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Ernest Lehman (born December 8, 1915 in New York City - died July 2 2005 in Los Angeles, California) was a successful screenwriter in Hollywood. He received 6 Academy Award nominations during his screenwiting career. In 2001 he received an honorary Oscar for his works, the first screenwriter to receive that honor.

Lehman was born into a wealthy Long Island family whose fortunes were seriously affected by the Great Depression. Upon his graduation from College of the City of New York (The City College of New York), Lehman became a freelance writer. Lehman felt that freelancing was a "very nervous way to make a living" so he began writing copy for a publicity firm which focused on plays and celebrities. This experience helped form the basis of his 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success, which he co-wrote with Clifford Odets. Lehman churned out a slew of short stories and novellas for magazines like Colliers, Redbook and Cosmopolitan. These attracted the attention of Hollywood and in the mid-1950's Paramount Pictures signed him to a writing contract. His first film, Executive Suite, was a success and he was asked to colloborate on the romantic comedy Sabrina, which also became a hit. Perhaps his most visible contribution to the Hollywood canon is the screenplay of the 1965 mega-hit film version of The Sound of Music.

In addition to screenwriting, Lehman tried his hand at producing, and was among a distinct few in Hollywood who had faith in a film adaptation of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He managed to persuade studio executive Jack Warner to allow him to take on the project, and the stark film was a critical sensation, garnering many Academy Award nominations. Unfortunately, his next film as producer, 1969's Hello, Dolly!, was considered a critical and financial failure.

In 1972 Lehman directed his first and last film, Portnoy's Complaint. He basically retired from screenwriting in 1979, aside from some television projects.

Lehman died at UCLA Medical Center after a prolonged illness and was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. He is survived by a wife, Laurie, and his son Jonathan, as well as two sons (Roger and Alan) from his first marriage.

Writing credits

• The King and I (1956)
• North by Northwest (1959)
• West Side Story (1961)
• The Sound of Music (1965)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

External link

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• 1915 births
• 2005 deaths
• American screenwriters
• Jewish American writers
• People from New York