Clifford Odets | |
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![]() Odets in 1938 | |
Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | July 18, 1906
Died | August 14, 1963 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 57)
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1925–1963 |
Spouses | |
Children | 2, including Walt |
Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963)[1] was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize–winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withdraw from Broadway's commercial pressures and increasing critical backlash.[2] From January 1935, Odets's socially relevant dramas were extremely influential, particularly for the remainder of the Great Depression. His works inspired the next several generations of playwrights, including Arthur Miller, Paddy Chayefsky, Neil Simon, and David Mamet. After the production of his play Clash by Night in the 1941–42 season, Odets focused his energies primarily on film projects, remaining in Hollywood until mid-1948. He returned to New York for five and a half years, during which time he produced three more Broadway plays, only one of which was a success. His prominence was eventually eclipsed by Miller, Tennessee Williams, and, in the early- to mid-1950s, William Inge.