Marvin Borowsky (September 28, 1907 – July 5, 1969) was an American novelist and a screenwriter of movies for RKO Studios, Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and others.Veteran Film Writer Rites Held Today. (1969, July 7). ''Los Angeles Evening Citizen News'', 6. https://www.newspapers.com/paper/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/25896/?tab=overviewM. Borowsky Dies at 60. (1969, July 6). ''The Los Angeles Times'', 7. https://www.newspapers.com/paper/the-los-angeles-times/4312/

Early life and career

Marvin Sidney Borowsky was born on September 28, 1907, in the

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neighborhood of

Waterford Township, New Jersey Waterford Township is a township in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 10,421, a decrease of 228 (−2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 10,649, which in turn re ...

. His parents were Abraham Borowsky and Rae Borowsky (née Friedman)."Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950", ''FamilySearch'' (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF4F-M98 : Sun Mar 10 11:59:28 UTC 2024), Entry for Abraham George Borowsky and Rae Friedman, 21 Nov"United States Census, 1910", ''FamilySearch'' (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKTD-SSW : Sun Mar 10 08:23:32 UTC 2024), Entry for Abraham Borowsky and Rae Borowsky, 1910 During his early years, he grew up in Waterford Township; and later in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After finishing his schooling, Borowsky entered as an English major at

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

. However, his passion lay in the arts, specifically the theater. This led to him direct plays during his summer vacations and under his direction, "the Arden Theater developed into a highly successful professional theater." When he finished his bachelor's degree in 1929, Borowsky went to the Yale School of Drama (since renamed as the

David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in ...

) and majored in play writing for two years. Then, he moved to New York, where he worked in different jobs throughout the years such as special lightning consultant, play reader and stage manager. In addition, "he wrote and sold two plays". "While impatiently awaiting their production, he developed an interest in writing for motion pictures, and fed up with the procrastination of New York producers, he and his wife went to Hollywood" in 1940.

Later career

The two plays he sold in New York were never produced, but it did lead for him to get his first job at MGM Studios as a screenwriter. In the following years, he wrote around seven screenplays for different studios. Moreover, he also helped other screenwriters solve "their script problems", which led him to the decision of wanting to teach others "the art of screenwriting." Borowsky first "lectured on play writing" at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

and then joined the "UCLA's Theater Arts Department as professor of creating writing" in 1961. In addition, Borowsky was "a member of the board of directors of the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...

and the Motion Picture Relief Fund" for many years. Aside from being a screenwriter, he was also a novelist as he wrote an Arthurian novel titled ''The Queen's Knight'' in 1955; and he was a "talented painter" whose art works were exhibited in several museums in California. On 1968, Borowsky took a sabbatical and traveled throughout Europe and Israel. During that period of time, he gathered material for a book he was writing, did interviews and lectured in "at the Tel Aviv Screen Center, and acting as a consultant to Israeli screenwriters."

Personal life and death

In 1931, Borowsky married Maxine Levy, and they had a daughter and a son. Borowsky died on July 5, 1969, in Los Angeles, California after a "two-month illness."

Works

Screenplays

* '' Free and Easy'' (1941) * ''

Reunion in France ''Reunion in France'' is a 1942 American war film distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Joan Crawford, John Wayne, and Philip Dorn in a story about a woman in occupied France who, learning her well-heeled lover has German connections, aids ...

'' (1942) * '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945) * ''

Pride of the Marines ''Pride of the Marines'' is a 1945 American biographical war film starring John Garfield and Eleanor Parker. It tells the story of U.S. Marine Al Schmid in World War II, his heroic stand against a Japanese attack during the Battle of Guad ...

'' (1945) * '' Somewhere in the Night'' (1946) * '' Big Jack'' (1949) * '' Gambling House'' (1950)

Novels

* The Queen's Knight (1955)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Borowsky, Marvin 1907 births 1969 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters Lehigh University alumni People from Waterford Township, New Jersey University of Southern California faculty Writers from Camden County, New Jersey David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni