Budd Schulberg and Fleeting Fame

Sometimes the famous outlive their fame. Take, for example, Budd Schulberg, who died today at age 95.

There was a time when most movie fans knew his name. He worked with director John Ford in a documentary project for the Army as World War II was ending, and arrested Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's propagandist. Back in the USA, He wrote "What Makes Sammy Run," "On the Waterfront," "The Harder They Fall," and "A Face in the Crowd." And then, he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, earning him the ire of liberals in the film world. He was unrepentant.

But he persevered and was among the last to speak to Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy before Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. Filmmaker Spike Lee was an admirer. The Holocaust Museum invited him to speak. Here's the AP version of his obit; the Washington Post version will be posted shortly on the obits page.