Nedrick Young (March 23, 1914 – September 16, 1968), also known by the pseudonym Nathan E. Douglas, was an American actor and screenwriter often blacklisted during the 1950s and 1960s for refusing to confirm or deny membership of the Communist Party before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA). He is credited with writing the story for Jailhouse Rock in 1957, which starred Elvis Presley.
Young was born in Philadelphia. In addition to screenwriting, he took acting roles in various feature-length films from 1943 to 1966.
Recognition The Defiant Ones received an Oscar for the "best screenplay written directly for the screen" in 1958. For the same film, Young and co-writer Harold Jacob Smith won a 1959 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, from the Mystery Writers of America. Inherit the Wind was also nominated for, but did not win, an Academy Award in 1960. The same year, he and others brought a lawsuit against the Motion Picture Association (MPAA) for 13 years of blacklisting. The suit was not successful.
Filmography Actor
1943: Bombs Over Burma - Slim Jenkins 1943: Dead Men Walk - Dr. David Bentley 1943: Ladies' Day - Tony D'Angelo 1946: Gay Blades - Gary Lester 1946: The Devil's Playground - Curly Evans 1947: Unexpected Guest - Ralph Baxter 1948: The Swordsman - Bruce Glowan 1948: The Gallant Blade - Sergeant Martine 1949: Calamity Jane and Sam Bass - Parsons (uncredited) 1949: Border Incident - Happy (uncredited) 1950: Gun Crazy - Dave Allister 1950: Love That Brute - Rocky (uncredited) 1950: A Lady Without Passport - Harry Nordell 1951: Inside Straight - Accountant (uncredited) 1952: Retreat, Hell! - Sgt. Novak (credited: Ned Young) 1952: Aladdin and His Lamp - Hassan 1952: Springfield Rifle - Sgt. Poole (uncredited) 1952: The Iron Mistress - Henri Contrecourt 1953: She's Back on Broadway - Rafferty 1953: Captain Scarlett - Pierre DuCloux 1953: House of Wax - Leon Averill (uncredited) 1953: So This Is Love - Harry Corbett (uncredited) 1953: Crime Wave - Gat Morgan 1953: The Eddie Cantor Story - Jack (uncredited) 1958: The Defiant Ones - Prison Guard in Truck (uncredited) 1958: Terror in a Texas Town - John Crale 1966: Seconds - Henry Bushman
Screenplay 1957: Jailhouse Rock 1958: The Defiant Ones 1960: Inherit the Wind 1968: Shadow on the Land
Personal life
He was married to actress Elizabeth MacRae. After several years of heart trouble, Young died suddenly of a heart attack.
References
External links
1958 Academy Awards Four Word Film Review: Nedrick Young Time Out Filmography: Nedrick Young Trailer for The Defiant One, documentary about Nedrick Young and the Hollywood blacklist