I. A. L. Diamond
I. A. L. Diamond, originally named Itek Domnici, was a prominent screenwriter known for his influential collaborations in Hollywood, particularly with director Billy Wilder. After immigrating to the United States from Romania and changing his name, Diamond pursued a degree in physics and mathematics at Columbia University while also writing musicals. This talent caught the attention of Paramount Studios, leading to his career as a screenwriter beginning in 1941. Over his 14 years in the industry, he produced numerous screenplays, most notably in partnership with Wilder, from the mid-1950s until 1981. Their films often explored themes of morality in the face of societal corruption, featuring relatable middle-class characters, frequently portrayed by Jack Lemmon. Some of their most celebrated works include "Love in the Afternoon," "Some Like It Hot," and "The Apartment," all of which received critical acclaim and numerous awards. Although not all of Diamond's projects were commercially successful, his sharp dialogue and comedic storytelling left a significant mark on cinematic history. Diamond passed away in 1988, leaving behind a legacy of memorable films that continue to be celebrated today.
On this Page
Subject Terms
I. A. L. Diamond
Screenwriter
- Born: June 27, 1920
- Birthplace: Ungheni, Iasi, Romania
- Died: April 21, 1988
- Place of death: Beverly Hills, California
Biography
I. A. L. Diamond has gone by a number of different names, beginning with the name given him at birth in Ungheni, Romania: Itek Domnici. When the family immigrated to the United Sates, the family name w as changed to Diamond. A schoolteacher changed his first name to Isadore and he shortened that to Iz. Finally he settled on the three initials, I. A. L., which he jokingly filled in as “Interscholastic Algebra League” for the many awards he won in math in high school.
Diamond majored in physics and mathematics at Columbia University, where he also wrote “varsity musicals.” These led Paramount Studios to offer him a position as a junior staff writer as soon as he graduated in 1941. He expected to return for graduate work in journalism, but work in Hollywood became a career. For the next fourteen years he saw several of his screenplays, usually written in collaboration, produced, the earlier ones by Warner Brothers and the later ones by Twentieth Century Fox.
His best-known work came out of his collaboration with Billy Wilder. They met in 1955 some time after Wilder had ceased collaboration with Charles Brackett. Despite their contrasting personalities—Wilder very outgoing, Diamond rather withdrawn and quiet—they became a compatible team. From the mid-1950’s until 1981 they worked together, with only one break, on a succession of twelve films, often winning major awards, critical acclaim and box office success.
These films by and large portray efforts to maintain integrity in the face of corruption, ambition, greed, and sexual temptation. The main character is often a middle-class, white man who is a good fellow except for a weakness for money, advancement, or sexual conquest—a role often played by Jack Lemmon. The most successful of these films are Love in the Afternoon (with Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, and Maurice Chevalier), Some Like It Hot (with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe), and The Apartment (with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine). All three present comic spectacles of people caught up in some web of corruption, power, and desire, accompanied by sharp and witty dialogue. All three also won considerable acclaim and awards.
Other films fared less well: An example is Kiss Me, Stupid (with Ray Walston, Dean Martin, and Kim Novak), which emphasized the negative side of corruption and excessive sexual intrigue to such an extent that United Artists refused to distribute it. More successful critically if not financially was The Fortune Cookie (with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau), an indictment of legal chicanery. Diamond and Wilder’s last collaborations include, among others, Irma La Douce (adapted from the musical, but without music, starring Lemmon and MacLane), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, and Buddy, Buddy. Diamond died in 1988, seven years after his final screenplay.