Julius J. Epstein | |
|---|---|
 Epstein in 1997 | |
| Born | (1909-08-22)August 22, 1909 New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Died | December 30, 2000(2000-12-30) (aged 91) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Relatives | Philip G. Epstein (twin brother), Leslie Epstein, nephew Theo Epstein, grandnephew |
Julius J. Epstein (August 22, 1909 – December 30, 2000) was an Americanscreenwriter, who had a long career, best remembered for his screenplay, written with his twin brother,Philip, andHoward E. Koch, of the filmCasablanca (1942), for which the writers won anAcademy Award. It was adapted from an unpublished play,Everybody Comes to Rick's, written by Murray Bennett and Joan Alison.[1]
His identical twin died in 1952, a loss that he felt for the rest of his life. He continued writing, receiving two moreOscar nominations. In 1998, he received aLos Angeles Film Critics Association career achievement award. His credits includedFour Daughters (1938) for which he received his first Oscar nomination,The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941),The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942),Mr. Skeffington (1944),The Tender Trap (1955),Light in the Piazza (1962),Send Me No Flowers (1964),Pete 'n' Tillie (1972),Cross of Iron (1977) andReuben, Reuben (1983).
Epstein had a less successful result as a playwright inBroadway theatre. He adapted his playFront Porch in Flatbush intoSaturday Night, the first professional musical written byStephen Sondheim. The musical was intended to open on Broadway in 1955, but was shelved due to the death of its lead producer. His play,But, Seriously (starringRichard Dreyfuss andTom Poston) would prove to be the last to be staged atHenry Miller's Theatre for more than 30 years, opening on February 27, 1969, and closing after only four performances.[2]
Epstein was bornJulius Epstein[3] as a twin to his brother Philip to aJewish family[4] on August 22, 1909 on theLower East Side ofManhattan inNew York City, New York. Their parents owned alivery stable at a time when horses were widely used in the city. He and Philip both graduated fromThe Pennsylvania State University in 1931, where they were champions inboxing; Julius became an NCAA Bantamweight Champion.[1] He graduated with a BA in Arts and Letters. He maintained close ties with Penn State throughout his life (often as a guest lecturer at the film school). At his request, he was buried in a Penn State polo shirt.
After college, the Epsteins went toHollywood, hoping to work in the movies. They became successful screenwriters and began collaborating in 1939. They were noted for their Academy Award-winningCasablanca, written together withHoward Koch and the uncreditedCasey Robinson.
Jack L. Warner, head ofWarner Brothers, had a difficult relationship with the Epstein twins, disliking their pranks and work habits. In 1952, Warner gave their names to theHouse Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). They never testified before the committee, but on a HUAC questionnaire, when asked if they ever were members of a "subversive organization," they responded, "Yes. Warner Brothers."[citation needed]
Epstein married the actress Frances Sage and they had two children, James and Elizabeth. They later divorced. Epstein married Ann (1919-2003) and they had a son Philip, who died in 2000.[1]
In 1994, he was interviewed byWalter Matthau.[5]
He died on December 30, 2000, inLos Angeles, California.[1]
Epstein shared an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay ofFour Daughters, written withLenore Coffee (withThyra Samter Winslow contributing to the treatment andLawrence Kimble contributing to the script), as an adaptation fromFrances Hurst's novel,Sister Act.
In 1944, the Epstein brothers attempted their first film in the capacity of both writers and producers with "Mr. Skeffington." The picture was a box-office success and won bothBette Davis andClaude Rains Oscar nominations.[6][7] After leaving Warner Bros. in 1948, the Epstein brothers wrote five more screenplays together, two of which,The Last Time I Saw Paris andThe Brothers Karamazov, were released after Philip Epstein's death in 1952.[6]
About writing under the studio system of the 1930s and '40s, Epstein said in a 1984 interview:[1]
There wasn't one moment of reality in 'Casablanca.' We weren't making art. We were making a living. Movies in those days were prevented from reality. Every leading man had to be a great sexual athlete. Every boy and girl had to 'meet cute,' and the girl had to dislike the hero when they met. If a woman committedadultery, she had to die. Now the woman who commits adultery is your heroine.
Together, he and his brother collaborated on the following:[1]
After his brother's death in 1952, Epstein continued to write. His later films include:
He wrote screenplays for more than 50 films in his 50-year career.[1]
Epstein has two living children: a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, James Epstein, who is a criminal lawyer in Los Angeles. Another son, Philip Epstein, died in 2000.
After his twin brother's death, Epstein looked out for Philip's son,Leslie, who became a novelist and director of thecreative writing program atBoston University. Epstein was the great-uncle of Leslie's children:Theo Epstein, formerChicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations and formerBoston Red Sox general manager, and Anya Epstein, a television writer.
