Born in Manhattan, attended City College from 1937-38. Served in
the army, 1942-46, attaining the rank of First Llieutenant. Started writing
for television in 1951 for CBS, and eventually worked for all three
major networks.
[about his inspiration for 12 Angry Men (1957)] It was such an impressive, solemn setting in a great big wood-paneled
courtroom, with a silver-haired judge. It knocked me out. I was
overwhelmed. I was on a jury for a manslaughter case, and we got into
this terrific, furious, eight-hour argument in the jury room. I was
writing one-hour dramas for Studio One (1948) then and I thought, "Wow, what
a setting for a drama!"
