15 Facts About David Goodis

David Loeb Goodis was an American writer of crime fiction noted for his output of short stories and novels in the noir fiction genre.

William David Goodis was a Russian-Jewish emigre born in 1882 who had arrived in America with his mother in 1890.

David Goodis's mother, Mollie Halpern, was born in Pennsylvania into a family of Russian-Jewish emigres.

In Philadelphia, David Goodis's father co-owned a newspaper dealership and later went into the textile business as the William David Goodis Company.

David Goodis attended Simon Gratz High School and was engaged in student affairs, editing the school newspaper, serving as student council president, and participating in athletics as a member of both the track and swim teams.

David Goodis had the distinction of being chosen valedictorian for the graduating class of 1935, delivering a speech entitled "Youth Looks at Peace".

In 1947, David Goodis wrote the script for The Unfaithful, a remake of Somerset Maugham's The Letter.

David Goodis is credited with writing the screenplay to The Burglar, a 1957 film noir directed by Paul Wendkos that was based on his 1953 novel published by Lion Books.

David Goodis learned about her marriage to Goodis only after her death in 1986 from a stroke.

In 1950, David Goodis returned to Philadelphia, where he lived with his parents and his schizophrenic brother Herbert.

David Goodis died at 11:30 pm on January 7,1967, at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Northern Division, not far from his home.

Days earlier, David Goodis had been beaten while resisting a robbery.

David Goodis stated that The Fugitive was based on his novel Dark Passage.

The decision is reported at Goodis v United Artists Television, Inc.

David Goodis has influenced contemporary crime fiction writers, notably Duane Swierczynski and Ken Bruen.