Richard Brooks

Richard Brooks ( born May 18, 1912 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, † March 11, 1992 in Beverly Hills, California; actually Ruben Sax ) was a screenwriter, director and producer in Hollywood.

Life

Brooks was born in Philadelphia, where he attended the West Philadelphia High School and then the Temple University. He worked for the radio and was for a short time theater director before he wrote screenplays. As a writer he made ​​his name with the novel The Brick Foxhole. In the 1940s, he wrote screenplays for the critically acclaimed films Key Largo ( Key Largo, 1947) and cell R 17 ( Brute Force, 1947). Both films are considered as typical representatives of film noir. Starting in 1962, Brooks was his own producer and increasingly devoted himself to literary subjects. His works are often about human values ​​, law and order, to the individual who is opposed to the " clichés" and against the " unholy order."

In 1950 he directed the film Mean Streets ( Crisis ), in which the actor Cary Grant was cast against his other type in a very dark role. His only Oscar he won in 1960 for his screenplay for Elmer Gantry. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1955 for The Blackboard Jungle ( Blackboard Jungle ), 1958 for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ( Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ), 1966 for The Professionals ( The Professionals ) and 1967 for In Cold Blood ( In Cold Blood).

Since Brooks as director and producer always insisted to write the screenplay himself, or at least participate as a co -author because he is to be among the classic representatives of auteur cinema.

In 1960 he married the British actress Jean Simmons, with whom he had a daughter and plays in his films Elmer Gantry and happy ending for a marriage. The marriage ended in divorce in 1977.

Brooks died in 1992 in Beverly Hills.

Filmography

Awards

Oscar

Directors Guild of America, USA

Edgar Allan Poe Awards

National Board of Review, USA

Western Heritage Awards

Writers Guild of America, USA