Ben Barzman


Ben Barzman was a Canadian journalist, screenwriter, and novelist, blacklisted during the McCarthy Era and best known for his screenplays for the films Back to Bataan, El Cid, and The Blue Max.

Career

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

Blacklisting

Like many of his colleagues in the movie business, Barzman was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Norma Barzman, at least, was a CPUSA member during 1943-1949. 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. 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His U.S. citizenship was revoked from 1954 to 1963.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 Nice until 1976, during which time he wrote his novels and screenplays for French and Italian films.

Death

Barzman died in Santa Monica, California, United States.
Surviving him was his wife, Norma Barzman, and seven children and five grandchildren.

Work

Filmography

In addition to having several children follow him in the Arts, he received a retrospective showing of his films at the Cinematheque in 1982.

External sources

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