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

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

s from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. He received four Oscar nominations and won once for

Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

for fantasy romantic comedy film ''

Here Comes Mr. Jordan ''Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' is a 1941 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Alexander Hall, in which a boxer, mistakenly taken to Heaven before his time, is given a second chance back on Earth. It stars Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains ...

'' (1941) along with Seton I. Miller.

Biography

Born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family, in

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior, Wisconsin, Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: Downtown Dul ...

, and educated at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

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

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...

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

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

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 ''

'' (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 The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, create ...

led to a charge of

contempt of Congress Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. Historically, the bribery of a U.S. senator or U.S. representative was considered contempt of Congress. In modern times, contempt of C ...

. Buchman was fined, given a year's suspended sentence, and was then

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...

by the Hollywood movie studio bosses. He would return to screenwriting in the 1960s, working on ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'' (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 Michael Buchman Silver (born July 8, 1967) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Assistant District Attorney Leo Cohen in the television series ''NYPD Blue''. As of summer 2019, Silver has recurring roles on bot ...

, respectively. He died in his adopted home in

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...

on August 23, 1975, at the age of 73.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Music Goes 'Round ''The Music Goes 'Round'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Harry Richman, Rochelle Hudson and Walter Connolly Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character act ...

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

Awards and nominations

Sidney Buchman received a

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement The Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement (also known as the Screen Laurel Award) is a lifetime achievement award given by the Writers Guild of America. It is given "to that member of the Guild who, in the opinion of the current Board of Dir ...

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-stub