Biography

Marguerite Roberts was born on September 21, 1905 in Greeley, Colorado, USA. She was a writer, known for True Grit (1969), Ivanhoe (1952) and College Scandal (1935). She was married to John Sanford. She died on February 17, 1989 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Began her career as a journalist. She was hired in 1927 by Fox as secretary to the executive Winfield Sheehan. Roberts later worked for Paramount and MGM as a screenwriter and became a prominent member of the Screen Writers Guild.

According to the November, 1999 issue of "Written By", the WGA Newsletter, Marguerite (Maggie) Roberts was blacklisted in 1952 for refusing to name names in her testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee.

The article also states that she preferred writing roles for tough men, she started out as a secretary at Fox where she sold her first script in 1931 and by 1939, was a $2,500-a-week contract writer at MGM.

I was weaned on stories about gunfighters and their doings, and I know all the lingo too. My grandfather came West as far as Colorado by covered wagon. He was a sheriff in the state's wildest days.