Robert Pirosh

Robert Pirosh enjoyed a lengthy Hollywood career, which began when he was signed by MGM, along with fellow newcomer George Seaton , as a contributing writer in 1934. His most notable success was garnering the Academy Award for his screenplay of Battleground (1949), a film based on the Second World War Battle of the Bulge in which he had himself fought as a Master Sergeant with the 35th Infantry Division. A versatile writer, Pirosh alternated among dramatic subjects, such as the Oscar-nominated war picture Go for Broke! (1951) and the adventure Valley of the Kings (1954)--both of which he also directed--and madcap comedy, most notably his contribution to the classic The Marx Brothers farce A Day at the Races (1937). Some of Groucho Marx's funniest lines are attributed to Pirosh, who also became the comedian's lifelong friend. From the late 1950s,Pirosh became involved in writing television scripts, including the pilot episodes for Laramie (1959) and Combat! (1962). Towards the end of his career he taught writing at the University of Southern California.