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==Life and career==
==Life and career==
===Early Life===
Wilson was born and raised [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] in [[McAlester, Oklahoma]]. He graduated from [[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]] with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1936. <ref>{{cite web|title= Collection Guide for the Michael Wilson Papers, 1942-1977 |publisher= [[Online Archive of California]] of the [[University of California]]|url=http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf2w1005c3|quote="Michael Wilson was born in [[McAlester, Oklahoma|McAlester, OK]], July 1, 1914. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1936 with a BA in Philosophy."}}</ref> He taught English and began his writing career with [[short story|short stories]] for magazines. Then, starting in 1941, he wrote or co-wrote 22 screenplays.
Wilson was born and raised [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] in [[McAlester, Oklahoma]]. He graduated from [[University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]] with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1936. <ref>{{cite web|title= Collection Guide for the Michael Wilson Papers, 1942-1977 |publisher= [[Online Archive of California]] of the [[University of California]]|url=http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf2w1005c3|quote="Michael Wilson was born in [[McAlester, Oklahoma|McAlester, OK]], July 1, 1914. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1936 with a BA in Philosophy."}}</ref> He taught English and began his writing career with [[short story|short stories]] for magazines. Then, starting in 1941, he wrote or co-wrote 22 screenplays.
===Early Screenplays===
Wilson was credited on ''[[The Men in Her Life ]]'' (1941) with [[Loretta Young]].


He did some [[William Boyd (actor)|William Boyd]] westerns, ''[[Border Patrol (1943 film)|Border Patrol]]'' (1943), ''[[Colt Comrades]]'' (1943), ''[[Bar 20]]'' (1943), and ''[[Forty Thieves (film)|Forty Thieves]]'' (1944).
⚫
Wilson's early work consisted of [[William Boyd (actor)|William Boyd]] westerns. His career in Hollywood was interrupted by service with the [[United States Marine Corps]] during [[World War II]]. In 1945 he became a contract writer with [[Liberty Films]], working on such pictures as ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (1946). He was a co-winner of the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]] for ''[[A Place in the Sun (film)|A Place in the Sun]]'' (1951), and won an [[Edgar Award]] and another Oscar nomination for his script for ''[[5 Fingers]]'' (1953).


Wilson's career in Hollywood was interrupted by service with the [[United States Marine Corps]] during [[World War II]].
⚫
Wilson was named an unfriendly witness by the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] and blacklisted for being a communist. After he was blacklisted, he left for France and worked on scripts for the European film industry. While blacklisted, Wilson wrote the script for ''[[Salt of the Earth (1954 film)|Salt of the Earth]]'' (1954), a fictionalized account of a real strike by zinc miners in [[Grant County, New Mexico]]. The movie was directed by [[Herbert Biberman]] and produced by [[Paul Jarrico]] both of whom had also been blacklisted. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]].
===Return from World War Two===
In 1945 he became a contract writer with [[Liberty Films]], working (uncredited) on such pictures as ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (1946).


⚫
He was a co-winner of the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay]] for ''[[A Place in the Sun (film)|A Place in the Sun]]'' (1951), and won an [[Edgar Award]] and another Oscar nomination for his script for ''[[5 Fingers]]'' (1953).
⚫
He wrote or collaborated on scripts for Hollywood films without credit or under a [[pseudonym]] for much less than his usual fee before being blacklisted, including ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956), ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'' (1957), and ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962). His screenplay for ''Friendly Persuasion'' was nominated for an Academy Award, but was disqualified because his name did not appear in the credits. Director [[William Wyler]] wanted his brother, Robert Wyler, and Jessamyn West credited for rewriting the script, but Wilson disputed this. Wyler then was able under the rules of the blacklist to have one of the few films in history credited to no writer at all. Wilson and [[Carl Foreman]] worked separately on ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', but as both were blacklisted, the official credit went to [[Pierre Boulle]], upon whose novel the movie was based, even though Boulle did not even speak English.
===Blacklisting===
Wilson was named an unfriendly witness by the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]] and blacklisted for being a communist. After he was blacklisted, he left for France and worked on scripts for the European film industry.


⚫
While blacklisted, Wilson wrote the script for ''[[Salt of the Earth (1954 film)|Salt of the Earth]]'' (1954), a fictionalized account of a real strike by zinc miners in [[Grant County, New Mexico]]. The movie was directed by [[Herbert Biberman]] and produced by [[Paul Jarrico]] both of whom had also been blacklisted. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]].
⚫
Wilson remained in France with his family for nine years, before returning to the United States in 1964, where he continued to write screenplays, including for ''[[The Sandpiper]]'' (1965), ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'' (1968), and ''[[Che! (1969 film)|Che!]]'' (1969). His screenplay for ''Planet of the Apes'' was based on a novel by Pierre Boulle; only Boulle received screen credit.


He wrote or collaborated on scripts for Hollywood films without credit or under a [[pseudonym]] for much less than his usual fee before being blacklisted, including ''[[Carnival Story]]'' (1954) (for [[King Brothers Productions]] who often used blacklisted writers); ''[[They Were So Young]]'' (1954); ''[[The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell]]'' (1955), for [[Otto Preminger]]; ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956), for [[William Wyler]]; ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'' (1957), for [[Sam Spiegel]] and [[David Lean]]; ''[[The Two-Headed Spy]]'' (1958); ''[[Tempest (1958 film)|Tempest]]'' (1958) and ''[[5 Branded Women]]'' (1960) for [[Dino De Laurentiis]]; and ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962) for Spiegel and Lean again.
⚫
Michael Wilson was awarded [[Writers Guild of America]]'s Laurel Award in 1975 and was [[Posthumous recognition|posthumously]] awarded his second Academy Award in 1984 for ''The Bridge on the River Kwai''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Oscars Go to Writers of 'Kwai' |author=[[Aljean Harmetz]] |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 16, 1985 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/16/movies/oscars-go-to-writers-for-kwai.html}}</ref> In 1995, Wilson was credited by the Academy Board of Directors with an Academy Award nomination as a co-writer of ''Lawrence of Arabia'' and credited as the winner of the [[Writers' Guild of Great Britain|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best British Dramatic Screenplay]].

⚫
His screenplay for ''Friendly Persuasion'' was nominated for an Academy Award, but was disqualified because his name did not appear in the credits. Director [[William Wyler]] wanted his brother, Robert Wyler, and Jessamyn West credited for rewriting the script, but Wilson disputed this. Wyler then was able under the rules of the blacklist to have one of the few films in history credited to no writer at all.

Wilson and [[Carl Foreman]] worked separately on ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', but as both were blacklisted, the official credit went to [[Pierre Boulle]], upon whose novel the movie was based, even though Boulle did not even speak English.

Wilson remained in France with his family for nine years, before returning to the United States in 1964.
===Return to Hollywood===
⚫
Wilson he continued to write screenplays, including for ''[[The Sandpiper]]'' (1965), ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'' (1968), and ''[[Che! (1969 film)|Che!]]'' (1969). His screenplay for ''Planet of the Apes'' was based on a novel by Pierre Boulle; only Boulle received screen credit.

⚫
Michael Wilson was awarded [[Writers Guild of America]]'s Laurel Award in 1975 and was [[Posthumous recognition|posthumously]] awarded his second Academy Award in 1984 for ''The Bridge on the River Kwai''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Oscars Go to Writers of 'Kwai' |author=[[Aljean Harmetz]] |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 16, 1985 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/16/movies/oscars-go-to-writers-for-kwai.html}}</ref>

In 1995, Wilson was credited by the Academy Board of Directors with an Academy Award nomination as a co-writer of ''Lawrence of Arabia'' and credited as the winner of the [[Writers' Guild of Great Britain|Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best British Dramatic Screenplay]].


Wilson also completed an unproduced screenplay on December 16, 1976, ''The Raid On Harper's Ferry'', which was an adaptation of [[Truman J. Nelson]]'s book ''The Old Man: John Brown at Harper's Ferry'' (1973). He also apparently wrote unproduced scripts for a movie about the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] titled ''The Wobblies'' and a movie about the infiltration of the Black Liberation Movement titled ''Quiet Darkness''.
Wilson also completed an unproduced screenplay on December 16, 1976, ''The Raid On Harper's Ferry'', which was an adaptation of [[Truman J. Nelson]]'s book ''The Old Man: John Brown at Harper's Ferry'' (1973). He also apparently wrote unproduced scripts for a movie about the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] titled ''The Wobblies'' and a movie about the infiltration of the Black Liberation Movement titled ''Quiet Darkness''.

Revision as of 15:33, 5 May 2019

Michael Wilson
Born(1914-07-01)July 1, 1914
McAlester, Oklahoma
DiedApril 9, 1978(1978-04-09) (aged 63)
Los Angeles County, California

Michael Wilson (July 1, 1914 – April 9, 1978) was an American screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood film studios during the era of McCarthyism for being a communist.

Life and career

Early Life

Wilson was born and raised Roman Catholic in McAlester, Oklahoma. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1936. [1] He taught English and began his writing career with short stories for magazines. Then, starting in 1941, he wrote or co-wrote 22 screenplays.

Early Screenplays

Wilson was credited on The Men in Her Life (1941) with Loretta Young.

He did some William Boyd westerns, Border Patrol (1943), Colt Comrades (1943), Bar 20 (1943), and Forty Thieves (1944).

Wilson's career in Hollywood was interrupted by service with the United States Marine Corps during World War II.

Return from World War Two

In 1945 he became a contract writer with Liberty Films, working (uncredited) on such pictures as It's a Wonderful Life (1946).

He was a co-winner of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for A Place in the Sun (1951), and won an Edgar Award and another Oscar nomination for his script for 5 Fingers (1953).

Blacklisting

Wilson was named an unfriendly witness by the House Un-American Activities Committee and blacklisted for being a communist. After he was blacklisted, he left for France and worked on scripts for the European film industry.

While blacklisted, Wilson wrote the script for Salt of the Earth (1954), a fictionalized account of a real strike by zinc miners in Grant County, New Mexico. The movie was directed by Herbert Biberman and produced by Paul Jarrico both of whom had also been blacklisted. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

He wrote or collaborated on scripts for Hollywood films without credit or under a pseudonym for much less than his usual fee before being blacklisted, including Carnival Story (1954) (for King Brothers Productions who often used blacklisted writers); They Were So Young (1954); The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955), for Otto Preminger; Friendly Persuasion (1956), for William Wyler; The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), for Sam Spiegel and David Lean; The Two-Headed Spy (1958); Tempest (1958) and 5 Branded Women (1960) for Dino De Laurentiis; and Lawrence of Arabia (1962) for Spiegel and Lean again.

His screenplay for Friendly Persuasion was nominated for an Academy Award, but was disqualified because his name did not appear in the credits. Director William Wyler wanted his brother, Robert Wyler, and Jessamyn West credited for rewriting the script, but Wilson disputed this. Wyler then was able under the rules of the blacklist to have one of the few films in history credited to no writer at all.

Wilson and Carl Foreman worked separately on The Bridge on the River Kwai, but as both were blacklisted, the official credit went to Pierre Boulle, upon whose novel the movie was based, even though Boulle did not even speak English.

Wilson remained in France with his family for nine years, before returning to the United States in 1964.

Return to Hollywood

Wilson he continued to write screenplays, including for The Sandpiper (1965), Planet of the Apes (1968), and Che! (1969). His screenplay for Planet of the Apes was based on a novel by Pierre Boulle; only Boulle received screen credit.

Michael Wilson was awarded Writers Guild of America's Laurel Award in 1975 and was posthumously awarded his second Academy Award in 1984 for The Bridge on the River Kwai.[2]

In 1995, Wilson was credited by the Academy Board of Directors with an Academy Award nomination as a co-writer of Lawrence of Arabia and credited as the winner of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best British Dramatic Screenplay.

Wilson also completed an unproduced screenplay on December 16, 1976, The Raid On Harper's Ferry, which was an adaptation of Truman J. Nelson's book The Old Man: John Brown at Harper's Ferry (1973). He also apparently wrote unproduced scripts for a movie about the Industrial Workers of the World titled The Wobblies and a movie about the infiltration of the Black Liberation Movement titled Quiet Darkness.

Personal life

Michael Wilson married Zelma Gussin in 1941; the couple had two daughters.[3] Zelma's sister, Sylvia, was married to another blacklisted screenwriter, Paul Jarrico. Michael Wilson died of a heart attack in 1978 in Los Angeles County, California.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "Collection Guide for the Michael Wilson Papers, 1942-1977". Online Archive of California of the University of California. Michael Wilson was born in McAlester, OK, July 1, 1914. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1936 with a BA in Philosophy.
  2. ^ Aljean Harmetz (March 16, 1985). "Oscars Go to Writers of 'Kwai'". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Here and There," Berkeley Daily Gazette (June 23, 1941): 3, social page mentions the couple's recent wedding.

Further reading

  • Planet of the Apes (Magazine) #2, October 1974. P. 48-52, "Michael Wilson: The Other Apes Writer," by David Johnson. An exclusive interview with the co-author of the original Planet of the Apes movie.

Bibliography

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