Clifford Odets

The American playwright and screenwriter Clifford Odets was the son of East European immigrants. He was raised in New York City and began his theatrical career as an actor. A member of the Communist Party from 1930, his plays of that decade, for which he is best known, portrayed working-class Jewish families coping with the material and emotional stresses of the Great Depression. They were notable for capturing the explosive energy and distinctive rhythms of the speech of second-generation New York Jews. He also wrote screenplays for films and television, living in Hollywood from 1942 to 1948 and from 1955 to his death. He was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952 and was cited for contempt when he refused to cooperate.