and its policies. He was expelled from the Communist Party in 1958.
Maltz continued to work as a screenwriter and novelist until his death in 1985. His best-known work is probably the novel The Last Day of Summer (1960), which was made into a film starring James Dean.
Albert Maltz was a successful writer who achieved great acclaim in his lifetime. His work is still widely read and respected today.
General Info
Full Name
Albert Maltz
Died
April 26, 1985, Los Angeles, California, United States
Profession
Playwright, Screenwriter, Novelist
Education
Columbia University, Yale School of Drama, Yale University
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Margaret Larkin
Accomplishments
Awards
Academy Honorary Award, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Western
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Drama, Writers Guild of America Award - The Robert Meltzer Award
Movies
Scalawag, The Beguiled, Two Mules for Sister Sara, The Robe, Broken Arrow, The Naked City, Cloak and Dagger, The House I Live In, Mildred Pierce, Pride of the Marines, Destination Tokyo, This Gun for Hire, Afraid to Talk, Hotelboy Ed Martin
[on Dalton Trumbo] There is no question that [he] had talent for much greater literary work than the film work that he produced. The reason he never did what he could have done was this obsession of his with making money and living in a grand manner. I never knew what made it necessary for him to have both a house on Beverly Drive and a ranch that he had to build a road to get to.
Facts
#
Fact
1
In 1938, his story "The Happiest Man on Earth" (published in Harper's Magazine) won 1st place in the O. Henry Awards.
2
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 541-542. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
3
Blacklisted in 1950s; one of the Hollywood Ten.
Movies
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Hangup
1974
as John B. Sherry
Scalawag
1973
writer
The Beguiled
1971
screenplay - as John B. Sherry
Two Mules for Sister Sara
1970
screenplay
Short Cut to Hell
1957
originally uncredited - 1942 screenplay This Gun for Hire
Hotelboy Ed Martin
1955
play "Merry-Go-Round"
The Robe
1953
screenplay - originally uncredited
Broken Arrow
1950
screenplay - front Michael Blankfort
The Naked City
1948
screenplay
The Red House
1947
uncredited
Cloak and Dagger
1946
screenplay
The House I Live In
1945
Short written by
Mildred Pierce
1945
contract writer - uncredited
Pride of the Marines
1945
screen play
Destination Tokyo
1943
screen play
Seeds of Freedom
1943
writer
This Gun for Hire
1942
screen play
Merry-Go-Round
1932
play "Merry Go Round"
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Moscow Strikes Back
1942
Documentary english text
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Hollywood on Trial
1976
Documentary
Himself
The Hollywood Ten
1950
Documentary short
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Reagan
2011
Documentary
Himself
Trumbo
2007
Documentary
Himself
Awards
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1951
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Western
Broken Arrow (1950)
1946
Honorary Award
Academy Awards, USA
The House I Live In (1945)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1951
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Screenplay
Broken Arrow (1950)
1951
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
The Robert Meltzer Award (Screenplay Dealing Most Ably with Problems of the American Scene)
Broken Arrow (1950)
1949
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Drama
The Naked City (1948)
1949
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
The Robert Meltzer Award (Screenplay Dealing Most Ably with Problems of the American Scene)