Trivia

He has been suggested as the basis for the character of Sammy Glick in Budd Schulberg's novel, What Makes Sammy Run?.

In 1947, federal marshals served summonses on writers during the HUAC period. Many of these suspects, some of whom were later fined and jailed, worked for Wald, though the scandal never attached itself to him specifically.

He entered James Madison High School in September 1925. Among his classmates were Garson Kanin and Irwin Shaw.

He once hired a polling firm to contact several thousand public libraries all over America and to ask each one to list the ten most frequently-borrowed books on their shelves. Then, the pollsters made a short list of the most widely-read books and Wald purchased the film rights to as many of them as possible, on the theory that film versions would have a ready audience.

Brother of Malvin Wald.

Father of Andrew Wald.

Father of Robert Wald

Brother-in-law of Barron Polan.

After he wrote a successful puff piece on the then-popular singer Russ Columbo, he caught the eye of Dick Powell, who suggested that Wald be brought to Hollywood to expand it into a feature.

He was a close friend of director Lloyd Bacon. He also formed a close relationship with Mark Hellinger, another Manhattan expatriate, who facilitated Wald's entrance into the ranks of producer.

In 1948, he tried to talk Jack L. Warner into signing Marlon Brando to a Warner Bros. contract, but the studio chief refused.

After he noticed that the New York Graphic was the only New York paper without a regular radio column, he was able to promote the job for himself. He worked there with Samuel Fuller and Ed Sullivan.