Ira Levin
Ira Levin was a prominent American author known for his contributions to the genres of science fiction and horror during the twentieth century. Born in the Bronx, New York, Levin developed an early interest in magic and storytelling, which shaped his future career as a writer. He attended several educational institutions, including the Horace Mann School and New York University, where he honed his skills and won a screenwriting contest that marked the beginning of his professional writing journey. Despite his father's initial disapproval of his aspirations, Levin successfully transitioned from television scripts to novels, achieving significant acclaim.
His debut novel, "A Kiss Before Dying," won the Edgar Allan Poe Award, establishing him as a noteworthy author. Levin's most famous work, "Rosemary's Baby," became a bestseller and a classic in the horror genre, selling over five million copies. He also authored other well-known titles like "The Stepford Wives" and "The Boys from Brazil," many of which were adapted into film and theater. Levin's body of work remains influential, and he enjoyed a fulfilling retirement in New York, reflecting on his impactful career in literature.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Ira Levin
Fiction Writer and Playwright
- Born: August 27, 1929
- Birthplace: Bronx, New York
- Died: November 12, 2007
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Ira Levin, a twentieth century science-fiction and horror author, was born in the Bronx, New York. Levin’s father found success as a toy importer. When Ira Levin turned thirteen, his family moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York.
As a child, Levin became fascinated with the magicians that visited Times Square. This early exposure to magic influenced Levin’s desire to duplicate the illusion of magic by writing mystery and suspense stories.
Levin attended high school at the Horace Mann School in New York. After graduating from high school, Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Levin remained at Drake for two years before transferring to New York University, majoring in English and philosophy.
During his senior year at New York University, Levin won second place in a screen-writing contest sponsored by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) network. Later, the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) offered Levin four hundred dollars for the script and turned it into an episode for their Lights Out television series.
This early success solidified Levin’s desire to become a professional writer. This ambition, however, was not well received by his father. Instead, Levin’s father preferred that Levin return home in order to run the family toy business. Levin struck a deal with his father. His father agreed to support him for two years while he tried to make a living as a writer. However, if Levin did not succeed in two years, he agreed to return home and take over the family business.
As it turned out, Levin never needed to work in the family business. Within two years, he was earning a living writing television scripts, including No Time for Sergeants—a program that launched Andy Griffith’s career.
In 1953, Levin’s first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, was published. This work was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award form Mystery Writers of America. Later that same year, Levin was drafted into the United States Army. While in the army, he wrote and produced training films for the troops. Also at this time, Levin continued to submit television scripts while maintaining his service to the army.
Four years later, No Time For Sergeants was adapted into a Broadway play. The producers arranged for Levin to be released early from his service in order to write the script. No Time for Sergeants became one of the most successful Broadway plays, running for nearly eight hundred performances. However, No Time for Sergeants proved to be Levin’s only successful endeavor as a playwright. After the failure of several more Broadway attempts, Levin turned his focus to writing novels.
This career change proved prosperous for Levin. In 1967, he released his horror novel Rosemary’s Baby. Rosemary’s Baby sold more than five million copies in the United States and became a classic in the horror genre. Levin continued to publish several more successful novels, including The Stepford Wives, Deathtrap, and The Boys from Brazil. Many of Levin’s novels were adapted into television movies or plays.
Levin spent his retirement years living in New York and enjoying the rewards of his successful writing career.