Carl Foreman was born in Chicago on 23rd July, 1914. After graduating from the University of Illinois he moved to Hollywood and wrote the screenplays for several films including Rhythm Parade (1942), So This is New York (1948), Home of the Brave (1949) and the The Men (1950).

After the Second World War the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), chaired by J. Parnell Thomas, began an investigation into the entertainment industry. The HUAC interviewed 41 people who were working in Hollywood. These people attended voluntarily and became known as "friendly witnesses". During their interviews they named nineteen people who they accused of holding left-wing views. This resulted in the imprisonment of the Hollywood Ten.

Foreman refused to testify and was blacklisted by the Hollywood studios. He moved to England but continued to work under other people's names and wrote the screenplays for the Academy Award winning, High Noon (1952) and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

After the blacklist was lifted, Foreman was able to openly work in the cinema industry. This included The Guns of Navarone(1961), The Victors (1963), Born Free (1966), The Virgin Soldiers (1969) and Young Winston (1972). Carl Foreman died in Beverly Hills, California, on 26th June, 1984.