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Arthur BuchwaldAmerican journalist and satirical writer
Date of Birth: 20.10.1925
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Military Service and Journalism Debut
- Return to the United States and Success
- Soviet Visit and Impact
- Legal Battle and "Buchwald's Law"
- Later Life and Legacy
- Awards and Honors
Early Life and Education
Arthur Buchwald was born into a Jewish family in New York City on October 20, 1925. His parents, Joseph and Helen Kleinberger Buchwald, had emigrated from Poland and Austria-Hungary in 1914. Shortly after Buchwald's birth, his mother was institutionalized and he never met her, although she lived for another 35 years.
Buchwald's father worked as a curtain manufacturer, but the Great Depression devastated the business. At age 5, Buchwald was placed in a Jewish orphanage in New York City, where he remained for several years before rejoining his family in Queens.
Military Service and Journalism Debut
At the age of 17, Buchwald dropped out of high school and falsified his age to enlist in the Marine Corps. He served from 1942 to 1945, spending two years in the Pacific Theater.
After the war, Buchwald enrolled at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. While there, he edited the student magazine "Wampus" and wrote for the university newspaper "Daily Trojan." In 1948, he left college and moved to Paris to work as a correspondent for the magazine "Variety." In 1949, he published his first column in the European edition of the "New York Herald Tribune."
Return to the United States and Success
In 1952, Buchwald wrote an article for the "New York Herald Tribune" explaining Thanksgiving to the French. The column was so successful that it was reprinted annually in the newspaper.
In the late 1950s, Buchwald interviewed the then-Sergeant Elvis Presley, who was stationed in Germany and spending a weekend in Paris. His account of the encounter was later included in his book "I'll Always Have Paris."
In 1963, Buchwald returned to the United States with his wife and three adopted children. He joined the "Washington Post" and became a leading satirist, focusing primarily on politics and society. Throughout his career, he wrote over 8000 columns, which were syndicated to over 550 publications worldwide, including the Soviet magazines "Za Rubezhom" and "Pravda."
Soviet Visit and Impact
In the summer of 1988, Buchwald visited the Soviet Union as part of a delegation of American satirists. He met with Soviet comedians such as Mikhail Zhvanetsky and Grigory Gorin, and his column about the visit, "You've Changed," was later published.
Legal Battle and "Buchwald's Law"
In 1990, Buchwald sued Paramount Pictures, claiming that the 1988 film "Coming to America," starring Eddie Murphy, was based on a story he had written years earlier. Buchwald won the case, and the studio was forced to pay him $900,000. This ruling led to the inclusion of a clause in movie studio contracts stating that original ideas from outside sources are not subject to payment. This clause became known as "Buchwald's Law."
Later Life and Legacy
After surviving an illness in 2000, Buchwald continued to write and published several books, including memoirs and a collection of his columns. In 2006, he announced his impending death due to kidney disease, but he unexpectedly recovered.
Arthur Buchwald died on January 17, 2007, at his son's home in Washington, D.C. He was remembered as a brilliant satirist and a Pulitzer Prize winner for his commentary in the "Washington Post." His legacy continues to inspire humorists and journalists around the world.
Awards and Honors
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary (1982)Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1986)
Honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California (1993)
