Michael Wilson Biography

Fast Facts

• Awarded a Laurel Award in 1975 by the Writers Guild of America
• Graduated from Berkeley in 1936 with a bachelor's degree in history and literature
• Unexpectedly died of a heart attack at age 63 in 1978
• After returning from Europe, he would go on to re-establish himself as a prominent screenwriter with "Planet of the Apes", "Bridge Over the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia", the latter of which would earn him an Oscar nomination
• Began his career as a screenwriter of William Boyd Westerns before retreating to Europe after being blacklisted in the early 1950s
• Served in the Marine Corps during WWII before returning to Hollywood in 1945
• While in between films in Hollywood, he would teach literary English classes at a community college to supplement his income
• Worked under numerous pseudonyms while blacklisted in Hollywood and was subsequently awarded screenwriting credits to his films during this time period several decades later