Nedrick Young (March 23, 1914 – September 16, 1968), also known by the pseudonym Nathan E. Douglas, was an American actor and screenwriter often blacklisted during the 1950s and 1960s for refusing to confirm or deny membership of the Communist Party before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA). He is credited with writing the screenplay for '' Jailhouse Rock'' in 1957, which starred

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. Young was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. In addition to screenwriting, he also took acting roles in various feature-length films during the period 1943–1966.

Recognition

''The Defiant Ones'' received an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for the "best screenplay written directly for the screen" in 1958. For the same film, Young and co-writer Harold Jacob Smith won a 1959 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, from the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Awa ...

. ''Inherit the Wind'' was also nominated for, but did not win, an Academy Award in 1960. The same year he and others brought a law suit against the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) for thirteen years of blacklisting. The suit was not successful.

Filmography

Actor *1943: '' Bombs Over Burma'' - Slim Jenkins *1943: ''

Dead Men Walk ''Dead Men Walk'' is a 1943 American horror film produced by Sigmund Neufeld for Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC). It is an original story and screenplay by Fred Myton, starring George Zucco, Mary Carlisle, Nedrick Young, and Dwight Frye, di ...

'' - Dr. David Bentley *1943: ''

Ladies' Day ''Ladies' Day'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts and Dane Lussier, adapted from the play of the same name. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Eddie Albert, Patsy Kelly, Max Baer and Jerome C ...

'' - Tony D'Angelo *1946: ''

Gay Blades ''Gay Blades'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by Albert Beich and Marcy Klauber. The film stars Allan Lane, Jean Rogers, Edward Ashley, Frank Albertson, Ann Gillis and Robert Armstrong. The film was release ...

'' - Gary Lester *1946: '' The Devil's Playground'' - Curly Evans *1947: '' Unexpected Guest'' - Ralph Baxter *1948: '' The Swordsman'' - Bruce Glowan *1948: ''

The Gallant Blade ''The Gallant Blade'' is a 1948 American Cinecolor adventure film directed by Henry Levin and starring Larry Parks as a peasant hero of France in the 17th century after the Thirty Years' War. Cast *Larry Parks as Lt. David Picard * Marguerite Ch ...

'' - Sergeant Martine *1949: ''

Calamity Jane and Sam Bass ''Calamity Jane and Sam Bass'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Yvonne de Carlo, Howard Duff and Dorothy Hart. Plot Sheriff Will Egan doesn't want any gamblers in Denton, Texas and is suspicious when str ...

'' - Parsons (uncredited) *1949: ''

Border Incident ''Border Incident'' is a 1949 film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, Howard Da Silva. Directed by Anthony Mann, the MGM production was written by John C. Higgins and George Zuckerman. The film was shot by cinematographer John ...

'' - Happy (uncredited) *1950: ''

Gun Crazy ''Gun Crazy'' (also known as ''Deadly Is the Female'') is a 1950 American crime film noir starring Peggy Cummins and John Dall in a story about the crime-spree of a gun-toting husband and wife. It was directed by Joseph H. Lewis, and produced ...

'' - Dave Allister *1950: '' Love That Brute'' - Rocky (uncredited) *1950: ''

A Lady Without Passport ''A Lady Without Passport'' is a 1950 American film noir film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Hedy Lamarr and John Hodiak. Written by Howard Dimsdale, the film is about a beautiful concentration-camp refugee who has taken up residence in ...

'' - Harry Nordell *1951: '' Inside Straight'' - Accountant (uncredited) *1952: ''

Retreat, Hell! ''Retreat, Hell!'' is a 1952 American war film about the 1st Marine Division in the Korean War, directed by Joseph H. Lewis. It stars Frank Lovejoy as a career Marine battalion commander who is recalled from work at an American embassy, Richard ...

'' - Sgt. Novak (credited: Ned Young) *1952: ''

Aladdin and His Lamp ''Aladdin and His Lamp'' is a 1952 film directed by Lew Landers and starring Johnny Sands and Patricia Medina. Plot A poor young man finds a lamp with a genie trapped inside. The genie promises to grant the man three wishes if he frees him fro ...

'' - Hassan *1952: ''

Springfield Rifle The term Springfield rifle may refer to any one of several types of small arms produced by the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the United States armed forces. In modern usage, the term "Springfield rifle" most commonly ref ...

'' - Sgt. Poole (uncredited) *1952: ''

The Iron Mistress ''The Iron Mistress'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo. It ends with Bowie's marriage to Ursula de Veramendi and does not deal with his death at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. ...

'' - Henri Contrecourt *1953: '' She's Back on Broadway'' - Rafferty *1953: ''

Captain Scarlett ''Captain Scarlett'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Thomas Carr, that was shot in Mexico. The film is set in France following the fall of Napoleon, stars Richard Greene in the title role as a Robin Hood-type avenger and the B ...

'' - Pierre DuCloux *1953: '' House of Wax'' - Leon Averill (uncredited) *1953: '' So This Is Love'' - Harry Corbett (uncredited) *1953: '' Crime Wave'' - Gat Morgan *1953: '' The Eddie Cantor Story'' - Jack (uncredited) *1958: ''

The Defiant Ones ''The Defiant Ones'' is a 1958 American adventure drama film which tells the story of two escaped prisoners, one white and one black, who are shackled together and who must co-operate in order to survive. It stars Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier ...

'' - Prison Guard in Truck (uncredited) *1958: '' Terror in a Texas Town'' - John Crale *1966: '' Seconds'' - Henry Bushman (final film role) Screenplay *1957: '' Jailhouse Rock'' *1958: ''

'' *1960: '' Inherit the Wind'' *1968: ''

Shadow on the Land ''Shadow on the Land'', also known as ''United States: It Can't Happen Here'', is a 1968 television film which aired on ABC. It was adapted from the 1935 Sinclair Lewis novel ''It Can't Happen Here'' by Nedrick Young, and directed by Richard C. S ...

Personal life and death

He was married to actress

Elizabeth MacRae Elizabeth Hendon MacRae (born February 22, 1936) is an American actress who performed in dozens of television series and in nine feature films, working predominantly in productions released between 1958 and the late 1980s. Among her more widel ...

. Young died from a heart attack at the age of 54.

References

External links

*
1958 Academy AwardsFour Word Film Review: Nedrick YoungTrailer for ''The Defiant One'', documentary about Nedrick Young and the Hollywood blacklist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Nedrick 1914 births 1968 deaths Male actors from Philadelphia American male screenwriters American male film actors Hollywood blacklist Edgar Award winners Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners 20th-century American male actors Writers from Philadelphia Screenwriters from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters