Waldo Salt

The precociously brilliant Waldo Salt entered Stanford University at 14, finishing his graduate degree at 20. After teaching drama and music, Salt became a junior writer at MGM; his first screen credit was for 1938's Shopworn Angel. Salt remained much in demand until 1951, when his refusal to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee resulted in his being blacklisted from Hollywood for 11 years. Resuming his movie career with 1962's Taras Bulba, Salt went on to win an Academy Award for his screenplay for 1969's Midnight Cowboy; nine years later, Salt, Robert C. Jones, and Nancy Dowd shared an Oscar for Coming Home (1978), his final film. Waldo Salt was the father of movie and TV leading lady Jennifer Salt.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide