Ernest Lehman
Ernest Lehman was an influential American screenwriter and author, known for his significant contributions to film and literature. Born and raised on Long Island, he initially pursued a degree in chemical engineering at City College in New York but shifted his focus to creative writing, earning a unique "hybrid degree" in English. His career began in journalism, but he quickly transitioned to screenwriting, with notable successes including the critically acclaimed screenplays for "Sweet Smell of Success," "North by Northwest," and the musical adaptations "The King and I" and "West Side Story." Lehman's work often explored themes around American life, and his ability to blend genres set him apart in Hollywood. Despite some setbacks in his career, including challenges with productions like "Hello, Dolly!" and "Portnoy's Complaint," he returned to fiction writing, producing works that were also adapted for screen. Over his lifetime, Lehman amassed numerous awards, including Academy Awards and Writers Guild accolades, culminating in an honorary Academy Award in 2001 for his extensive contributions to the film industry. His legacy continues to resonate in both screenwriting and literature.
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Ernest Lehman
Fiction Writer and Playwright
- Born: December 8, 1915
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: July 2, 2005
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Biography
Ernest Lehman grew up on Long Island but returned to the city of his birth, New York, to attend City College, where he intended to study chemical engineering. His interests turned to creative writing, however, and when he graduated it was with what he called a “hybrid degree,” a bachelor of science in English. After working briefly as a copy editor for a Wall Street financial publication that folded, Lehman turned to freelance writing, selling his first piece, a profile of bandleader Ted Lewis to Collier’s. In 1942, he married his first wife, Jacqueline (who would die in 1994), with whom he had two sons (he would have another son with his second wife, Laurene).
It might have been the stress of supporting a family that prompted Lehman to take a job writing copy for a public relations firm servicing the entertainment industry. The job proved valuable, if only because it provided Lehman with the material for the story that he would later turn into the hit screenplay Sweet Smell of Success. During this period, Lehman continued to write and publish stories, one of which, “The Comedian,” caught the attention of Hollywood. Lehman moved there, and although his screenplay of The Comedian was never produced, he began a long and fruitful career as a screenwriter.
His first success, Executive Suite, resembled Sweet Smell of Success in that it, too, was a kind of exposé of American corporate life. However, Lehman’s screenplays resist categorization, ranging from the uplift of success stories like Sabrina to thrillers like North by Northwest, probably his finest screenplay. He also experienced great success adapting musicals such as The King and I and The Sound of Music for the big screen. Perhaps his greatest achievement in this genre is West Side Story.
Lehman had less success with Hello, Dolly!, which he produced himself, and when another of his productions, Portnoy’s Complaint, failed completely, he turned to fiction writing. Not surprisingly, his first novel, The French Atlantic Affair, proved to be cinematic and was optioned prior to publication. It was made into a television mini- series.
Lehamn received numerous awards, including: a Writers Guild award and Academy Award in 1954 for Sabrina; Writers Guild Award in 1956 for The King and I; Writers Guild award and Academy Award nomination in 1961 for West Side Story; a Writers Guild award in 1965 for The Sound of Music; a Writers Guild award and Academy Award nomination in 1966 for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; and an honorary Academy Award in 2001 for his body of work.