Sy Gomberg (August 19, 1918 – February 11, 2001) was an American Oscar-nominated film

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, producer, and activist, who taught screenwriting to

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 ...

students for over a decade. Gomberg was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and grew up in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

.''Rod Serling's Night Gallery: An After-hours Tour'', page 226
/ref> He spent World War II in the

First Motion Picture Unit The 18th AAF Base Unit (Motion Picture Unit), originally known as the First Motion Picture Unit, Army Air Forces, was the primary film production unit of the United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II, and w ...

in Hollywood. After the war, he was a contributor to ''

Collier's Weekly } ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...

'' and the ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

''. In 1951, he received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nomination for '' When Willie Comes Marching Home'' – which was based on a story Gomberg originally wrote for ''Collier's''. He was also nominated the same year for Best Screenplay for ''

Summer Stock In American theater, summer stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock ...

''. He also created, produced and wrote the 1960s ABC

legal drama Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...

'' The Law and Mr. Jones'' starring

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Ac ...

. A supporter of the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

, Gomberg organized members of the film industry to march with

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

, in

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. In 1957 Gomberg married actress Maxine Cooper. They remained together until his death at age 82 in Brentwood,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. His wife had one son from her previous marriage; they had two daughters together.

Screenwriting

Films

* '' When Willie Comes Marching Home'' (1950) * '' The Toast of New Orleans'' (1950) * ''

'' (1950) * ''

Because You%27re Mine ''Because You're Mine'' is a 1952 American musical comedy film starring Mario Lanza. Directed by Alexander Hall, the film also stars Doretta Morrow, James Whitmore, and Bobby Van. Plot Opera singer superstar Renaldo Rossano (Mario Lanza) is ...

'' (1952) * '' Bloodhounds of Broadway'' (1952) * '' Joe Butterfly'' (1957) * '' Kathy O%27'' (1958) * '' Step Down to Terror'' (1958) * '' The Wild and the Innocent'' (1959) * '' Breakout'' (1970) * '' Three Warriors'' (1977) * ''Bender'' (1979) * ''High Ice'' (1980) * '' The Ghosts of Buxley Hall'' (1980)

Television

* '' The Law and Mr. Jones'' (1960-1962) * '' Vacation Playhouse'' (1964) * ''

Good Heavens ''Good Heavens'' is an American Broadcasting Company, ABC comedy anthology series produced by Columbia Pictures Television that aired between February 29 and June 26, 1976. It ranked #17 in the Nielsen ratings during the 1975–76 United States n ...

'' (1976) * '' The Magical World of Disney '' (1978, 1980) * '' Small Wonder'' (1985) * ''

BraveStarr ''BraveStarr'' is an American Space Western animated television series that aired 65 episodes from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. The show was created a year after Mattel had released a line of action figures. ''BraveStarr'' wa ...

'' (1988)

Producer

Films

* ''Kathy O (1958) * ''The Wild and the Innocent'' (1959) * ''Three Warriors'' (1977) * ''Bender'' (1979) * ''High Ice'' (1980)

Television

* ''The Law and Mr. Jones'' (1960-1962) * '' Accidental Family'' (1967-1968)

References

External links

* 1918 births 2001 deaths American male screenwriters First Motion Picture Unit personnel 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters University of Southern California faculty {{US-film-bio-stub