Budd Schulberg
A Hollywood insider who turned a merciless eye on the dream factories and corrupt power brokers of America, scripting some of its most enduring moral dramas.
1914–2009 (age 95)·American writer·Birthday: March 27·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Born into Hollywood royalty as the son of a powerful studio executive, Budd Schulberg was raised in the heart of the industry he would later dissect. His early novel, 'What Makes Sammy Run?', was a scalding portrait of a ruthless careerist that shocked the town with its insider’s authenticity. Schulberg’s conscience led him beyond fiction; he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, a controversial decision that alienated many peers. That same moral complexity fueled his greatest work, the screenplay for 'On the Waterfront', a gritty tale of corruption and conscience that won him an Oscar. He continued to probe the dark sides of American success in 'A Face in the Crowd', presciently exploring the dangers of a media-made demagogue. Throughout his life, Schulberg remained a writer obsessed with the cost of ambition and the possibility of redemption.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Budd was born in 1914, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Budd Was Born
The biggest hits of 1914
Budd's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1914Born
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Started school
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Became a teenager
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1930Could drive
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1932Could vote
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Turned 21
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1944Turned 30
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 40
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 50
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 60
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 70
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 80
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2009Died at 95
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Story and Screenplay for 'On the Waterfront' (1954).
- Published the seminal Hollywood novel 'What Makes Sammy Run?' in 1941, a scathing critique of ambition.
- Wrote the screenplay for Elia Kazan's 'A Face in the Crowd' (1957), a prophetic study of television and populist demagoguery.
- Served as a writer and researcher for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services during World War II, helping to document Nazi atrocities for evidence at Nuremberg.
Did You Know?
He discovered and mentored the boxer and future actor José Torres, later writing his biography.
Schulberg was a passionate boxing fan and served as a sports writer for publications like Sports Illustrated.
He founded the Watts Writers Workshop in Los Angeles in 1965 to support African American authors following the Watts riots.
His father, B.P. Schulberg, was the head of production at Paramount Pictures during the early sound era.
“I could never buy the idea that the artist must be alienated from society. I think the artist is the antenna of the race.”
