Julius J. Epstein

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Julius J. Epstein (1997)

Julius J. Epstein (born August 22, 1909 in New York City , † December 30, 2000 in Los Angeles ) was an American screenwriter . He often worked with his identical twin brother Philip G. Epstein and adapted books by other authors for the screen.

Life

Julius Epstein grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan . In 1931 he graduated from Pennsylvania State University . After a short career as a professional boxer, he first decided to become a journalist. In 1933 he moved to Hollywood with his brother Philip and in the first few years mainly wrote scripts for musicals and B-movies such as In Caliente and Broadway Gondolier . 1935 Epstein was by the production company Warner Bros. contracted. A year later he married the actress Frances Sage.

He received his first Oscar nomination in 1938 for his work on the comedy Father Conducts . The film had three sequels, including Four Daughters clean up from 1939, for which Julius first worked with his brother. The final breakthrough came in 1940 with No Time for Comedy . In the following years the brothers wrote mostly together. Her best-known work is the screenplay of the 1942 classic Casablanca , based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick’s . Julius and Philip Epstein were awarded an Oscar for the best adapted screenplay , as the only brothers to date .

The duo had a kind of love-hate relationship with Jack L. Warner , chairman of Warner Bros. Warner recognized her successes, but did not like the way she worked and the hours. So he kept clashing with them. In 1952 Warner denounced the brothers to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC, the McCarthy Committee ). They never testified there, but once asked in a questionnaire whether they belonged to a “subversive organization”, truthfully: “Yes, to Warner Brothers.” After finishing work on The Life of Mrs. Skeffington in 1944, took each other the Epsteins took a break from the film business and wrote the plays Chicken Every Sunday and That's the Ticket .

In 1945, Epstein divorced Frances Sage and four years later married his second wife, Ann Lazlo. In the early 1950s he worked one last time with Philip, who died of cancer in 1952, on the screenplay for Back then in Paris . Julius continued his work alone. For Ruben, Ruben he received a WGA Award , an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination in 1984 . This late success was also his last project. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association honored him with a 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award. For Christopher Keane's book Step by Step to a Successful Screenplay: Epstein wrote the foreword with a complete, commented screenplay ( ISBN 978-3866711143 ).

Julius Epstein died on December 30, 2000 in Beverly Hills . He left behind his wife Ann and two children. The Epstein brothers' trademark were their humorous and witty dialogues. Often they were hired by directors to revise and “loosen up” an existing script. Together they were involved in 28 projects. In 2006, the Writers Guild of America ranked the Casablanca screenplay first in the 101 Best Screenplays of All Time.

Filmography (selection)

script

Awards

Oscars

  • 1939: Nomination for Best Screenplay - Father conducts
  • 1943: Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay - Casablanca
  • 1973: Nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay - Pete and Tillie
  • 1984: Nomination for the best adapted screenplay - Poets are not kissed

Golden Globe Awards

  • 1984: Nomination for Best Screenplay - You Don't Kiss Poets

Writers Guild of America Awards

  • 1956: Nomination for the best comedy - The delicate trap
  • 1956: Laurel Award
  • 1959: Nomination for Best Comedy - What Does Mama Know About Love?
  • 1962: Nomination for the best drama - Fanny
  • 1973: Nomination for Best Adapted Drama - Pete and Tillie
  • 1979: Nomination for Best Comedy - Home Visits
  • 1984: Golden Globe for the best adapted drama - Poets are not kissed

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Epstein, Julius J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Epstein, Julius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American screenwriter
DATE OF BIRTH August 22, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City , United States
DATE OF DEATH December 30, 2000
Place of death Los Angeles , California , United States