Garson Kanin
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| Garson Kanin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 November 1912 Rochester, New York |
| Died | 13 March 1999 New York, New York |
Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films. Born in Rochester, New York, he is most notable for:
- In collaboration with his wife, actress Ruth Gordon (whom he married in 1942), writing the classic Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn film comedies, the 1949 Adam's Rib and the 1952 Pat and Mike, both directed by George Cukor.
- Writin and staged the 1946 play Born Yesterday, which ran for 1642 performances; and with George Cukor helped work out the screenplay of the 1950 film adaptation (see Garson Kanin's "Hollywood" page 326).
- Directing the 1955 play The Diary of Anne Frank, which ran for 717 performances.
- Directing the 1964 musical Funny Girl, which ran for 1348 performances.
He was a colleague of Thornton Wilder, who mentored him, and an admirer of the work of Frank Capra. Kanin said "I'd rather be Capra than God, if there is a Capra."
In 1990, the widower Kanin married the actress Marian Seldes, who survives him. Kanin died at age 86 in New York City of undisclosed causes.
[edit] Trivia
He and Katharine Hepburn were the only witnesses to Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh's wedding in California.
[edit] External link
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