Playwright, The Cocoanuts

Plays: Animal Crackers; The Butter and Egg Man; (with Marc Connelly) Merton of the Movies, Beggar on Horseback; (with Moss Hart) Merrily We Roll Along, I’d Rather be Right, The Fabulous Invalid, The American Way, Once in a Lifetime, You Can’t Take It with You, The Man Who Came to Dinner, George Washington Slept Here; (with Edna Ferber) The Royal Family, Dinner at Eight, Stage Door. Musicals: (with George and Ira Gershwin) Strike Up the Band; (with Morrie Ryskind, George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin) Of Thee I Sing, Let ’Em Eat Cake. 

Other credits: Co-wrote the script for the Marx Brothers’ film A Night at the Opera; adapted Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore into film Hollywood Pinafore; collaborated with Ring Lardner to produce June Moon. Director: The Front Page, Of Mice and Men, Guys and Dolls, and all of his own plays, including The Man Who Came to Dinner and You Can’t Take It with You. 

Awards: Pulitzer Prizes: Of Thee I Sing and You Can’t Take It with You; Tony Award for Best Director, Guys and Dolls.