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Jerome Weidman

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Jerome Weidman
Born(1913-04-04)April 4, 1913
New York City,United States
DiedOctober 6, 1998(1998-10-06)(aged 85)
New York City, United States
EducationCity College of New York
New York University
Notable awardsPulitzer Prize for Drama(1960)
SpousePeggy Wright (1942–1998)
Children2

Jerome Weidman(April 4, 1913,New York City– October 6, 1998, New York City) was an American playwright and novelist. He collaborated withGeorge Abbotton thebookfor the musicalFiorello!with music byJerry Bock,and lyrics bySheldon Harnick.All received the 1960Pulitzer Prize for Dramafor the work.

Biography[edit]

Weidman was born in Manhattan, New York City, and moved with his family toThe Bronxafter finishing high school at DeWitt Clinton. His parents wereJewishimmigrants and his father Joseph worked in the garment trade. He also worked in the garment industry, which later provided him with book material, and attended City College of New York and New York University Law School, all the while writing stories and finally novels.[1]

In his work he wrote about the "rough underside of business and politics -- and daily life -- in New York."[1]The Independentobituary states: "There was precious little hope of salvation - indeed, precious little hope - in his early novels and often dazzling and highly crafted short stories, many of which inevitably found their way into Harold Ross's New Yorker during its Golden Age of the late Thirties and early Forties."[2]

In the 1950s he used his ability for "speakable dialogue" in writing for the movies, which led to working with George Abbott on the musicalFiorello!in 1959.[2]

He wrote the book for the musicalI Can Get It for You Wholesalewhich was based on his first novel, and wasBarbra Streisand's Broadway debut. The book was the source for a 1951 movie starringSusan Hayward,but used mainly the title.[1]

He married Peggy Wright in 1942 and had two sons,Johnand Jeffrey.[1]

Archive[edit]

The papers of Jerome Weidman are held at theHarry Ransom Centerat the University of Texas at Austin. There are over 100 boxes of Weidman's personal papers, including manuscript drafts of books, plays, musicals, essays, and extensive correspondences.

Bibliography[edit]

Novels[edit]

  • I Can Get It for You Wholesale(1937)
  • What's in It for Me?(1938)
  • I'll Never Go There Any More(1941)
  • The Lights Around the Shore
  • Too Early to Tell(1946)
  • The Price Is Right(1949)
  • Give Me Your Love(1952)
  • The Hand of the Hunter(1953)
  • The Third Angel(1953)
  • Your Daughter Iris(1955)
  • The Enemy Camp(1958)
  • Before You Go(1960)
  • The Sound of Bow Bells(1962)
  • Word Of Mouth(1964)
  • Other People's Money(1967)
  • The Centre of the Action(1969)
  • Fourth Street East(1970)
  • Last Respects(1971)
  • Tiffany Street(1974)
  • A Family Fortune(1978)
  • Counselors-at-law(1980)

Short stories[edit]

  • "The Horse That Could Whistle 'Dixie'"
  • "The Captain's Tiger"
  • "A Dime a Throw"
  • "My Father Sits in the Dark"
  • "Good Man, Bad Man"
  • "Slipping Beauty"
  • "Shoe-shine"
  • "The Night I Met Einstein"
  • "Monsoon"
  • "The Tuxedos"

Theatre[edit]

Film and television[edit]

Essays[edit]

  • Letter of Credit
  • Traveler's Cheque
  • Back Talk

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdGussow, Mel.Jerome Weidman Dies at 85; Author of Novels and Plays, "The New York Times,October 7, 1998
  2. ^abAdrian, Jack.Obituary: Jerome WeidmanThe Independent,13 October 1998

Further reading[edit]

  • Joel Shatzky, Michael Taub,"Jerome Weidman (1913- )",Contemporary Jewish-American novelists: a bio-critical sourcebook,Greenwood Press (July 30, 1997), pp 457–460
  • "Weidman, Jerome."Encyclopædia Britannica.2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerome_Weidman&oldid=1217293300"