Morrie Ryskind
Morrie Ryskind (1895-1985) was a prominent American playwright, screenwriter, and lyricist known for his significant contributions to theater and film, particularly during the early to mid-20th century. Born in New York City, Ryskind began his writing career while still in high school and later attended Columbia University, where he formed connections with notable figures like Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. His work on Broadway included collaborations with George S. Kaufman, leading to successful productions such as *The Cocoanuts* and *Animal Crackers*, both of which were adapted into popular films starring the Marx Brothers.
Ryskind was recognized for his sharp wit and satirical commentary, which he infused into his works, including the antiwar musical *Strike Up the Band* and the politically charged play *Of Thee I Sing*. His screenplay for *A Night at the Opera* is particularly acclaimed, becoming one of the Marx Brothers' most successful films. Later in life, Ryskind shifted towards right-wing politics and supported anti-Communist efforts, writing a column for the *Los Angeles Times*. His legacy in the entertainment industry is marked by his collaborations with various icons and his ability to blend humor with social critique.
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Subject Terms
Morrie Ryskind
Writer
- Born: October 20, 1895
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: August 24, 1985
- Place of death: Washington, D.C.
Biography
Morrie Ryskind was born in 1895 in New York City, the son of Abraham and Ida Eddleston Ryskind. He began writing for publication when he was a high school student and submitted pieces to Franklin P. Adams’s column, “The Conning Tower.” These contributions were sufficiently impressive that Adams once used them to fill all of the space allotted to him on a given day.
At Columbia University, Ryskind became friends with Lorenz Hart, Herman Mankiewicz, and Richard Rodgers. He also was an unofficial aide to George S. Kaufman, then drama editor of The New York Times. Ryskind wrote occasional routines for Broadway revues and other stages shows, and his poems were published in a number of reputable magazines.
In 1925, Kaufman hired Ryskind as his official assistant to work with him on The Cocoanuts, Kaufman’s satirical musical play for the Marx Brothers about the Florida real estate boom. Chico Marx persuaded Paramount Studios to film The Cocoanuts, and Paramount asked Ryskind to turn the popular musical into a screenplay, which he essentially did by adding camera directions to the musical’s script, which ran to 140 minutes. He then reduced the script to ninety-six minutes, which resulted in a less than perfect product. Nevertheless, The Cocoanuts grossed more than two million dollars in its first year.
Kaufman collaborated with Ryskind on a stage play, Animal Crackers, that opened in New York in 1928. Kaufman and the Marx Brothers had Ryskind write the screenplay for the film version that Paramount-Publix released in 1930. Ryskind did a great deal of cutting before filming began, thereby saving Paramount considerable time and money. Animal Crackers was even more successful as a film than The Cocoanuts and continues to be a favorite Marx Brothers feature.
Ryskind was very opinionated, and his antiwar sentiments were strong. He urged Kaufman to collaborate with him on an antiwar musical, Strike up the Band, which premiered on Broadway in 1930 and ran for 191 performances. Their next stage play was Of Thee I Sing, for which George and Ira Gershwin wrote the music and lyrics. The play’s biting satire was aimed at issues so current that the script frequently had to be rewritten to maintain its timeliness. Ryskind and Kaufman also wrote the screenplay for A Night at the Opera, which became one of the Marx Brothers’ most successful films, grossing three million dollars in the first weeks after its release. Groucho Marx called this his favorite Marx Brothers’ film.
Besides his close association with the Marx Brothers, Ryskind was affiliated with such icons of the film industry as actors Katharine Hepburn, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, William Powell, Carole Lombard, and Dorothy McGuire. He worked closely with Gregory La Cava, a noted cartoonist who became a film director, on some of his most important comedies, notably My Man Godfrey, Stage Door, Room Service, and Having Wonderful Time.
After World War II, Ryskind supported the anti-Communist activities of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and other politicians. By the time Ryskind completed the screenplay for Heartbeat, which was released in 1946, he was affiliated with right-wing political organizations and wrote a regular column for the Los Angeles Times that the Washington Star syndicate later distributed. He died in 1985 at the age of eighty-nine.