Irving Berwick was a child prodigy who began playing concert piano at the tender age of ten. Despite his remarkable talent, he never pursued a career as a professional pianist, instead opting for a life in the film industry. His first job in Hollywood was as a dialogue coach, working under contract at Columbia Studios in the mid-to-late 1940s, often collaborating with renowned director William Castle.
Berwick's career spanned several decades, with a significant portion of his work taking place at Universal-International throughout the 1950s. During this time, he frequently collaborated with director Jack Arnold on science-fiction thrillers and westerns, and even worked on the iconic film Against All Flags (1952) starring Errol Flynn, who gifted him a case of expensive liquor for his services.
Berwick's work extended beyond film, as he also worked on the TV series Topper (1953) without receiving credit. In the late 1950s, Universal-International underwent significant layoffs, and Berwick joined forces with make-up expert Jack Kevan to form Vanwick Productions, a production company that aimed to create low-budget films.
The company's first picture, The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959),was a deliberate attempt to emulate the success of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). The film featured a monster suit created by Kevan, primarily using odds and ends from other Universal Pictures films. The movie was shot entirely on location at Point Concepcion, California, and nearby Cayucos, and despite its low budget, it boasted impressive special effects.
Berwick and Kevan's next film, The Street Is My Beat (1966),turned out to be Berwick's favorite, and it featured character actor John Harmon, who appeared in nearly every film Berwick made. Harmon is also the godson of Berwick's son Wayne Berwick, who played the little boy in Piedras Blancas.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Berwick worked as a producer, director, and second-unit director on his own and other producers' films. In the early 1970s, he began teaching filmmaking through the UCLA Adult Extension, a role he continued for nearly a decade.
