Abraham Polonsky
Abraham Lincoln Polonsky (born December 5, 1910 in New York City , † October 26, 1999 in Beverly Hills , California ) was an American screenwriter and film director .
life and work
Polonsky graduated from Columbia Law School. He initially worked as a lawyer. During the Second World War he worked for the Office of Strategic Studies in France, where he kept in touch with the Resistance . Before working in the film business, he wrote several novels, the first of which remained unpublished.
A staunch Marxist , Polonsky joined the United States Communist Party and was also active in trade unions. His refusal in 1951 to testify and betray party members in the course of the McCarthy-era investigation resulted in his dismissal by 20th Century Fox and blacklisted him, the end of his career in Hollywood meant. Although he was able to continue working anonymously in Hollywood, his career was permanently damaged. 21 years passed between his directorial debut Die Macht des Böse (1948) and his next directorial work, Bloody Spur (1969).
In 1948 he was nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Original Screenplay. In 1971 he was awarded a Bodil . In 1998 he was recognized by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Lifetime Achievement .
Polosky was married and had two children. His wife died in 1993.
Filmography
Director
- 1948: The Force of Evil - also screenplay
- 1957: Oedipus Rex
- 1969: Bloody Trace (Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here) - also screenplay
- 1971: A guy who steals horses (Il romanzo die un ladro di cavalli)
script
- 1947: Hunt for Millions (Body and Soul)
- 1947: Golden Earrings (Golden Earrings)
- 1951: I Can Get It for You Wholesale
- 1959: Odds Against Tomorrow (Odds Against Tomorrow)
- 1968: Only 72 hours left (Madigan)
- 1979: Avalanche Express (Avalanche Express)
- 1982: Monsignor
actor
- 1995: Red Hollywood
- 1998: Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream
- 2001: FBI versus Hollywood
Individual evidence
- ↑ New York Times: Abraham Polonsky, 88, Dies; Director Damaged by Blacklist , October 29, 1999; accessed March 27, 2010
Web links
- Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database
- Archive of American Television Video Interview with Abraham Polonsky
- Abraham Polonsky in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Polonsky, Abraham |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Polonsky, Abraham Lincoln |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American screenwriter and film director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 5, 1910 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 26, 1999 |
| Place of death | Beverly Hills |