Abraham Knox (December 24, 1921 − November 15, 2013) was an American actor with nearly 80 films to his credit. Knox was also a screenwriter, film producer, and novelist. Knox was

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

during the

McCarthy era McCarthyism is a political practice defined by the political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a campaign spreading fear of communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and of Soviet espionage in the United S ...

, and he subsequently moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

to find work. Knox's screenwriter credits, where he adapted approximately 150 Italian and French films into English translations, include the English adaptation of

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...

's ''

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' (, literally "''The good, the ugly, the bad''") is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Cleef as "the Bad", and Eli Wallach a ...

''. As a dialogue director, he coached many non-English speaking actors in performing convincingly in the English language.

Selected filmography as an actor

* '' Killer McCoy'' (1947) - Johnny Martin * '' I Walk Alone'' (1948) - Skinner * '' Jungle Patrol'' (1948) - Lt. Louie Rasti * '' The Accused'' (1949) - Jack Hunter * '' Knock on Any Door'' (1949) - Vito * '' City Across the River'' (1949) - Larry * '' Any Number Can Play'' (1949) - Pete Senta * '' White Heat'' (1949) - Het Kohler (uncredited) * '' Angels in Disguise'' (1949) - Angles Carson * '' Outside the Wall'' (1950) - Latzo * '' Western Pacific Agent'' (1950) - Frank Wicken * '' Destination Big House'' (1950) - Tony Savoni * '' Up Front'' (1951) - Driver * '' Criminal Lawyer'' (1951) - Vincent Cheney * '' Saturday's Hero'' (1951) - Joey Novak * ''

Vice Squad Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage (born Rebecca Bond) was a founding member of the b ...

'' (1953) - Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...

'' (1954) - Johnny Patterson * '' The Naked Street'' (1955) - Man in Crowd (uncredited) * ''

Singing in the Dark ''Singing in the Dark'' is a 1956 American black-and-white film about a Holocaust survivor suffering from total amnesia who comes to the United States. It stars Yiddish language film actor Moishe Oysher in his only English-language film performa ...

'' (1956) - Harry, handsome tough * '' G.I. Blues'' (1960) - Jeeter * ''

A View From the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with '' A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, ...

'' (1962) - Louis * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) - downed US Airman with bandaged eye (uncredited) * ''

The Victors "The Victors" is the fight song of the University of Michigan. Michigan student Louis Elbel wrote the song in 1898 after the football team's victory over the University of Chicago, which clinched an undefeated season and the Western Conferen ...

'' (1963) * ''

The 10th Victim ''The 10th Victim'' () is a 1965 science fiction film directed and co-written by Elio Petri, starring Marcello Mastroianni, Ursula Andress, Elsa Martinelli, and Salvo Randone. An international co-production between Italy and France, it is based ...

'' (1965) - Chet (uncredited) * '' Fantabulous Inc.'' (1967) - Brüdeneck, German General * ''

Wild 90 ''Wild 90'' is a 1968 experimental film directed and produced by American novelist Norman Mailer, who also plays the starring role. The film is a creative collaboration based on three friends, Norman Mailer, Buzz Farbar and Mickey Knox, who are s ...

'' (1968) - Twenty Years * ''

The Biggest Bundle of Them All ''The Biggest Bundle of Them All'' is a 1968 American crime film set in Naples, Italy. The story is about a mobster and a novice gang of crooks who team up to steal $5 million worth of platinum ingots from a train. The film stars Robert Wagne ...

'' (1968) - Joe Ware * '' Al di là della legge'' (1968) - (uncredited) * ''

Confessions of a Police Captain ''Confessions of a Police Captain'' (, also known as ''Confessions of a Police Commissioner to the District Attorney'') is an Italian crime-drama film. The film won the Golden Prize at the 7th Moscow International Film Festival in 1971 and the P ...

'' (1971) - Soothsayer (English version, voice, uncredited) * ''

High Crime ''High Crime'' ( ) is a 1973 Italian-Spanish '' poliziottesco'' film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. The film stars Franco Nero, James Whitmore, Delia Boccardo and Fernando Rey. ''High Crime'' was a large financial success at the time of its re ...

'' (1973) - Newsman at Party (uncredited) * ''

Street Law Street law is a global program of legal and civics education geared at secondary school students. Street law is an approach to teaching practically relevant law to grassroots populations using interactive teaching methodologies. Elements of pra ...

'' (1974) - Gambino (uncredited) * ''

How to Kill a Judge ''How to Kill a Judge'' (), also known as ''The Murder of a Magistrate'' and ''Why Does One Kill a Magistrate?'', is a 1974 Cinema of Italy, Italian Crime film, crime-thriller film directed by Damiano Damiani. It is the final chapter in the Damian ...

'' (1975) - Police Captain (English version, voice) * '' The Con Artists'' (1976) - Philip Accomplice * ''

Bobby Deerfield ''Bobby Deerfield'' is a 1977 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Al Pacino and Marthe Keller. Based on Erich Maria Remarque's 1961 novel '' Heaven Has No Favorites'', it is about a famous American race car dri ...

'' (1977) - Tourist #1 * ''

From Corleone to Brooklyn ''From Corleone to Brooklyn'' (original title: ''Da Corleone a Brooklyn'') is an Italian ''poliziotteschi'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi. The film was released in Italy on 13 April 1979 and stars Maurizio Merli, Mario Merola and Van Johnson. Pl ...

'' (1979) - Cop (English version, voice, uncredited) * ''

The Blue-Eyed Bandit ''Il bandito dagli occhi azzurri'' (internationally released as ''The Blue-Eyed Bandit'') is a 1980 Italian poliziottesco film written and directed by Alfredo Giannetti. It marked the film debut of Fabrizio Bentivoglio. Plot Renzo Dominici is ...

'' (1980) - De Biase - Dominici's head * ''

Day of the Cobra ''Day of the Cobra'' () is a 1980 Italian '' poliziottesco'' film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Plot Production Director Enzo G. Castellari initially approached Vasile with a script written by Vasile's son. The boxing film project was shelv ...

'' (1980) - Raul Papasian * ''

Inchon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

'' (1981) - Adm. Doyle * '' 1990: The Bronx Warriors'' (1982) - Vice-President (English version, voice, uncredited) * ''

Odd Squad ''Odd Squad'' (stylized as ''ODD SQUAD'') is a children's live action educational comedy television series created by Tim McKeon and Adam Peltzman. The series premiered on TVOKids in Canada and PBS Kids in the United States on November 26, 2014 ...

'' (1983) - Requisitions officer (uncredited) * ''

The Lonely Lady ''The Lonely Lady'' is a 1983 American drama film directed by Peter Sasdy, adapted from Harold Robbins's 1976 novel of the same name, believed to have been based on Robbins's memories of Jacqueline Susann. The film stars Pia Zadora in the title ...

'' (1983) - Tom Castel * '' Murder Rock'' (1984) - Phil, the agent (English version, voice, uncredited) * ''

Bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...

'' (1984) - Sleazy Moroccan Guide * '' Operation Nam'' (1986) - Maj. Morris (English version, voice, uncredited) * ''

Detective School Dropouts ''Detective School Dropouts'' is a 1986 action comedy film co-starring and written by David Landsberg and Lorin Dreyfuss for The Cannon Group. In the film, a fan of detective novels applies for training as a private detective. His trainer takes ...

'' (1986) - Bernie (uncredited) * ''

Stage Fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...

'' (1987) - Old Cop * ''Eleven Days, Eleven Nights (11 giorni, 11 notti)'' (1987) - Vecchio polizziotto * '' I Love N.Y.'' (1987) - Charles Mitchell * '' Buy & Cell'' (1987) - Arthur * '' Rent-a-Cop'' (1987) - Frank * ''

Vampire in Venice ''Vampire in Venice'' (), also known as ''Prince of the Night'' and ''Nosferatu in Venice'' is a 1988 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Augusto Caminito and an uncredited Klaus Kinski, and starring Kinski, Christopher Plummer, Donald ...

'' (1988) - Priest (uncredited) * ''

Ghoulies II ''Ghoulies'' is an American comedy horror film series that consists of four films released from 1985 to 1994. The films center on a group of small demonic creatures that have a wide range of twisted appearances. Films ''Ghoulies'' (1985) T ...

'' (1988) - Ray * '' Run for Your Life'' (1988) * ''

Ghosts Can't Do It ''Ghosts Can't Do It'' is a 1989 romantic fantasy comedy film, the last film written and directed by John Derek, and starring Bo Derek and Anthony Quinn, with Julie Newmar and Leo Damian in supporting roles. The film was panned by critics and ...

'' (1989) - The Pill Man * ''

Frankenstein Unbound ''Frankenstein Unbound'' is a 1990 science fiction horror film based on Brian Aldiss's 1973 novel of the same name, starring John Hurt, Raul Julia, Bridget Fonda, Jason Patric, and Nick Brimble. The film is co-written and directed by Roger C ...

'' (1990) - General Reade * ''

The Godfather Part III ''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Jo ...

'' (1990) - Marty Parisi * ''Miliardi'' (1991) - Surgeon (uncredited) * ''

Cemetery Man ''Cemetery Man'' () is a 1994 horror film directed by Michele Soavi and starring Rupert Everett, François Hadji-Lazaro and Anna Falchi. It was produced by Tilde Corsi, Gianni Romoli and Soavi and based on the novel ''Dellamorte Dellamore'' by ...

'' (1994) - Marshall Straniero * ''First Action Hero'' (1994) - Mob Boss (English version, voice, uncredited) * '' Titanic: The Legend Goes On'' (2000) - Sam (voice) (final film role)

In popular culture

Filmmaker

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

named his lead character, portrayed by

Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1985–1993), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in ...

, after Knox in the film ''

Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American romantic crime action film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims ...

''. Knox's 2004 memoir is titled ''The Good, the Bad and the Dolce Vita: The Adventures of an Actor in Hollywood, Paris and Rome''.

References

External links

* *
Knox interview

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Mickey 1921 births 2013 deaths American male film actors 20th-century American novelists American male television actors Hollywood blacklist American male screenwriters 20th-century American male actors American male novelists 20th-century American male writers

Selected filmography as an actor

In popular culture

See also

References

External links