Walter Brown Newman (11 February 1916 – 14 October 1993) was an American radio writer and

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 ...

active from the late 1940s to the early 1990s. He was nominated three times for

Academy Awards 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 in ...

('' Ace in the Hole,'' ''

Cat Ballou ''Cat Ballou'' is a 1965 American western comedy film starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin, who won an Academy Award for his dual role. The story involves a woman who hires a notorious gunman to protect her father's ranch, and later to avenge his ...

,'' and '' Bloodbrothers''), but he is best-known for a work that never made it to the screen: his unproduced original script ''Harrow Alley'', which "has achieved legendary status in Hollywood." Newman earned a bachelor's degree at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

and studied law at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. After working as a publicist in New York and serving in the U.S. Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he moved to Los Angeles and began writing radio dramas.WALTER NEWMAN, 77; WROTE SCREENPLAY FOR `CAT BALLOU'.
''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

''. Retrieved March 19, 2020. Newman's radio writing included scripts for '' Escape'', ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'', and '' The Halls of Ivy'' as well as the first broadcast episode of ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

.'' He is not officially credited for his screenplays for ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...

'' and '' The Great Escape'', havin
renounced
after sharp disagreements with the director,

John Sturges John Eliot Sturges (; January 3, 1910 – August 18, 1992) was an American film director. His films include '' Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), '' Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957), ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), '' The Great Escape'' (19 ...

in both cases, over changes made during shooting. Newman 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 ...

. He died in

Sherman Oaks, California Sherman Oaks (founded in 1927) is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, California within the San Fernando Valley region. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density ...

, a suburb of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, on 14 October 1993.

Select credits

*'' The Bigelow Theatre'' - "Big Hello" (1951) *'' Ace in the Hole'' (1951) *''

' - "A Vision of Death" (1951) *''Gunsmoke'' (radio show) - pilot *'' Underwater!'' (1955) *'' The Man with the Golden Arm'' (1955) *'' The True Story of Jesse James'' (1956) *'' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' - "The Crazy Hunter" (1958) *'' Crime & Punishment, USA'' (1959) *''

'' (1960) - uncredited *'' The Interns'' (1962) *'' The Beachcomber'' (1962) - creator *'' The Great Escape'' (1963) - uncredited *'' The Richard Boone Show'' - "The Hooligan" (1964) *''

'' (1965) *'' Marooned'' (1969) - original draft *'' Bloodbrothers'' (1978) *'' The Champ'' (1978)

Unproduced scripts

*''Baggy Pants'' (1966) *''Cabbages and Kings'' (1967) *''Trial'' (1970) *''Harrow Alley'' (1970)

External links

References

1916 births 1993 deaths American male screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters United States Army personnel of World War II New York University alumni {{US-screen-writer-1910s-stub