Sy Bartlett
Encyclopedia
Sy Bartlett was an American author and screenwriter
/producer
of Hollywood films. Born Sacha Baraniev in Ukraine, he immigrated to the United States at the age of four and adopted the name Sidney Bartlett.
Sy Bartlett was born on July 10, 1900 in the Black Sea
seaport of Mykolaiv
in southern Ukraine
. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1904, settling in Chicago
. Bartlett attended Northwestern University
and was trained at the Medill School of Journalism
.
He worked as a newspaper reporter before moving to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. His first credited work was for RKO Studios in 1933 and he wrote 28 screenplays from 1933 to 1969. In the 1950s he became interested in producing films, and with film star Gregory Peck
founded Melville Productions in 1956.
Bartlett enjoyed being a Hollywood socialite
in the 1930s and was well-known for the Sunday barbecue
s he frequently hosted. He was sometimes connected by tabloids to scandals on occasion, and married three times, each time to Hollywood actresses -- Alice White, Ellen Drew
, and Patricia Owens
. Of Jewish descent, Bartlett was understandably strongly anti-Nazi, once striking an employee of the German consulate in the face during a nightclub
argument.
Bartlett joined the United States Army
during World War II
as a captain and was assigned to the Army Pictorial Service. However he was not interested in making training films and used connections to meet Beirne Lay, Jr.
, who was on the staff of Army Air Forces Brig. Gen. Ira Eaker. Lay had a background in both journalism and Hollywood and arranged for Bartlett to meet Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz
, after which Bartlett became Spaatz's aide-de-camp
.
With the establishment of the Eighth Air Force
in England, Bartlett was transferred there and joined the staff of the Eighth's Bomber Command as an Intelligence
assistant. There he came into daily contact with the inner workings of Air Force commanders in England, including Brig. Gen. Frank A. Armstrong
, and was a close observer of the development of the Eighth into a powerful combat force. In November 1944, Major Bartlett became the Wing Intelligence Officer for the B-29 315th Bomb Wing
under Armstrong and served with it on Guam
.
Following World War II, Bartlett returned to Hollywood and joined 20th Century Fox
as a writer. In 1946, he began a collaboration with Beirne Lay which resulted in the 1948 publication of the novel Twelve O'Clock High
(Harper & Brothers
), and in December 1949, the release of the film based on the same story (work on production began a year before publication).
Bartlett died in Hollywood, California on May 29, 1978, aged 77, from cancer.
(& producer where noted)
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
/producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of Hollywood films. Born Sacha Baraniev in Ukraine, he immigrated to the United States at the age of four and adopted the name Sidney Bartlett.
Sy Bartlett was born on July 10, 1900 in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
seaport of Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv , also known as Nikolayev , is a city in southern Ukraine, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv is the main ship building center of the Black Sea, and, arguably, the whole Eastern Europe.-Name of city:...
in southern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1904, settling in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Bartlett attended Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
and was trained at the Medill School of Journalism
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It has consistently been one of the top-ranked schools in Journalism in the United States...
.
He worked as a newspaper reporter before moving to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. His first credited work was for RKO Studios in 1933 and he wrote 28 screenplays from 1933 to 1969. In the 1950s he became interested in producing films, and with film star Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
founded Melville Productions in 1956.
Bartlett enjoyed being a Hollywood socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
in the 1930s and was well-known for the Sunday barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
s he frequently hosted. He was sometimes connected by tabloids to scandals on occasion, and married three times, each time to Hollywood actresses -- Alice White, Ellen Drew
Ellen Drew
Ellen Drew was an American film actress.Born Esther Loretta Ray in Kansas City, Missouri, Drew worked various jobs and won a number of beauty contests before becoming an actress...
, and Patricia Owens
Patricia Owens (actress)
Patricia Molly Owens was a Canadian-born American actress, working in Hollywood...
. Of Jewish descent, Bartlett was understandably strongly anti-Nazi, once striking an employee of the German consulate in the face during a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
argument.
Bartlett joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a captain and was assigned to the Army Pictorial Service. However he was not interested in making training films and used connections to meet Beirne Lay, Jr.
Beirne Lay, Jr.
Beirne Lay, Jr., was an author, aviation writer, Hollywood screenwriter, and combat veteran of World War II with the U.S. Army Air Forces...
, who was on the staff of Army Air Forces Brig. Gen. Ira Eaker. Lay had a background in both journalism and Hollywood and arranged for Bartlett to meet Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz
Carl Spaatz
Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz GBE was an American World War II general and the first Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He was of German descent.-Early life:...
, after which Bartlett became Spaatz's aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
.
With the establishment of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
in England, Bartlett was transferred there and joined the staff of the Eighth's Bomber Command as an Intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
assistant. There he came into daily contact with the inner workings of Air Force commanders in England, including Brig. Gen. Frank A. Armstrong
Frank A. Armstrong
Frank Alton Armstrong, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Army Air Forces and the inspiration for the main character in the novel and subsequent film, Twelve O'Clock High. After the war he became a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force.Armstrong was born in Hamilton,...
, and was a close observer of the development of the Eighth into a powerful combat force. In November 1944, Major Bartlett became the Wing Intelligence Officer for the B-29 315th Bomb Wing
315th Air Division
The 315th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Pacific Air Forces, based at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated in April 1969.-History:...
under Armstrong and served with it on Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
.
Following World War II, Bartlett returned to Hollywood and joined 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
as a writer. In 1946, he began a collaboration with Beirne Lay which resulted in the 1948 publication of the novel Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II. The film was adapted by Sy Bartlett, Henry King ...
(Harper & Brothers
Harper & Brothers
Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins.-History:James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishing business J. & J. Harper in 1817. Their two brothers, Joseph Wesley Harper and Fletcher Harper, joined them...
), and in December 1949, the release of the film based on the same story (work on production began a year before publication).
Bartlett died in Hollywood, California on May 29, 1978, aged 77, from cancer.
Film credits
ScreenwriterScreenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
(& producer where noted)
- Che!Che!Che! is an American Biographical film starring Omar Sharif as Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. It follows Guevara from when he first landed in Cuba in 1956 to his death in Bolivia in 1967, although the film does not portray the formative pre-Cuban revolution sections of Che's life as...
(1969) -- also producer - In Enemy Country (1968)
- A Gathering of EaglesA Gathering of EaglesA Gathering of Eagles is a 1963 film about the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War and the pressures of command. The plot is patterned after the World War II film Twelve O'Clock High, which producer-screenwriter Sy Bartlett also wrote, with elements also mirroring Above and Beyond and Toward the...
(1963)-- also producer - Cape FearCape Fear (1962 film)Cape Fear is a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen. It was adapted by James R. Webb from the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson, and released on April 12, 1962...
(1962)--also producer - The OutsiderThe Outsider (1961 film)The Outsider is a 1961 biopic film about Ira Hayes, who was a Native American who fought in World War II in the United States Marine Corps and was one of the Marines who Raised the Flag on Iwo Jima. The film stars Tony Curtis as Hayes.-Cast:*Tony Curtis...
(1961) -- also producer - Beloved Infidel (1959)
- Pork Chop HillPork Chop HillPork Chop Hill , directed by Lewis Milestone, is a Korean War war film based upon the eponymous book by military historian S. L. A. Marshall, depicting the bitterly fierce first Battle of Pork Chop Hill between the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division, and Chinese and Korean Communist forces at the...
(1959)-- also producer - The Big CountryThe Big CountryMeanwhile, Terrill insists on riding into the canyon. Initially, Leech refuses to accompany him, and the other men follow his lead. However, after Terrill rides out alone, Leech catches up with him. The remaining hands again align themselves with Leech by following. The group soon rides into a trap...
(1958) - SuspicionSuspicionSuspicion may refer to:*Suspicion , a feeling of distrust or perceived guilt for someone or something-Music:* "Suspicion" , recorded by Elvis Presley and Terry Stafford* "Suspicion" , a song by R.E.M....
(TV series; episode: "Doomsday") (1957) - The Last CommandThe Last Command (1955 film)The Last Command is a 1955 Trucolor film about Jim Bowie and the fall of the Alamo during the Texas War of Independence. Filmed by Republic Pictures, it was an unusually expensive undertaking for the low-budget studio.-Production:...
(1955) - That LadyThat LadyThat Lady is a 1955 film directed by Terence Young. It stars Olivia de Havilland, Gilbert Roland and Paul Scofield.The film is based on the 1946 historical novel by Kate O'Brien, which was published in North America under the title For One Sweet Grape. The novel was also produced as a play in 1949....
(1955)-- also producer - The Red BeretThe Red BeretThe Red Beret is a 1953 British made Technicolor war film starring Alan Ladd, Leo Genn and Susan Stephen. It deals with the Parachute Regiment during the Second World War. It is notable as the first film made by Warwick Films with many of the crew working on various Warwick Films and Albert R....
(1953) - Twelve O'Clock HighTwelve O'Clock HighTwelve O'Clock High is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II. The film was adapted by Sy Bartlett, Henry King ...
(1949) - Down to the Sea in ShipsDown to the Sea in ShipsDown to the Sea in Ships is a 1922 American silent film about a 19th century Massachusetts whaling family. Directed by Elmer Clifton, the film stars William Walcott, Marguerite Courtot, and Clara Bow.-Plot:...
(1949) - 13 Rue Madeleine13 Rue Madeleine13 Rue Madeleine is a 1947 World War II spy film starring James Cagney, Annabella and Richard Conte.The title refers to the Le Havre address where a Gestapo headquarters is located.-Plot:...
(1947) - The Princess and the PirateThe Princess and the PirateThe Princess and the Pirate is a 1944 American comedy film released by Samuel Goldwyn, starring Bob Hope and Virginia Mayo. This was the only appearance in a Goldwyn film by Paramount Pictures star Hope.-Plot:...
(1944) - Two Yanks in Trinidad (1942)
- Bullet ScarsBullet Scars- Cast :*Regis Toomey as Dr. Steven Bishop*Adele Longmire as Nora Madison*Howard Da Silva as Frank Dillon*Ben Welden as Pills Davis*John Ridgely as Hank O'Connor*Frank Wilcox as Mike*Tod Andrews as Joe Madison*Hobart Bosworth as Dr...
(1942) - Road to ZanzibarRoad to ZanzibarRoad to Zanzibar is a 1941 Paramount Pictures comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, and marked the second picture in the popular "Road to …" series made by the trio....
(1941) - Sandy Gets Her Man (1940)
- The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)
- Cocoanut Grove (1938)
- Sergeant Murphy (1938)
- Danger Patrol (1937)
- The Man Who Cried Wolf (1937)
- Under Your SpellUnder Your Spell (film)Under Your Spell is a 1936 American romantic comedy film with music directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Frances Hyland and Saul Elkins is based on a story by Sy Bartlett and Bernice Mason.-Plot:...
(1936) - Boulder Dam (1936)
- The Murder of Dr. Harrigan (1936)
- Going Highbrow (1935)
- Kansas City Princess (1934)
- The Big Brain (1933)