Robert Rossen (March 16, 1908 – February 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost three decades.His 1949 film All the King's Men won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, while Rossen was nominated for an Oscar as Best Director. He won the Golden Globe for Best Director and the film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture. In 1961 he directed The Hustler, which was nominated for nine Oscars and won two. Rossen was nominated as Best Director and with Sidney Carroll for Best Adapted Screenplay but did not win either award.After directing and writing for the stage in New York, Rossen moved to Hollywood in 1937. There he worked as a screenwriter for Warner Bros. until 1941, and then interrupted his career to serve until 1944 as the chairman of the Hollywood Writers Mobilization Against the War, a body to organize writers for the effort in World War II. In 1945 he joined a picket line against Warner Bros., making an enemy of Jack Warner. After making one film for Hal Wallis's newly formed production company, Rossen made one for Columbia Pictures, another for Wallis and most of his later films for his own companies, usually in collaboration with Columbia.Rossen was a member of the American Communist Party from 1937 to about 1947, and believed the Party was "dedicated to social causes of the sort that we as poor Jews from New York were interested in." However, he finally ended all relations with the Party in 1949. Rossen was twice called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), in 1951 and in 1953. He exercised his Fifth Amendment rights at his first appearance, refusing to state whether he had ever been a Communist. As a result he found himself blacklisted by Hollywood studios as well as unable to renew his passport. At his second appearance he named 57 people as current or former Communists and his blacklisting ended. In order to repair finances he produced his next film, Mambo, in Italy in 1954. While The Hustler in 1961 was a great success, conflict with the star of Lilith so disillusioned Rossen that he made no more films during the last three years of his life.Rossen's films for Warner generally described the conditions of working people, the portrayal of gangsters and racketeers, and opposition to fascism. He wrote that ambition and the desire for success were common themes in his work. His films often featured strong female characters. All Rossen's playscripts were adaptions except three he based on real events. While head of production at Warner, Wallis considered that some of his best films were written by Rossen.
Real life is ugly, but we can't make good pictures until we're ready to tell about it.
2
[About his break with Communism and his decision to name names] I didn't think, after two years of thinking, that any one individual can indulge himself in the luxury of individual can indulge himself in the luxury of individual morality or pit it against what I feel today very strongly is the security and safety of this nation."
#
Fact
1
"Macbeth" was Rossen's favorite Shakespearean play, which he described as a 'dramatization of the ambiguity of the human condition.'.
2
Had a long-standing problem with alcoholism.
3
Became obsessed by the failure of They Came to Cordura (1959) and spent many years attempting to release a re-edited version.
4
His work on All the King's Men (1949) has been compared to that of the Italian post-war neo-realists, in its almost documentary-style approach, editing methods, location shooting in all types of weather (with whatever lighting was available) and a cast which included many non-professional actors, often caught unawares by the camera.
5
His career was often hampered by his reluctance to work in collaboration with others.
6
He was the grandson of a rabbi and the nephew of a Hebrew poet.
7
He became a contract screenwriter for Mervyn LeRoy at Warner Brothers (1936-45) when his latest play on Broadway closed after just four performances. His screenplays often focused on individuals either fighting, or being destroyed by, the system. Prompted by actor Dick Powell, he directed his first film in 1946. Though it was poorly received, he then had back-to-back hits with Body and Soul (1947) and All the King's Men (1949), after which he was able to set up his own production company, with financing and releasing through Columbia (contract 1949-51). Had a poor productive spell in the 1950's and did not return to form until The Hustler (1961). His last film, Lilith (1964), flopped in the U.S., though it was highly regarded in France. Allegedly, there were on-set problems between Rossen and star Warren Beatty which contributed to Rossen never making another film again.
8
Was a member of the Communist Party from 1937 to 1945. He was blacklisted by HUAC, 1951-53, after refusing to name names, after being subpoenaed. In 1953, he relented to save his career and implicated 57 people as having had communist affiliations. As a result of his cooperation, he was permitted to work again, though he did not return to Hollywood.
9
Brought up in Manhattan's Lower East Side, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants. He attended New York University and briefly earned a living as a professional welterweight boxer. Staged his first socialist-oriented plays for the Washington Square Players and the Maverick Woodstock Players, later moving on to work with the Theater Guild and graduating to stage manager.
Originally refused to testify at the HUAC hearings (regarding the blacklist), but then admitted to being a member of the Communist Party in May, 1953, and named 57 others as well.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Sarah & Eddie
2015
Short
Lilith
1964
The Cool World
1963
play
Billy Budd
1962
screenplay - uncredited
The Hustler
1961
screenplay
They Came to Cordura
1959
screenplay
Alexander the Great
1956
written by
Mambo
1954
All the King's Men
1949
written for the screen by
The Accused
1949
contract writer - uncredited
Desert Fury
1947
screenplay
Johnny O'Clock
1947
screen play
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
1946
screenplay
A Walk in the Sun
1945
screenplay
Rhapsody in Blue
1945
contribution
Edge of Darkness
1943
screenplay
Blues in the Night
1941
screen play
Out of the Fog
1941
screen play
The Sea Wolf
1941
screen play
Flight from Destiny
1941
contributing writer - uncredited
A Child Is Born
1939
screen play
The Roaring Twenties
1939
screen play
Dust Be My Destiny
1939
screenplay
Heart of the North
1938
uncredited
Racket Busters
1938
original screen play
Fools for Scandal
1938
contributor to screenplay construction - uncredited
They Won't Forget
1937
screen play
Marked Woman
1937
original screen play
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lilith
1964
The Hustler
1961
They Came to Cordura
1959
Island in the Sun
1957
Alexander the Great
1956
Mambo
1954
The Brave Bulls
1951
All the King's Men
1949
Body and Soul
1947
Johnny O'Clock
1947
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lilith
1964
producer
The Hustler
1961
producer
Alexander the Great
1956
producer
The Brave Bulls
1951
producer
All the King's Men
1949
producer - uncredited
The Undercover Man
1949
producer
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Tournée
2010
writer: "Tian Liang Liao" aka Like A Bird
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Alexander the Great
1956
presenter
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Himself
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Awards
1951
Documentary short
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Hustler: The Inside Story
2002
Video documentary short
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1962
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Drama
The Hustler (1961)
1961
NYFCC Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Director
The Hustler (1961)
1960
Star on the Walk of Fame
Walk of Fame
Motion Picture
On 8 February 1960. At 6821 Hollywood Blvd.
1950
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Director
All the King's Men (1949)
1950
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
All the King's Men (1949)
1950
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Drama
All the King's Men (1949)
1950
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
The Robert Meltzer Award (Screenplay Dealing Most Ably with Problems of the American Scene)
All the King's Men (1949)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1962
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Picture
The Hustler (1961)
1962
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Director
The Hustler (1961)
1962
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
The Hustler (1961)
1962
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
The Hustler (1961)
1962
Best Film
Mar del Plata Film Festival
International Competition
The Hustler (1961)
1957
DGA Award
Directors Guild of America, USA
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures