Alfred Lewis Levitt (June 3, 1916 – November 16, 2002) was an American film and television screenwriter. He attended New York University, and served in a camera unit of the United States Air Force during the Second World War. Following the war, Levitt was the screenwriter for such films as The Boy with Green Hair (1948), Mrs. Mike (1950), and The Barefoot Mailman (1951).[1]
Levitt and Pearl Helen Slote (December 6, 1916 - April 3, 1993) were married in 1938; they had two children. Helen Slote Levitt, as Slote was called after her marriage, was also blacklisted in 1951.[2] After more than five years, the Levitts were employed again as screenwriters. They were credited as "Tom and Helen August". Their credits included many episodes of television shows such as Bewitched and The Bionic Woman and also the feature films The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964) and The Monkey's Uncle (1965). In 1971 they were nominated for a Writers Guild Award for an episode of the television program, All in the Family. Their last credit was for a 1979 episode of the program Diff'rent Strokes.
The Levitts' experiences as blacklisted screenwriters have been described in several books about the Hollywood blacklist.[3][4][5][6][7] Among the Levitts' activities during the early years of their blacklisting, and corresponding unemployment, was to participate in publishing the journal Hollywood Review. Hollywood Review has been characterized by Ceplair and Englund as, "...a critical review focusing on American films --more specifically on the increasing violence, sadism, hatred, bigotry, and glorification of brutality perpetrated on audiences by the entertainment industry."[7] Nine issues of the journal were published between 1953 and 1956.
In 1978, Levitt rejoined the Writers Guild of America. Starting in 1988, Levitt led an effort through the Writers' Guild to correct film credits from the blacklist era, in which it became common for the work of blacklisted writers to be uncredited, or credited using pseudonyms.[2][8] The Writers' Guild maintains a listing of 24 films with revised writing credits on its website.[9][10]
In 1995, Alfred and Helen Levitt were honored with the Morgan Cox Award of the Writers Guild of America.[11]
References
^Rourke, Mary (November 21, 2002). "Alfred Levitt, 87; Screenwriter Was Blacklisted During 1950s". The Los Angeles Times.
^Levitt, Helen Slote; Ceplair, Larry (1991). Hollywood blacklist oral history transcript, 1988 : Helen Slote Levitt. UCLA Library. OCLC 39742756. Transcript of a 7.30-hour interview archived at the UCLA Center for Oral History Research.
^Levitt, Alfred Lewis; Ceplair, Larry (1991). Hollywood blacklist oral history transcript, 1988 : Alfred Lewis Levitt. UCLA Library. Transcript of a 10.65-hour interview archived at the UCLA Center for Oral History Research.
^Gordon, Bernard (1999). Hollywood Exile, Or, How I Learned to Love the Blacklist: A Memoir. University of Texas Press. ISBN0-292-72833-6. Memoir of another blacklisted Hollywood writer.
^Buhle, Paul (2003). Hide in Plain Sight: The Hollywood Blacklistees in Film and Television, 1950 (Palgrave-MacMillan). ISBN1-4039-6144-1.
^ abCeplair, Larry and Englund, Steven (2003). The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930-60 (Univ. of Illinois Press). ISBN978-0-252-07141-6. p. 413.
^Alfred Lewis Levitt Biography Internet Movie Database
^. Writers Guild of America, West. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02.
^. Writers Guild of America, West. 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2013-08-06. The Morgan Cox Award is presented to that member or group of members whose vital ideas, continuing efforts and personal sacrifice best exemplify the ideal of service to the Guild which the life of Morgan Cox so fully represented.
Further reading
"Helen Slote Levitt; Blacklisted Television Writer, Historian". The Los Angeles Times. April 10, 1993.
alfred, lewis, levitt, june, 1916, november, 2002, american, film, television, screenwriter, attended, york, university, served, camera, unit, united, states, force, during, second, world, following, levitt, screenwriter, such, films, with, green, hair, 1948, . Alfred Lewis Levitt June 3 1916 November 16 2002 was an American film and television screenwriter He attended New York University and served in a camera unit of the United States Air Force during the Second World War Following the war Levitt was the screenwriter for such films as The Boy with Green Hair 1948 Mrs Mike 1950 and The Barefoot Mailman 1951 1 Alfred Lewis LevittBornAlfred Lewis Levitt 1916 06 03 June 3 1916Bronx New York U S DiedNovember 16 2002 2002 11 16 aged 86 Los Angeles California U S OccupationscreenwriterSpouseHelen Slote Levitt 1938 1993 In 1951 he was called before the House Un American Activities Committee HUAC for his communist involvements and was entered on the Hollywood blacklist Following a screenwriting credit for Dream Wife 1953 he was unemployed as a screenwriter for about five years Levitt and Pearl Helen Slote December 6 1916 April 3 1993 were married in 1938 they had two children Helen Slote Levitt as Slote was called after her marriage was also blacklisted in 1951 2 After more than five years the Levitts were employed again as screenwriters They were credited as Tom and Helen August Their credits included many episodes of television shows such as Bewitched and The Bionic Woman and also the feature films The Misadventures of Merlin Jones 1964 and The Monkey s Uncle 1965 In 1971 they were nominated for a Writers Guild Award for an episode of the television program All in the Family Their last credit was for a 1979 episode of the program Diff rent Strokes The Levitts experiences as blacklisted screenwriters have been described in several books about the Hollywood blacklist 3 4 5 6 7 Among the Levitts activities during the early years of their blacklisting and corresponding unemployment was to participate in publishing the journal Hollywood Review Hollywood Review has been characterized by Ceplair and Englund as a critical review focusing on American films more specifically on the increasing violence sadism hatred bigotry and glorification of brutality perpetrated on audiences by the entertainment industry 7 Nine issues of the journal were published between 1953 and 1956 In 1978 Levitt rejoined the Writers Guild of America Starting in 1988 Levitt led an effort through the Writers Guild to correct film credits from the blacklist era in which it became common for the work of blacklisted writers to be uncredited or credited using pseudonyms 2 8 The Writers Guild maintains a listing of 24 films with revised writing credits on its website 9 10 In 1995 Alfred and Helen Levitt were honored with the Morgan Cox Award of the Writers Guild of America 11 References Edit Rourke Mary November 21 2002 Alfred Levitt 87 Screenwriter Was Blacklisted During 1950s The Los Angeles Times a b Vosburgh Dick November 27 2002 Obituary Alfred Lewis Levitt Blacklisted writer The Independent Levitt Helen Slote Ceplair Larry 1991 Hollywood blacklist oral history transcript 1988 Helen Slote Levitt UCLA Library OCLC 39742756 Transcript of a 7 30 hour interview archived at the UCLA Center for Oral History Research Levitt Alfred Lewis Ceplair Larry 1991 Hollywood blacklist oral history transcript 1988 Alfred Lewis Levitt UCLA Library Transcript of a 10 65 hour interview archived at the UCLA Center for Oral History Research Gordon Bernard 1999 Hollywood Exile Or How I Learned to Love the Blacklist A Memoir University of Texas Press ISBN 0 292 72833 6 Memoir of another blacklisted Hollywood writer Buhle Paul 2003 Hide in Plain Sight The Hollywood Blacklistees in Film and Television 1950 Palgrave MacMillan ISBN 1 4039 6144 1 a b Ceplair Larry and Englund Steven 2003 The Inquisition in Hollywood Politics in the Film Community 1930 60 Univ of Illinois Press ISBN 978 0 252 07141 6 p 413 Alfred Lewis Levitt Biography Internet Movie Database Johnson Ted April 3 1997 WGA Corrects Blacklist Credits Variety Retrieved 2013 08 07 Corrected Blacklist Credits as of 7 17 00 Writers Guild of America West Archived from the original on 2008 01 02 Morgan Cox Award Writers Guild of America West 2013 Archived from the original on 2014 02 22 Retrieved 2013 08 06 The Morgan Cox Award is presented to that member or group of members whose vital ideas continuing efforts and personal sacrifice best exemplify the ideal of service to the Guild which the life of Morgan Cox so fully represented Further reading Edit Helen Slote Levitt Blacklisted Television Writer Historian The Los Angeles Times April 10 1993 External links EditAlfred Lewis Levitt at IMDb Helen Slote Levitt at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alfred Lewis Levitt amp oldid 1092395183, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
