Ernest Lehman facts for kids

Ernest Paul Lehman (December 8, 1915 – July 2, 2005) was a famous American screenwriter and film producer. He wrote many well-known movies. These include The Sound of Music, West Side Story, and North by Northwest.

Lehman was nominated for six Academy Awards for his screenplays. He did not win any of these awards. However, in 2001, he received an Honorary Academy Award. This special award recognized his amazing work in movies. He was the first screenwriter ever to get this honor. He also won two Edgar Awards for his mystery film scripts.

Early Life and Education

Ernest Lehman was born in 1915. His parents were Gertrude and Paul E. Lehman. His family was wealthy and lived on Long Island. But they lost a lot of money during the Great Depression.

Lehman went to the City College of New York. He earned a bachelor's degree there.

Becoming a Writer in Hollywood

After college, Lehman started working as a freelance writer. He found it hard to make a steady living this way. So, he began writing for a company that promoted plays and celebrities. He used these experiences to help write the movie Sweet Smell of Success (1957). He wrote this film with Clifford Odets.

Lehman also wrote many short stories. These stories appeared in popular magazines like Colliers and Cosmopolitan. Hollywood movie studios noticed his talent. In the mid-1950s, Paramount Pictures hired him to write movies. His first film, Executive Suite (1954), was very successful.

He then helped write the romantic comedy Sabrina (1954). This movie was also a big hit. Some of his most famous works are the screenplays for musicals. These include West Side Story (1961) and the hugely popular The Sound of Music (1965).

Working with Alfred Hitchcock

In 1958, the famous director Alfred Hitchcock hired Lehman. They were supposed to make a film called The Wreck of the Mary Deare. Instead, they created North by Northwest (1959). This was one of the few original screenplays Lehman wrote. Most of his other films were based on books or plays.

North by Northwest stars Cary Grant. He plays an advertising executive who is mistaken for a spy. Lehman spent a year writing this movie. He even visited Mount Rushmore for research. The film's exciting ending takes place there.

North by Northwest was a huge success for both Lehman and Hitchcock. Lehman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He also won an Edgar Award for it.

Other Movie Projects

Besides writing, Lehman also worked as a producer. He strongly believed that the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? should be made into a movie. He convinced studio executive Jack L. Warner to let him produce it. The film was a big hit with critics. It received many Academy Award nominations. Lehman was also nominated for an Academy Award for producing Hello, Dolly! (1969). This movie starred Barbra Streisand.

In 1972, Lehman directed one movie, Portnoy's Complaint. This was his only time directing. Later, he won another Edgar Award for his screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's last movie, Family Plot (1976).

By 1979, Lehman mostly stopped writing movie screenplays. He turned down offers for films like The Silence of the Lambs. He also wrote scripts for two movies that were never made. One was for a musical version of Zorba the Greek.

In 1977, Lehman published a popular novel called The French Atlantic Affair. It was about a group of Americans who hijack a cruise ship. This book was later made into a TV miniseries in 1979.

Personal Life

Ernest Lehman married Jacqueline Shapiro in 1942. They had two sons, Roger and Alan. Jacqueline passed away in 1994.

In 1997, Lehman married Laurie Sherman. They had one son, Jonathan. They were married until Ernest's death.

Amateur Radio Hobby

Lehman enjoyed amateur radio as a hobby. His callsign was K6DXK. He was an active member of a local radio club.

Death

Ernest Lehman passed away on July 2, 2005. He was at the UCLA Medical Center after a heart attack. He was buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Movies and TV Shows Written by Ernest Lehman

Filmography

Television

• The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1949) writer, one episode
• The Ford Television Theatre (1954) writer, one episode
• Lux Video Theatre (1955) writer, one episode
• Playhouse 90 (1957) writer, one episode
• TV de Vanguarda [pt] (1957) based on Sweet Smell of Success
• The French Atlantic Affair (1979) based on his novel

Biography

• Ernest Lehman: The Sweet Smell of Success (2022) by Jon Krampner

Awards and Honors

Ernest Lehman was nominated for six Academy Awards during his career. He never won a competitive Oscar. However, at the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001, he received a special Academy Honorary Award. This award recognized his many important and lasting contributions to movies. He was the first screenwriter to receive this honor.

Lehman also received more awards from the Writers Guild of America than any other screenwriter in movie history.

See also

In Spanish: Ernest Lehman para niños