Trivia

Adapted his screenplay of Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) for a stage production on Broadway, featuring Maximilian Schell, who had won an Academy Award for the 1961 movie version, in a different role (2001).

He became interested in the 1946 Nuremberg war crimes tribunal, and wrote a script for a television program about it. Subsequently, he was determined to write his first film screenplay about the trials.

His father was a jeweler of Russian Jewish descent.

Died just one day after Richard Widmark, one of the stars of Judgment at Nuremberg (1961).

After serving in the US Army, he started writing scripts for television dramas.

Won an Emmy and a Writer's Guild of America Award for "The Marcus Nelson Murders", the TV pilot which introduced the popular television series "Kojak", and which catapulted Telly Savalas to stardom.

Much of his writing deals with political subjects, notably the machinations of the American judicial system, and with minority groups subjected to prejudice and injustices.

Attended Temple University and New York University.

Had a son.