Oliver Crawford (August 12, 1917 – September 24, 2008) was an American screenwriter and author who overcame the Hollywood blacklist during the McCarthy Era of the 1950s to become one of the entertainment industry's most successful television writers, for shows including Star Trek, Bonanza, Quincy, M.E., Perry Mason, and the Kraft Television Theatre.
Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, Crawford attended the Chicago Art Institute and the Goodman Theatre school. His classmates at Goodman included Sam Wanamaker and Karl Malden, both of whom became his lifelong friends.
Career Crawford began working in the television industry as a writer in the early 1950s. By 1953, he had contracted to work with both Harold Hecht and Burt Lancaster. Shortly after he signed his contract to work with Lancaster, Crawford was summoned in 1953 to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was investigating suspected Communist sympathizers in Hollywood. Crawford refused to name suspected Communists sympathizers within the entertainment industry. His refusal to implicate anyone in Hollywood led to his blacklisting. He was also fired from his 1953 contract. He moved to New York City with his family after being blacklisted where he was forced to take several jobs to make ends meet, including designing window displays.
Crawford was finally able to return to television in 1957 when a friend, actor Sam Levene, got him a job as a writer for Playhouse 90. His career took off during the 1960s, when he wrote for many shows including Gilligan's Island, The Fugitive, The Outer Limits, The Rifleman, The Big Valley, Rawhide, Ben Casey, Lawman, and I Spy. His credits during the 1970s included Love, American Style, The Bionic Woman, Kojak, Mannix, Ironside, and numerous other television shows.
Crawford authored a 1978 novel, The Execution, which explored survivors of a Nazi concentration camp who recognized a former Nazi doctor who had experimented on them and seek revenge. The novel was adapted into a 1985 television movie of the week, which starred Sandy Dennis, Loretta Swit, Rip Torn, Valerie Harper, Jessica Walter, and Barbara Barrie.
Crawford served on the board of directors of the Writers Guild of America for 26 years following the restoration of his screenwriting career. His position in the Writers Guild allowed him to advocate for financial restitution for victims of the Hollywood blacklist. Crawford also worked to successfully remove an anti-Communist loyalty oath from Writers Guild's membership application, which was a holdover from the Hollywood blacklist era.
For his work, Crawford received a Writers Guild award nomination for The Outer Limits. He was also a multiple Emmy Award nominated television writer, including for Lineup and Climax!. Crawford also lectured as an associate professor of filmmaking at Loyola Marymount University.
Death On September 24, 2008, Crawford died from complications from pneumonia in Los Angeles at the age of 91. He was survived by two daughters, Jo Kaufman and Vicki Crawford, one brother, and one sister. His wife, Bert (née Pikus) died in 1986. His son, Kenneth Kaufman died in March, 2015.
Filmography Film Year Title Notes 1953 The Man from the Alamo Story 1954 The Steel Cage Segment: "The Hostages" 1958 Girl in the Woods Story and screenplay 1985 The Execution Television movie (screenplay) Television Year Title Notes 1951 The Stu Erwin Show 1 episode 1952 Boston Blackie 1 episode 1953 Terry and the Pirates 5 episodes 1955–1957 Kraft Television Theatre 2 episodes 1956–1958 Climax! 6 episodes 1957 Lux Video Theatre 1 episode1958 The Restless Gun 1 episode U.S. Marshal 1 episode1959 Armchair Theatre 1 episode The Third Man 1 episode Lawman 2 episodes Startime 1 episode Rawhide 3 episodes Man with a Camera 1 episode 1960–1967 Bonanza 2 episodes 1961 The Aquanauts 1 episode1962 Perry Mason 1 episode Checkmate 1 episode The Rifleman 1 episode 1962–1965 Ben Casey 5 episodes 1963–1967 The Fugitive 3 episodes 1964 The Outer Limits 1 episode1965 Gilligan's Island 1 episode The Big Valley 1 episode 1965 The Long Hot Summer 2 episodes 1965–1969 The Wild Wild West 2 episodes1966 Tarzan 1 episode Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 1 episode 1966–1967 The Iron Horse 2 episodes 1967 I Spy 1 episode 1967–1969 Star Trek 2 episodes 1968 Here Come the Brides 1 episode 1969 Land of the Giants 1 episode 1969–1970 Medical Center 3 episodes 1970 Love, American Style 1 episode 1970–1972 Mannix 2 episodes1974 Petrocelli 1 episode Ironside 1 episode1976 The Swiss Family Robinson 2 episodes The Blue Knight 1 episode Bronk 1 episode The Bionic Woman 3 episodes 1977 Kojak 1 episode 1978 Kaz 1 episode
Awards Year Award Result Category Notes 1983Writers Guild of America AwardWonMorgan Cox Award 1997 Shared with Katherine Coker, Philip D. Fehrle, D.C. Fontana, Michael A. Hoey, Rick Mittleman, and John Riley
References
External links
The Times: Oliver Crawford: Hollywood writer