Clifford Odets
Playwright
Clifford Odets (1906-1963) was a pioneering American playwright and screenwriter, renowned for his socially conscious dramas that vividly portrayed the struggles of the working class. As one of the original members of the Group Theatre in New York City, Odets found his true calling as a playwright. His first major success, Waiting for Lefty (1935), inspired by a taxi drivers' strike, marked the beginning of a prolific career that included plays Awake and Sing!, Till The Day I Die, Paradise Lost, Golden Boy, Rocket To The Moon, Night Music, Clash By Night, The Big Knife and The Country Girl. He also wrote several screenplays, including Sweet Smell of Success (1957).