Robert Rossen (born in New York City, March 16, 1908, died February 18, 1966), a stage director, moved to Hollywood in 1937, wrote screenplays for movies like They Won’t Forget (1937) directed by Mervyn Le Roy, Dust Be My Destiny (1939), The Sea Wolf (1941) from the 1940 novel by Jack London, directed by Michael Curtiz, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) starring Barbara Stanwyck. He directed Body and Soul (1947) starring John Garfield, from a screenplay by Abraham Polonsky, wrote and directed Johnny O’Clock (1947) starring Dick Powell, All The King’s Men (1949) from the 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. Blacklisted in the US in 1951, he co-wrote and directed in Italy in 1953 Mambo starring Silvana Mangano and Vittorio Gassman, released in 1955. He wrote and directed The Hustler (1961) starring Paul Newman, Lilith (1964) starring Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg.
