Reginald Rose, the Emmy award-winning playwright who wrote and co-produced the film Twelve Angry Men, has died at the age of 81.
He won an Emmy Award in 1954 for best written dramatic material for the original television version of Twelve Angry Men, the story of one man swaying a jury debating the fate of a young man charged with killing his father. Rose received an Academy Award nomination in 1957 for the screenplay of the movie he co-produced with the film's star, Henry Fonda, pictured right in his role in the film. The film was also nominated for best picture.
During the golden age of American television, Rose was known for his willingness to tackle social and political issues.
He also won Emmys for his work on The Defenders, a series about a father-and-son lawyer team, starring E G Marshall and Robert Reed. The characters took on complex cases that occasionally involved the issues of abortion, euthanasia, and blacklisting.
A New York native, Rose joined the Army in 1942 and reached the rank of first lieutenant. He began writing for television in 1951 and eventually worked for all the major networks.
His film screenplays include The Wild Geese (1978) and Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981).
Rose married Barbara Langbart in 1943; their marriage ended in divorce.
In 1963 he married Ellen McLaughlin and is survived by his wife and his six children from both marriages.
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