David Silverstein (January 13, 1896 – July 6, 1944) was an American screenwriter and journalist who worked at MGM, Universal, and Columbia in the 1930s and 1940s.

Biography

Silverstein was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Nathan Silverstein and Minnie Grobstein. His parents were Jewish Russian immigrants. Silverstein served in the military during World War I, and he worked as a journalist before beginning his career in Hollywood. His first credit as a scenario writer came in 1932 with the release of ''Hatta Marri''. He would go on to write 24 films over the course of his career. Silverstein joined the Army Signal Corps during World War II in 1941; he joined other Columbia scenarists in writing training films at the Film Lab in

Fort Monmouth, New Jersey Fort Monmouth is a former installation of the Department of the Army in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The post is surrounded by the communities of Eatontown, New Jersey, Eatontown, Tinton Falls, New Jersey, Tinton Falls and Oceanport, New Jersey, O ...

. He died of injuries received in action in 1944, and was awarded a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

posthumously. He was survived by his wife, Alice, and their son.

Selected filmography

* '' Career Girl'' (1944) * ''

Sabotage Squad ''Sabotage Squad'' is a 1942 American action film directed by Lew Landers and written by Bernice Petkere, Wallace Sullivan and David Silverstein. The film stars Bruce Bennett, Kay Harris, Edward Norris, Sidney Blackmer, Don Beddoe and John T ...

'' (1942) * ''

I Killed That Man ''I Killed That Man'' is a 1941 American film directed by Phil Rosen that was a remake of his 1933 film '' The Devil's Mate''. It starred Ricardo Cortez and was produced by the King Brothers. Plot summary The film begins with a disparate gro ...

'' (1941) * '' The Kid from Kansas'' (1941) * '' Mystery Ship'' (1941) * '' Melody and Moonlight'' (1940) * '' Should a Girl Marry?'' (1939) * '' Almost a Gentleman'' (1939) * '' Saturday's Heroes'' (1937) * '' You Can't Beat Love'' (1937) * ''

15 Maiden Lane ''15 Maiden Lane'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Claire Trevor, Cesar Romero, and Lloyd Nolan. The plot involves an insurance investigator (Trevor) who infiltrates a gang who had stolen jewels from the eponymou ...

'' (1936) * '' Ticket to Paradise'' (1936) * '' Dancing Feet'' (1936) * '' Streamline Express'' (1935) * ''

Woman Wanted ''Woman Wanted'' is a 1999 film directed by Kiefer Sutherland (later credited as Alan Smithee). It is based on a novel by Joanna Glass, who also wrote the screenplay. It stars Sutherland, Holly Hunter, Michael Moriarty, and Sutherland's mother, S ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym ...

'' (1934) * '' King Kelly of the U.S.A.'' (1934) * ''

Manhattan Love Song ''Manhattan Love Song'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Leonard Fields. Plot summary Although sisters Geraldine and Carol Stewart live luxuriously in a Park Avenue apartment in New York City, their money has run out due to some ...

'' (1934) * ''

Unknown Blonde ''Unknown Blonde'' is a 1934 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Hobart Henley and starring Edward Arnold, Barbara Barondess and Dorothy Revier. It was released by the independent Majestic Pictures.Pitts, p. 234 It was based on the ...

'' (1934) * ''

The Devil's Mate ''The Devil's Mate'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Phil Rosen, starring Peggy Shannon and Preston Foster.

'' (1933)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silverstein, David Jewish American screenwriters 1896 births 1944 deaths Screenwriters from Pennsylvania 20th-century American screenwriters United States Army personnel killed in World War II American people of Russian-Jewish descent 20th-century American Jews