Ernest Lehman

Ernest Lehman (born the December 8th 1915 with New York - died the July 2nd 2005 with Los Angeles) is a famous scenario writer. Nominated 6 times at the Oscars, it is in 2001 the first scenario writer to receive a Oscar of honor for its work.

Ernest Lehman was born in a rich family from Long Island whose fortune was seriously affected by the Grande Depression. At the exit of City College of New York, he becomes copywriter in a theater of Broadway. He writes then many news and short stories in magazines like Colliers, Redbook and Cosmopolitan, which is worth very quickly the attention of Hollywood to him. Thus in 1950 it signs with Paramount a contract of writing. Its first film, the tower of the ambitious , is a success and one asks him to work on the romantic comedy Sabrina which will be it as well received by criticisms.

It belongs to the rare people who believe in Which is afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1967), persuading Jack Warner to finance this film, which will receive the honors of criticisms, while being nominated several times at the Oscars. Its following film, Hello Dolly! is a failure.

In 1972, Lehman carries out its first (and the last) film, Portnoy and its complex . One can consider that it stopped writing for films in 1979, put besides some projects for the small screen.

It died out continuations of an heart attack on July 2nd, 2005.

Catalog of films as a scenario writer (incomplete)

• the Tower of the ambitious (1954)
• Sabrina (1954)
• Marked by the hatred (1956)
• the King and me (1956)
• the Great Blackmail (1957)
• Death with the cases (1959)
• the Melody of happiness (1965)
• Which is afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)