Biography
Silliphant was born on Jan. 16, 1918 in Detroit, MI; graduated magna cum laude from Univ. of So. Calif., 1938; worked in advertising and promotion for Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox until 1952; produced a few films in the 1950s before becoming a screenwriter for both feature films and television; his successful television series include Naked city and Route 66 ; films include The Joe Louis story (1953), In the heat of the night (1967), Charly (1968), Marlowe (1969), The Poseidon adventure (1972), The towering inferno (1974); won an Academy Award for In the heat of the night in 1967; was a prolific novelist who published more than 50 books; moved to Thailand in late 1980s, where he was active in developing the region's film industry; died in Bangkok on Apr. 26, 1996.
From the guide to the Sterling Silliphant Papers, 1957-1985, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)
