David Goodis
A master of American noir, he wrote haunting novels about desperate souls on the run from society and themselves.
1917–1967 (age 50)·American novelist·Birthday: March 2·The Greatest Generation
Biography
David Goodis lived and wrote in the shadows. Born into a Jewish family in Philadelphia, he graduated from university but found his material not in the elite but in the city's underbelly. His novels, often written in a feverish burst, chart the plummeting trajectories of bartenders, small-time crooks, and men shattered by fate. Goodis achieved early Hollywood success, co-writing the Bogart film 'Dark Passage,' but he grew disillusioned with the studio system and retreated to Philadelphia. There, in his parents' attic, he produced his most potent work: paperback originals like 'Down There' (adapted by Truffaut as 'Shoot the Piano Player') and 'The Burglar,' which pulsed with a unique, melancholic despair. He died relatively young, a recluse whose profound influence on the crime genre was fully recognized only after his death.
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.
David was born in 1917, 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 David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1917
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1917Born
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Started school
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1930Became a teenager
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Could drive
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1935Could vote
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
1938Turned 21
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1947Turned 30
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 40
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 50
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the classic film noir 'Dark Passage,' starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
- His novel 'Down There' was adapted by French director François Truffaut into the acclaimed film 'Shoot the Piano Player.'
- Authored over a dozen seminal paperback noir novels, including 'Cassidy's Girl' and 'The Burglar,' that defined the genre's mid-century voice.
- His work became a cornerstone of the influential 'Black Series' of crime novels published by Gold Medal Books.
Did You Know?
He wrote his novel 'The Burglar' in just eight days.
After his Hollywood stint, he lived reclusively in his parents' house in Philadelphia for the last decade of his life.
Goodis was a trained journalist and wrote for advertising agencies early in his career.
French New Wave directors, especially Truffaut, were major champions of his work, elevating his status in Europe.
“I write about people who are afraid to hope.”
