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

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, producer, and activist, who taught screenwriting to

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

students for over a decades. Gomberg was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, 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 and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

.''Rod Serling's Night Gallery: An After-hours Tour'', page 226
/ref> He spent World War II in the First Motion Picture Unit 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 Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Coll ...

'' and the ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

''. In 1951, he received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

nomination for ''

When Willie Comes Marching Home ''When Willie Comes Marching Home'' is a 1950 World War II comedy film directed by John Ford and starring Dan Dailey and Corinne Calvet. It is based on the 1945 short story "When Leo Comes Marching Home" by Sy Gomberg. The film won the Golden ...

'' – 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 th ...

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

legal drama A legal 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 which a system of justice play ...

'' 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 Aca ...

. A supporter of the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". ...

, Gomberg organized members of the film industry to march with Martin Luther King Jr., in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

. In 1957 Gomberg married actress

Maxine Cooper Gladys Maxine Cooper Gomberg (May 12, 1924 – April 4, 2009) was an American actress, activist, and photographer. She was perhaps best known for her role as private detective Mike Hammer's secretary Velda in the 1955 film '' Kiss Me Deadly'', ...

. They remained together until his death at age 82 in Brentwood,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

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

Screenwriting

Films

* ''

'' (1950) * '' The Toast of New Orleans'' (1950) * ''

'' (1950) * '' Because You%27re Mine'' (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 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 television season. The main character was Mr ...

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

Small Wonder Small Wonder or variants may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Small Wonder'' (TV series), a 1985–1989 American sitcom * '' A Small Wonder'', a 1966 Australian television film * '' Small Wonders'', a 1995 documentary film * ''Small Wond ...

'' (1985) * '' BraveStarr'' (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