The film career of Waldo Salt may be broken into three periods. During the first period he was a professional, competent but unexceptional writer. In 1951 he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee and was consequently blacklisted for approximately eleven years. During this time Salt was not able to work in motion pictures and turned his efforts to other media. Following his re-emergence as a recognized screenwriter in 1962, he wrote a few mediocre films but moved to a new plateau by the end of the 1960s, producing compelling, memorable screenplays.

Salt was born in Chicago, Illinois. Educated at a private school in Victoria, British Columbia, he also attended the San Raphael Military Academy in California, then Stanford University, graduating in 1934. Salt has been married three times; his daughter Jennifer is an actress.

After teaching one year at Menlo Junior College, Salt was hired as a junior writer at...