Walter Bernstein
Walter Bernstein | |
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SVA Theater in Manhattan | |
Born | |
Died | January 23, 2021 , New York, U.S. | (aged 101)
Occupations |
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Years active | 1947–2017 |
Spouses |
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Children | 5; including Andrew and Jake |
Walter Bernstein (August 20, 1919 – January 23, 2021) was an American screenwriter and film producer who was
Early life
Bernstein was born on August 20, 1919, in
In February 1941, Bernstein was drafted into the U.S. Army. Eventually attaining the rank of Sergeant, he spent most of World War II as a correspondent on the staff of the Army newspaper Yank, filing dispatches from Iran, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, Sicily, and Yugoslavia.[3] He wrote of his experiences in Palestine in an article titled "War and Palestine".[4]
Bernstein wrote a number of articles and stories based on his experiences in the Army, some of which originally appeared in The New Yorker. These were collected in Keep Your Head Down, his first book, published in 1945.[2]
Career
Bernstein first came to
Blacklist
In 1950, because of his numerous left-wing political affiliations and related activities, his name appeared in the publication
Rebound
Bernstein's screenwriting career began to rebound from the blacklist when director
Paris Blues was his first feature film collaboration with director
Bernstein was nominated for the
Teaching
Bernstein served until his death in 2021 as an adjunct visiting instructor
Bernstein also served as a visiting screenwriting instructor at Columbia University School of the Arts in the 1990s.
Publication
Bernstein's book, Inside Out: A Memoir of the Blacklist, was published in 1996. In his memoirs, he recounts joining the Young Communist League at Dartmouth College in 1937, and the Communist Party itself the year after he left the U.S. Army.[2][15]
Personal life
Bernstein was married four times, with the first three marriages to Marva Spelman, Barbara Lane, and Judith Braun, ending up in divorces. He married literary agent Gloria Loomis in 1988.[16][17] He had two children with his first wife Marva Spelman, Joan Bernstein and Peter Spelman; three children with his third wife Judith Braun, Nicholas Bernstein, Andrew Bernstein, and Jake Bernstein.[16] He died of pneumonia on January 23, 2021, at the age of 101.[18][19]
Other awards
- In 1994, he received the Ian McLellan Hunter Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Writing from the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE).[12]
- In 2008, the WGAE presented Bernstein with their Evelyn F. Burkey Award, given "in recognition of contributions that have brought honor and dignity to writers everywhere."[12][19]
References
General references
- Klehr, Harvey; Earl Haynes, John (1999). Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America. ISBN 0-300-07771-8.
Inline citations
- ^ "Walter Bernstein Biography (1919–)". Film Reference. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Bernstein, Walter (1945). Keep Your Head Down, Viking Press. Book jacket text
- ^ Bernstein, Walter (February 1, 2017). "War and Palestine". The Tablet.
- ^ Kelley, Bill (January 5, 1997). "Blacklisted Filmmaker Tells of Descent, Comeback". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ISBN 0-306-80936-2.
- ^ "Walter Bernstein: blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter dies at 101". The Guardian. Associated Press. January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Walter Bernstein '40, Celebrated Screenwriter, Dies at 101". Film & Media Studies. January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Hollywood screenwriter Walter Bernstein dies at 101". CBS 58. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ISBN 0-918432-64-2.
- ^ Gifford, Storm (January 23, 2021). "Blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein of 'The Front' and 'Semi-Tough,' dead at 101". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c Natale, Richard (January 23, 2021). "Walter Bernstein, Blacklisted Writer and Oscar Nominee for 'The Front,' Dies at 101". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ JTA. "Walter Bernstein, respected blacklisted screenwriter, dies at 101". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- Tisch School of the Arts. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-8041-5048-4.
- ^ a b Foundas, Scott (August 26, 2014). "Screenwriter Walter Bernstein at 95: Still Front and Center". Variety.
- ^ Bernstein, Adam (January 23, 2021). "Walter Bernstein Dies at 101". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ Italie, Hillel (January 23, 2021). "Screenwriter Walter Bernstein dies at 101". Associated Press. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Haring, Bruce (January 23, 2021). "Walter Bernstein Dies: Blacklisted Writer In 1950s Who Returned With 'Fail Safe' & 'The Front' Was 101". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
External links
- Walter Bernstein at IMDb
- Walter Bernstein at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Ávila, Molly Rose; Zucker, Gregory (July 11, 2011). "In Conversation: Red Memories". The Brooklyn Rail.