Taradash, Daniel, 1913-2003

Daniel Taradash was a screenwriter and playwright. He was born in 1913 and received degrees from Harvard College and passed the New York Bar in 1937. In 1938, he was brought to Hollywood to write screenplays for Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures. In 1941, he entered the United States Army. During the time of his service, he wrote many incentive and morale films as well as industrial training films. In 1946, he returned to Hollywood where he continued to write plays and screenplays. He received an Academy Award in 1953 for his motion picture, "From Here to Eternity." Taradash was a member of the Writers Guild of America and served as the president of the Screenwriting Branch from 1955-1956 and vice president of the Western Branch from 1956-1959. He was also active in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the 1960s and 1970s and was a founding member of the American Film Institute. Taradash was also a member of the public media panel of the National Endowment for the Arts.

From the description of Daniel Taradash papers, 1907-1987. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 53043267

Daniel Taradash was a screenwriter and playwright. He was born in 1913 and attended primary and secondary schools in Miami Beach, Florida. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1933 and a L.L.B. degree in 1936 from Harvard College and passed the New York Bar in 1937. He won a national playwriting contest in 1938 for his play Thy Mercy . Also in 1938 he was brought to Hollywood by Rouben Mamoulian to write the screenplay of Golden Boy for Columbia Pictures, and he stayed to write screenplays for Universal Pictures, including For the Love of Money and A Little Bit of Heaven .

Taradash entered the United States Army in 1941 and transferred to the signal corps in 1942. While in the army he wrote many incentive and morale films. He also wrote industrial training films. He left the army in 1946 and returned to Hollywood where he wrote screenplays and plays. His motion pictures include Knock on Any Door, Rancho Notorious, Don’t Bother to Knock, From Here to Eternity (Academy Award 1953), Desiree, Storm Center (Chevalier de la Barre Award, Cannes Film Festival 1957), Picnic, Bell, Book and Candle, Morituri, Hawaii, Castle Keep, Doctors’ Wives, and The Other Side of Midnight .

Taradash was a member of the Writers Guild of America council from 1954 to 1965. He served as president of the screenwriting branch from 1955-1956 and vice president of Writers Guild of America, West from 1956-1959. He was a founding member of the Producers-Writers Guild Pension Plan and a trustee from 1960 to 1973. He was very active in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a founding member of the American Film Institute and served on its board from 1967 to 1969. He was also a member of the public media panel of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1975 to 1985 and in 1992.

Daniel Taradash received many awards for his writing: the Valentine Davies Award, 1971, the Morgan Cox Award, 1988, the Writers Guild of America Edmund H. North Award, 1991, as well as the guild’s Laurel Award, 1992, and a retrospective and tribute from the University of Southern California, 1992.

From the guide to the Daniel Taradash papers, 1907-1987, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)