Born in New York City. Former boxer whose work as a writer and director of socially conscious plays such as The Body Beautiful led to a writing contract with Warner Bros. in 1936. Rossen scripted some ten features over the next seven years (e.g., THE ROARING TWENTIES, THE SEA WOLF, BLUES IN THE NIGHT, THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS and DESERT FURY) for directors including Lloyd Bacon, Mervyn LeRoy and Lewis Milestone. His writing was influenced by his Communist affiliations and, although he had left the party in 1945, his involvement led to a subpoena from the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. In the four years that elapsed before Rossen was eventually tried and blacklisted, he established himself as an independent producer and director of note with films such as BODY AND SOUL (1947), scripted by Abraham Polonsky, and ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949), an incisive indictment of political corruption. After "naming names" in 1953 Rossen was allowed to continue working, but chose not to return to Hollywood. His subsequent output was uneven, but not without successes. THE HUSTLER (1961) is a moody poolroom drama with its roots in an unproduced Rossen play, Corner Pocket; it was nominated for Academy Awards in every major category and inspired a Martin Scorsese-directed sequel, THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986), which again starred Paul Newman. LILITH (1964) is a tragic study of obsession set in a mental hospital and starring Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg; shot, like THE HUSTLER, by Eugene Shuftan, it was dismissed by US critics at the time of its release but is now regarded by many as Rossen's masterpiece. His daughter Carol Eve Rossen (b. 1937) is an actress.  Best Picture 1949: ALL THE KING'S MEN - Producer at Columbia  Nominated for Directing 1949: ALL THE KING'S MEN  Nominated for Writing (Screenplay) 1949: ALL THE KING'S MEN  Nominated for Best Picture 1961: THE HUSTLER - Producer at Rossen  Nominated for Directing 1961: THE HUSTLER  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay based on material from another medium) 1961: THE HUSTLER (w. Sidney Carroll) 6 nominations, 1 Award