About

Known credits:
23
Birthday:
1910-10-12
Place of birth:
Toronto, Canada
Website:
N/A

Ben Barzman

Overview

Ben Barzman (October 12, 1910 – December 15, 1989) was a Canadian journalist, screenwriter, and novelist, blacklisted during the McCarthy Era and best known for his screenplays for the films Back to Bataan (1945), El Cid (1961), and The Blue Max (1966).

He was born in Toronto, Ontario to a Jewish family. He was the screenwriter or co-writer of more than 20 films, from You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith (1943) to The Head of Normande St. Onge (1975).

Like many of his colleagues in the movie business, Barzman was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee.

His wife, Norma Barzman, was a Communist Party USA member from 1943 to 1949. In 2014, she told the Los Angeles Times, "one should be proud to have been a member of the American Communist Party during those years. Hitler was invading the Soviet Union, so there was no reason to be anti-Russian, they were our allies."

The couple moved to England so Barzman could work on the film Give Us This Day (aka, Christ in Concrete, 1949). Following his return to the United States after directing Give Us This Day, Edward Dmytryk, one of the Hollywood Ten, testified about the Barzmans to HUAC in 1951. "To get out of prison he named us and a lot of other people," said Norma Barzman in 2014. In the 1950s, the family moved to Paris, where friends included Pablo Picasso, Yves Montand, and Simone Signoret, and later southern France. Barzman did not receive credit for some films because of the Hollywood Blacklist.

His U.S. citizenship was revoked from 1954 to 1963. His wife Norma had her passport revoked from 1951 for seven years. The family remained abroad in London, Paris and Mougins until 1976, during which time he wrote his novels and screenplays for French and Italian films.

Barzman died in Santa Monica, California, United States.

Surviving him was his wife, Norma Barzman, and seven children (including director Paolo Barzman, screenwriter Aaron Barzman, visual artist Luli Barzman, and French university professor John Barzman) and five grandchildren.

Source: Article "Ben Barzman" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Writing
1975 Normande Writing Writer 58
Average
1975 You Are Free, Dr. Korczak Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1972 The Assassination Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1965 The Heroes of Telemark Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1964 The Visit Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1964 The Fall of the Roman Empire Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1963 The Ceremony Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1961 El Cid Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1959 Blind Date Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1958 Incognito Writing Adaptation 58
Average
1957 He Who Must Die Writing Writer 58
Average
1957 Time Without Pity Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1955 Oasis Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1952 It Happened in Paris Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1952 Stranger on the Prowl Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1952 The Faithful City Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1949 Give Us This Day Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1948 The Boy with Green Hair Writing Writer 59
Average
1946 Never Say Goodbye Writing Story 58
Average
1945 Back to Bataan Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1943 True to Life Writing Story 59
Average
1943 You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith Writing Screenplay 58
Average

Crew
1952 Young Man with Ideas Crew Additional Writing 58
Average