Sidney Robert Buchman (March 27, 1902 – August 23, 1975) was an American screenwriter and film producer who worked on about 40

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s from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. He received four Oscar nominations and won once for Best Screenplay for the fantasy romantic comedy film '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941), sharing the award with Seton I. Miller.

Background

Born to a

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family in Duluth, Minnesota and educated at

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, where he was a member of the Philolexian Society, he served as President of the Screen Writers Guild of America from 1941–1942.

Career

Buchman was one of the most successful Hollywood screenwriters of the 1930s and 1940s. His scripts from this period include '' The Right to Romance'' (1933), '' She Married Her Boss'' (1935), '' The King Steps Out'' (1936), '' Theodora Goes Wild'' (1936) and ''

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'' (1938). He would go on to receive

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominations for his writing on '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939), '' The Talk of the Town'' (1942), and '' Jolson Sings Again'' (1949), winning an Oscar for '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941). He also did uncredited work on various films during this period, notably '' The Awful Truth''. He was the 1965 recipient of th
Laurel Award
of the Writers Guild of America, West. Buchman's refusal to provide the names of American Communist Party members to the House Un-American Activities Committee led to a charge of contempt of Congress. Buchman was fined, given a year's suspended sentence, and was then blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses. He returned to screenwriting in the 1960s, working on ''

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'' (1963) and '' The Group'' (1966).

Personal life

Buchman married twice and had one daughter, Susanna Silver, with his first wife. His granddaughter and grandson are Amanda Silver and Michael B. Silver, respectively. With his second wife, he had another daughter, Carla. He died in his adopted home in

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on August 24, 1975, at the age of 73.

Selected filmography

* '' The Music Goes 'Round'' (1936) * '' The King Steps Out'' (1936) * '' The Howards of Virginia'' (1940)

Awards and nominations

Sidney Buchman received a Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement at the 17th Writers Guild of America Awards on March 17, 1965.

References

External links

* 1902 births 1975 deaths Writers from Duluth, Minnesota American male screenwriters Hollywood blacklist Columbia University alumni Jewish American screenwriters American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners 20th-century American businesspeople Screenwriters from Minnesota Film producers from Minnesota 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American Jews {{US-screen-writer-1900s-stub