Herbert Biberman
Herbert J. Biberman (born March 4, 1900 in Philadelphia , † June 30, 1971 in New York City ) was an American screenwriter and film director. He was best known for his membership in the Hollywood Ten and for his 1954 film Salt of the Earth (The Salt of the Earth) , which is about striking Mexican-American miners in New Mexico .
Life
Biberman, who came from a Jewish family, wrote film stories and screenplays for well-known films such as King of Chinatown (1939; D .: Nick Grinde ), When Tomorrow Comes (1939; D .: John M. Stahl ), Action in Arabia (1944 ; R .: Léonide Moguy ), with Anne Froelich on The Master Race and with Elliot Paul on New Orleans (1947; R .: Arthur Lubin ). In The Master Race he led self directed, as previously in the films One Way Ticket (1935) and Meet Nero Wolfe (1936).
In 1930 he married the actress Gale Sondergaard . The marriage had two children.
From 1947, the committee began to investigate un-American activities among filmmakers. Biberman and the other Hollywood Ten refused to testify in court about belonging to the Communist Party of the USA and were sentenced to prison terms for disregarding the court. Biberman was serving a six-month sentence. While Edward Dmytryk was willing to cooperate with the committee, the others refused and were put on the so-called "Hollywood blacklist " of the film studio directors.
Biberman worked after his release, therefore, self-employed and the film it was the salt of the earth (Salt of the Earth), to the Michael Wilson wrote history. His name was on the blacklist, as was that of producer Paul Jarrico , film composer Sol Kaplan and others involved. The film was rated "Culturally Significant" by the Library of Congress and archived in the National Film Registry as well as the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is one of Wim Wenders' favorite films . In 1954, Biberman was awarded the Crystal Globe for the film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and in 1956 was awarded the French Étoile de Cristal in the category of Best Foreign Film . At the Cannes International Film Festival in 1969 , his film Slaves was shown. The film remained his last work.
He died of bone cancer. His brother Edward (1904–1986) was a well-known artist.
In the film One of the Hollywood Ten , released in 2000, Biberman is portrayed by Jeff Goldblum .
Web links
- Herbert J. Biberman in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Biberman, Herbert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Biberman, Herbert J. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American screenwriter and film director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 4, 1900 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 30, 1971 |
| Place of death | New York City |