Clifford Odets

Clifford Odets
Odets in 1938
Born	(1906-07-18)July 18, 1906 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	August 14, 1963(1963-08-14) (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Occupations	Playwright screenwriter actor
Years active	1925–1963
Spouses	Luise Rainer ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1940)​ Bette Grayson ​ ​ (m. 1943; div. 1952)​
Children	2, including Walt

Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963)^[1] was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize–winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withdraw from Broadway's commercial pressures and increasing critical backlash.^[2] From January 1935, Odets's socially relevant dramas were extremely influential, particularly for the remainder of the Great Depression. His works inspired the next several generations of playwrights, including Arthur Miller, Paddy Chayefsky, Neil Simon, and David Mamet. After the production of his play Clash by Night in the 1941–42 season, Odets focused his energies primarily on film projects, remaining in Hollywood until mid-1948. He returned to New York for five and a half years, during which time he produced three more Broadway plays, only one of which was a success. His prominence was eventually eclipsed by Miller, Tennessee Williams, and, in the early- to mid-1950s, William Inge.