Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945." Pages 971-976. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
Directed 8 actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Broderick Crawford, Mercedes McCambridge, John Ireland, and John Garfield. Crawford and McCambridge won for All the King's Men (1949).
Ex-father-in-law of Hal Holbrook.
Originally refused to testify at the HUAC hearings (regarding the blacklist), but then admitted to being a member of the Communist Party in May, 1953, and named 57 others as well.
Robert Rossen is the grandfather of Daniel Rossen, singer and multi-instrumentalist for Brooklyn-based experimental band Grizzly Bear.