Biography for
Ernest Lehman More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

8 December 1915, New York City, New York, USA

Date of Death

2 July 2005, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack following pneumonia)

Mini Biography

One of the most critically and commercially successful screenwriters in Hollywood history, Lehman grew up on Long Island, graduated from NY's City College. One of his first jobs was as a copywriter for a Broadway publicist. This experience would later be reflected in his novel and screenplay, "Sweet Smell of Success." He also worked as a radio comedy writer, and as editor of a financial magazine. He freelanced short stories for the likes of Collier's magazine and one of these fiction piece 'The Comedian' led to his first job in Hollywood as a screenwriter for Paramount in the mid 1950s. Nick Roddick, in Dictionary of Literary Biography, praised Lehman as "a champion of the well-crafted, what-happens-next screenplay." Served as president of the Writers Guild of America from 1983-85.

IMDb Mini Biography By: mwprods@rcn.com

Spouse

Laurie Sherman	(1997 - 2 July 2005) (his death) 1 child
Jacqueline Shapiro	(1942 - 1994) (her death) 2 children

Trivia

President of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAw). [1983-1985]

His wife Laurie gave birth to son Jonathan Maxwell Lehman in Los Angeles. [January 31, 2002]

In his book "Laughing Matters," award-winning writer Larry Gelbart admits that he admires Lehman's talent and uses a quote from Lehman about working in Hollywood.

Actually tried to climb Mount Rushmore after writing the monument into his North by Northwest (1959) plot. Halfway up, he realized he could die if he slipped and came down.

In the late 1930s, he used to hunt down gossip for Walter Winchell and other gossip columnists. His novella "Tell Me About It Tomorrow" had a backdrop similar to his experiences from this period of his life.

Lehman was 86 years old at the time of his son Jonathan's birth!.

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