Reginald Rose is most famous as a television writer, acclaimed for his teleplays in the "Golden Age" of television. Born and raised in New York City, he lived there until he enlisted during World War II, returning to pursue a career in writing.
Among other awards, Rose won three Emmys in his lifetime and was nominated for a total of six. Rose is most well-known for writing teleplays. However, he also found success writing for the stage, as well as for regular television programming.
Rose notably wrote teleplays for CBS's Studio One. Plays include 'The Bus to Nowhere,' '12:32 a.m.,' 'An Almanac of Liberty,' 'Crime in the Streets,' and 'Twelve Angry Men,' Rose's most known teleplay. 'Twelve Angry Men' continued to have a remarkable life as a landmark film, greatly expanded upon from the original teleplay, and a successful stage play.
Rose's plays are known for their direct handling of social problems and the political arena, uncharacteristic of a medium usually preoccupied with private, interpersonal relationships. Rose's work was unapologetic, confronting these issues directly.
While dealing with social issues, Rose was known as a master craftsman for television, as displayed by his incredible mastery of naturalism in this "slice of life" medium. Twelve Angry Men's success as a movie marked a major contribution of Rose and television for film, influencing the future of American cinematography.
12 Angry Men has had a long history of production and revision, from short teleplay to major Broadway productions. Reginald Rose first found inspiration for 12 Angry Men when he served on a jury in a manslaughter case, over which the jurors fought...
