Julius J. Epstein
Julius J. Epstein ( born August 22, 1909 in New York City; † December 30, 2000 in Los Angeles ) was an American screenwriter. He often collaborated with his identical twin brother, Philip G. Epstein and adapted especially books by other authors for the screen.
Life
Julius Epstein grew up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In 1931 he graduated from the Pennsylvania State University. After a brief career as a professional boxer, he initially decided to become a journalist. In 1933 he moved with his brother Philip to Hollywood and wrote mainly in the first years screenplays for musicals and B-movies such as In Caliente or Broadway Gondolier. 1935 Epstein was taken from the production company Warner Bros. contract. A year later he married actress Frances Sage.
He received his first Oscar nomination in 1938 for his work on the comedy Father directs. The film took three sequels, including four daughters clean up from 1939, for the first time with his brother Julius worked. The final breakthrough came in 1940 with No Time for Comedy. In subsequent years, the brothers wrote primarily in common. Their most famous work is the screenplay of the classic Casablanca in 1942, which was based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick's. Julius and Philip Epstein were sure to be excellent until today the only pair of brothers, adapted with an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
With Jack L. Warner, the chairman of Warner Bros., the duo shared a love-hate relationship. Warner recognized her achievements on though, but he liked not the way they work and working hours. Again and again he came, therefore, with them together. 1952 denounced Warner Brothers before the House Un-American Activities Committee ( HUAC, the McCarthy Committee ). They never said there, but once wrote in a questionnaire whether they belonged to a " subversive organization," truthfully. " Yes, Warner Brothers" took After the completion of work on the life of Mrs. Skeffington in 1944 the Epstein's a break from the movie business and wrote the plays Chicken Every Sunday and that's the ticket.
1945 could be Epstein Frances Sage divorced and married four years later his second wife Ann Lazlo. In the early 1950s he worked for the screenplay of that time in Paris together one last time with Philip, who died of cancer in 1952. Julius continued his work alone. For Ruben, Ruben, he received a 1984 WGA Award, an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. This late success was also his last project. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association honored him in 1998 with an award for his life's work.
Julius Epstein died on December 30, 2000 in Beverly Hills. He is survived by his wife Ann and two children. The hallmark of the Epstein brothers had their humorous and witty dialogues. They were often hired by directors to revise an existing script and " loosen up ". Together they were involved in 28 projects. 2006 continued the Writers Guild of America, the Casablanca screenplay to the first place of the 101 best screenplays of all time.