Former radio journalist and Marine who co-wrote several hard-boiled, realistic dramas including Jules Dassin's "Brute Force" (1947), John Huston's "Key Largo" (1948) and Stuart Heisler's "Storm Warning" (1951). Brooks made his directorial debut in 1950 with the political thriller "Crisis" and turned out a number of taut, male-oriented features before landing in the spotlight with "The Blackboard Jungle" (1955). The violent, gritty schoolroom drama dealt with juvenile deliquency and racial tensions, catapulted Sidney Poitier to fame, and virtually introduced rock'n'roll to the screen as Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" blasted over the credits.
Brooks consolidated his position with several well-acted literary adaptations. "Elmer Gantry" (1960) was an explosive, award-winning version of Sinclair Lewis' expose of evangelists; "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958) and "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1962) were superb, if relatively tame, adaptations of the Tennessee Williams plays; and "In Cold Blood" (1967) was a suitably noirish if problematic treatment of Truman Capote's reality-based novel.
Beginning with "The Professionals" (1966) and continuing through "Bite the Bullet" (1977), Brooks developed an interesting take on the western genre, using the frontier experience as a context to explore the relationship between tradition and change. His career tailed off in the 70s, though "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" (1977) featured a bravura central performance by Diane Keaton. In 1960 Brooks married actress Jean Simmons, who starred in his "Elmer Gantry" (1960) and "The Happy Ending" (1969).
- Born:
May 18, 1912 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Died:
March 11, 1992.
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Job Titles:
Director, Novelist, Producer, Screenwriter, Radio commentator, Radio narrator, Journalist, Sportswriter
Family
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Daughter: Kate Brooks. born in 1961; mother, Jean Simmons
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Step-daughter: Tracy Granger. Jean Simmons daughter by Stewart Granager
Education
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Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Milestones
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1932 Landed job as a sportwriter with the Phildelphia Record
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1940 Founded theater company, The Mill Pond Theatre (with David Loew) in Roslyn, New York; made directing debut when the two took turns directing the plays they produced there during summer
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1942 Feature film debut as additional dialogue writer, Sin Town and Men of Texas
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1943 Joined US Marine Corps.
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1943 Returned to radio writing including parts for Orson Welles
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1943 Wrote first feature, White Savage
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1945 Wrote first novel, The Brick Foxhole , while in Marines
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1946 Signed with MGM
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1947 The Brick Foxhole filmed by Edward Dmytryk as Crossfire ; screenwriter John Paxton changed novel s murder victim from a homosexual to a Jew
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1950 Directed first feature, Crisis
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1965 Became an independent producer with Lord Jim
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1977 Mortgaged home to make Looking for Mr. Goodbar
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1985 Wrote and directed final film, The Fever
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Appointed newswriter, commentator, and narrator for NBC radio until 1940
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During the Depression traveled to Pittsburgh, Kansas City, New Orleans, and Texas earning a living by writing on space rates for local papers and doing odd jobs
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Joined Atlanic City Press Union ; moved to NYC and joined Radio WNEW where he edited four news broadcasts a day and wrote one
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Took trip to California in October and got job as writer for local radio station; wrote a short story every day and read it over the air; also wrote and directed the radio show William Sands
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While in the Marines contributed to scripts of Anthony Mann s My Best Gal (1944) and Robert Siodmak s Cobra Woman (1945)