B.P. Schulberg

B.P. Schulberg

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B.P. Schulberg
Film: East side of the 1500 block of Vine Street
Director | Executive
Born Percival Schulberg on Jan. 19, 1892 in Bridgeport, Conn.
Died Feb. 26, 1957 in Key Biscayne, FL

B.P. Schulberg was a top film executive at Paramount and Columbia Pictures Corp. and father of author Budd Schulberg. He was instrumental in developing many stars, including Clara Bow, Cary Grant, William Powell, Gary Cooper, Fredric March and others.

Schulberg started his career as a newspaper reporter for the New York Daily Mail. He later became editor of a film trade magazine, Film Reports.

After entering the motion picture field as a publicity director and scenario editor of Rex Pictures, he joined Adolph Zukor in forming the Famous Players Company in 1912.

His son Budd, who later won an Academy Award for his script for "On the Waterfront," wrote the novel "What Makes Sammy Run?" while under contract with Samuel Goldwyn's studio. Goldwyn, who believed the savage saga was based on his own life, fired the young screenwriter.

Schulberg had urged his son not to publish "Sammy." He admired the book, thought it was good stuff, professional, solidly written. But he worried that it would hurt his own career — and Budd's. This particular book, the elder Schulberg insisted, would be too scandalous. He said, "Bury that manuscript in a desk drawer, Buddy. Take a shot at another first novel."

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