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Howard Koch (screenwriter)

January 01, 1970

Not to be confused with Howard W. Koch.

Howard E. Koch (December 12, 1901 – August 17, 1995)[1][2][3] was an American playwright and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood film studio bosses in the 1950s.

Howard Koch
BornDecember 12, 1901
New York City, US
DiedAugust 17, 1995 (1995-08-18) (aged 93)
Woodstock, New York, US

Background edit

Born to a Jewish family[4] in New York City, Koch grew up in Kingston, New York, and was a graduate of St. Stephen's College (1922, later renamed Bard College) and Columbia Law School (1925).[5][6]

Career edit

While practicing law in Hartsdale, New York, he began to write plays. Great Scott (1929), Give Us This Day (1933), and In Time to Come (1941) which were produced by Broadway.[7]

Koch began playwriting in the late 1920s before he started working on radio scripts.[8] In the 1930s, he worked as a writer for the CBS Mercury Theater of the Air. The work included the Orson Welles radio drama The War of the Worlds (1938), which allegedly caused nationwide panic among some listeners for its documentary-like portrayal of an invasion of spaceships from Mars.[9][10] Koch later wrote a play about the panic, Invasion from Mars,[11] which was later adapted into the 1975 TV movie, The Night That Panicked America, in which actor Joshua Bryant plays Koch.[12]

In the 1940s, Koch began writing for Hollywood studios. His first accepted works were screenplays for Michael Curtiz's The Sea Hawk, William Wyler's The Letter.[10] Koch contributed to the popular film Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart, which he co-scripted with writers Julius and Philip Epstein in 1942, and for which he received an Academy Award in 1943.[13] He also wrote Shining Victory (1941)[14] and Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948),[14] his favorite screenplay.[15]

In 1943, at the request of Jack L. Warner of Warner Bros., Koch wrote the screenplay for Mission to Moscow (1943). The movie subsequently spawned controversy because of its positive portrayal of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union.[16][17] After the war, Koch was dismissed after he was denounced as a Communist.[18] He was then criticized by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) for his outspoken leftist political views. Koch was blacklisted by Hollywood in 1951.[19]

After being blacklisted, Koch moved with his wife, Anne (an accomplished writer in her own right) and their family to Europe and eventually took up residence in the United Kingdom[15] with other blacklisted writers, where they wrote for five years for film and television (British television series The Adventures of Robin Hood among them) under the pseudonyms "Peter Howard"[8] and "Anne Rodney".[20] In 1956, they returned to the United States and settled in Woodstock, New York.[21] Koch sought help from high-profile lawyer Ed Williams in order to clear his name from Hollywood's blacklist. Koch was promptly removed from the blacklist,[22] and he resumed his name and continued to write plays and books and remained actively committed to progressive political and social justice causes. His last Hollywood screenplay was for The Fox in 1968.[14]

Death edit

Koch died at age 93 in 1995 in Kingston, New York.[15]

Works edit

Plays
  • Invasion from Mars, (with Orson Welles) (pl) CBS, October 30, 1938.
Books
  • Invasion from Mars, ed. Orson Welles, Dell 1949.
  • The Panic Broadcast, Little, Brown and Company 1970, Avon Books 1971.
  • Casablanca: Script and Legend, Overlook Press 1973.
  • As Time Goes By: Memoirs of a Writer, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1979.
Short stories
  • "Invasion from Inner Space", in Star Science Fiction Stories #6, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine 1959.
Anthologies
  • Invaders of Earth, ed. Groff Conklin, Vanguard 1952, Pocket 1955, Tempo 1962.
  • The Treasury of Science Fiction Classics, ed. Harold W. Kuebler, Hanover House 1954.
  • The Armchair Science Reader, ed. Isabel S. Gordon & Sophie Sorkin, Simon & Schuster 1959.
  • Enemies in Space, ed. Groff Conklin, Digit 1962.
  • Contact, ed. Noel Keyes, Paperback Library 1963.
  • Speculations, ed. Thomas E. Sanders, Glencoe Press 1973.
  • Bug-Eyed Monsters, ed. Anthony Cheetham, Panther 1974.

References edit

  1. ^ Ancestry.com. New York City Births, 1891-1902 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000.
  2. ^ Social Security Death Index.
  3. ^ U.S. Census, January 1, 1920. State of New York, County of Ulster, enumeration district 174, p. 8A, family 218.
  4. ^ Tablet Magazine: "The Brothers Who Co-Wrote ‘Casablanca’ - Writers Julius and Philip Epstein are also forebears of baseball’s Theo Epstein" by Adam Chandler August 22, 2013
  5. ^ Danca, Vincent J. (1974). An Analysis of Casablanca with an Emphasis on Five Scenes. University of Wisconsin--Madison.
  6. ^ Communications, Museum of Broadcast (2004). The Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Radio. Fitzroy Dearborn. ISBN 978-1-57958-452-8.
  7. ^ Internet Broadway Database.
  8. ^ a b "Howard Koch; Oscar-Winning Co-Writer of 'Casablanca'". Los Angeles Times. 1995-08-18. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  9. ^ Sterling, Christopher H. (2013-05-13). Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-99375-6.
  10. ^ a b Starr, Kevin (2003-09-11). Embattled Dreams: California in War and Peace, 1940-1950. OUP USA. ISBN 978-0-19-516897-6.
  11. ^ Riley, Kathleen (2005-04-27). Nigel Hawthorne on Stage. Univ of Hertfordshire Press. ISBN 978-1-902806-31-0.
  12. ^ Roberts, Jerry (2009-06-05). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6378-1.
  13. ^ Isenberg, Noah (2017-02-14). We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Film. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-24313-0.
  14. ^ a b c "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  15. ^ a b c Gussow, Mel (18 August 1995). "Howard Koch, a Screenwriter For Casablanca, Dies at 93". The New York Times. p. D17.
  16. ^ Frankel, Glenn (2017-02-21). High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-62040-950-3.
  17. ^ Robinson, Harlow (2007). Russians in Hollywood, Hollywood's Russians: Biography of an Image. UPNE. ISBN 978-1-55553-686-2.
  18. ^ Dick, Bernard F. (2014-10-17). Hal Wallis: Producer to the Stars. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-5951-5.
  19. ^ Birdwell, Michael E. (2000). Celluloid Soldiers: Warner Bros.'s Campaign Against Nazism. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-9871-3.
  20. ^ . Bard College Archives. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
  21. ^ Ancestry.com. U.S.: Selected Jewish Obituaries, 1948-2002 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2008.
  22. ^ Thomas, Evan (2012-12-04). The Man to See. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-2796-4.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
howard, koch, screenwriter, confused, with, howard, koch, howard, koch, december, 1901, august, 1995, american, playwright, screenwriter, blacklisted, hollywood, film, studio, bosses, 1950s, howard, kochborndecember, 1901new, york, city, usdiedaugust, 1995, 19. Not to be confused with Howard W Koch Howard E Koch December 12 1901 August 17 1995 1 2 3 was an American playwright and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood film studio bosses in the 1950s Howard KochBornDecember 12 1901New York City USDiedAugust 17 1995 1995 08 18 aged 93 Woodstock New York US Contents 1 Background 2 Career 3 Death 4 Works 5 References 6 External linksBackground editBorn to a Jewish family 4 in New York City Koch grew up in Kingston New York and was a graduate of St Stephen s College 1922 later renamed Bard College and Columbia Law School 1925 5 6 Career editWhile practicing law in Hartsdale New York he began to write plays Great Scott 1929 Give Us This Day 1933 and In Time to Come 1941 which were produced by Broadway 7 Koch began playwriting in the late 1920s before he started working on radio scripts 8 In the 1930s he worked as a writer for the CBS Mercury Theater of the Air The work included the Orson Welles radio drama The War of the Worlds 1938 which allegedly caused nationwide panic among some listeners for its documentary like portrayal of an invasion of spaceships from Mars 9 10 Koch later wrote a play about the panic Invasion from Mars 11 which was later adapted into the 1975 TV movie The Night That Panicked America in which actor Joshua Bryant plays Koch 12 In the 1940s Koch began writing for Hollywood studios His first accepted works were screenplays for Michael Curtiz s The Sea Hawk William Wyler s The Letter 10 Koch contributed to the popular film Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart which he co scripted with writers Julius and Philip Epstein in 1942 and for which he received an Academy Award in 1943 13 He also wrote Shining Victory 1941 14 and Letter from an Unknown Woman 1948 14 his favorite screenplay 15 In 1943 at the request of Jack L Warner of Warner Bros Koch wrote the screenplay for Mission to Moscow 1943 The movie subsequently spawned controversy because of its positive portrayal of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union 16 17 After the war Koch was dismissed after he was denounced as a Communist 18 He was then criticized by the House Un American Activities Committee HUAC for his outspoken leftist political views Koch was blacklisted by Hollywood in 1951 19 After being blacklisted Koch moved with his wife Anne an accomplished writer in her own right and their family to Europe and eventually took up residence in the United Kingdom 15 with other blacklisted writers where they wrote for five years for film and television British television series The Adventures of Robin Hood among them under the pseudonyms Peter Howard 8 and Anne Rodney 20 In 1956 they returned to the United States and settled in Woodstock New York 21 Koch sought help from high profile lawyer Ed Williams in order to clear his name from Hollywood s blacklist Koch was promptly removed from the blacklist 22 and he resumed his name and continued to write plays and books and remained actively committed to progressive political and social justice causes His last Hollywood screenplay was for The Fox in 1968 14 Death editKoch died at age 93 in 1995 in Kingston New York 15 Works editPlays Invasion from Mars with Orson Welles pl CBS October 30 1938 Books Invasion from Mars ed Orson Welles Dell 1949 The Panic Broadcast Little Brown and Company 1970 Avon Books 1971 Casablanca Script and Legend Overlook Press 1973 As Time Goes By Memoirs of a Writer Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1979 Short stories Invasion from Inner Space in Star Science Fiction Stories 6 ed Frederik Pohl Ballantine 1959 Anthologies Invaders of Earth ed Groff Conklin Vanguard 1952 Pocket 1955 Tempo 1962 The Treasury of Science Fiction Classics ed Harold W Kuebler Hanover House 1954 The Armchair Science Reader ed Isabel S Gordon amp Sophie Sorkin Simon amp Schuster 1959 Enemies in Space ed Groff Conklin Digit 1962 Contact ed Noel Keyes Paperback Library 1963 Speculations ed Thomas E Sanders Glencoe Press 1973 Bug Eyed Monsters ed Anthony Cheetham Panther 1974 References edit Ancestry com New York City Births 1891 1902 database on line Provo UT USA The Generations Network Inc 2000 Social Security Death Index U S Census January 1 1920 State of New York County of Ulster enumeration district 174 p 8A family 218 Tablet Magazine The Brothers Who Co Wrote Casablanca Writers Julius and Philip Epstein are also forebears of baseball s Theo Epstein by Adam Chandler August 22 2013 Danca Vincent J 1974 An Analysis of Casablanca with an Emphasis on Five Scenes University of Wisconsin Madison Communications Museum of Broadcast 2004 The Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Radio Fitzroy Dearborn ISBN 978 1 57958 452 8 Internet Broadway Database a b Howard Koch Oscar Winning Co Writer of Casablanca Los Angeles Times 1995 08 18 Retrieved 2022 08 21 Sterling Christopher H 2013 05 13 Biographical Encyclopedia of American Radio Routledge ISBN 978 1 136 99375 6 a b Starr Kevin 2003 09 11 Embattled Dreams California in War and Peace 1940 1950 OUP USA ISBN 978 0 19 516897 6 Riley Kathleen 2005 04 27 Nigel Hawthorne on Stage Univ of Hertfordshire Press ISBN 978 1 902806 31 0 Roberts Jerry 2009 06 05 Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors Scarecrow Press ISBN 978 0 8108 6378 1 Isenberg Noah 2017 02 14 We ll Always Have Casablanca The Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood s Most Beloved Film W W Norton amp Company ISBN 978 0 393 24313 0 a b c AFI Catalog catalog afi com Retrieved 2022 08 21 a b c Gussow Mel 18 August 1995 Howard Koch a Screenwriter For Casablanca Dies at 93 The New York Times p D17 Frankel Glenn 2017 02 21 High Noon The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic Bloomsbury Publishing USA ISBN 978 1 62040 950 3 Robinson Harlow 2007 Russians in Hollywood Hollywood s Russians Biography of an Image UPNE ISBN 978 1 55553 686 2 Dick Bernard F 2014 10 17 Hal Wallis Producer to the Stars University Press of Kentucky ISBN 978 0 8131 5951 5 Birdwell Michael E 2000 Celluloid Soldiers Warner Bros s Campaign Against Nazism NYU Press ISBN 978 0 8147 9871 3 Howard Koch Bard College Archives Archived from the original on 2010 05 28 Retrieved 2010 04 08 Ancestry com U S Selected Jewish Obituaries 1948 2002 database on line Provo UT USA The Generations Network Inc 2008 Thomas Evan 2012 12 04 The Man to See Simon and Schuster ISBN 978 1 4391 2796 4 External links editHoward Koch at IMDb Howard Koch at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Howard Koch at Bard Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Howard Koch screenwriter amp oldid 1166825543, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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