Michael Blankfort

Michael Blankfort
Born	December 10, 1907 New York City,New York
Died	July 13, 1982 Los Angeles,California
Occupation	Screenwriter Writer Playwright
Notable works	Broken Arrow (1950)(front forAlbert Maltz) The Caine Mutiny The Juggler (film)(novel and film adaptation)
Spouse	1st) Laurette Spingarn 2nd) Dorothy Stiles

Michael Seymour Blankfort(December 10, 1907 – July 13, 1982)was an Americanscreenwriter,writer of books andplaywright.He served as a front for theblacklistedAlbert Maltzon theAcademy Award-nominatedscreenplayofBroken Arrow (1950).He was born inNew York Cityand died inLos Angeles.

Film career

The Writers Guild of America, West, in its 1991 restoration of credit for theBroken Arrowscreenplay to Maltz, expressed "a strong statement of appreciation for the courage of screenwriter Michael Blankfort" for his action in fronting for Maltz, in which Blankfort "risked being blacklisted himself to help his friend".Among his own screenplays wereThe Juggler (1953)andThe Caine Mutiny.He was president of theWriters Guild of America, Westfrom 1967 to 1969and won the Guild'sValentine Davies Award(along withNorman Corwin) in 1972.He also served on the Board of Governors ofThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencesfrom 1969 to 1971.

Art collection

Michael Blankfort and his wife Dorothy Stiles Blankfort were among the founding members of the Los Angeles Contemporary Art Council, a group of prominent local art collectors connected to theLos Angeles County Museum of Art.The Blankforts donated over 400 pieces of art to the museum, including works byYves Klein,Willem de KooningandArshile Gorky.

Bibliography

• "Battle hymn; a play in three acts, prologues and an epilogue". (withMichael Gold) New York, Los Angeles, London: S. French, 1936.
• "The crime". New York: New York Theatre League, 1936.
• "The brave and the blind: a one-act drama". New York: S. French, 1937.
• "A Time to Live". New York: Harcourt Brace, 1943.
• "The Big Yankee: The Life ofCarlsonof theRaiders".Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1947.
• "Monique: A Drama in Two Acts". (with wife Dorothy Stiles Blankfort) New York: S. French, 1957.
• "An Exceptional Man – A Novel of Incest". New York: Antheneum, 1980.

Filmography

As screenwriter:

• Blind Alley(1939)
• Adam Had Four Sons(1941)
• Texas(1941)
• Flight Lieutenant(1942)
• An Act of Murder(1948)
• The Dark Past(1948)
• Broken Arrow(1950) (as front for Albert Maltz)
• Halls of Montezuma(1951)
• My Six Convicts(1952)
• Lydia Bailey(1952)
• The Juggler(1953)
• The Caine Mutiny(1954) (additional dialogue)
• Untamed(1955)
• Tribute to a Bad Man(1956)
• The Vintage(1957)
• See How They Run(1964)
• The Plainsman(1966)
• A Fire in the Sky(1978)

As associate producer:

• The Juggler(1953)

Awards

1953:National Jewish Book AwardforThe Juggler

External links

• Michael BlankfortatIMDb
• Michael Blankfort papers,Margaret Herrick Library,Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences