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About the author: Ira Levin
by Christine Butler
Ira
Levin was born in 1929 in New York and began his
literary career while still a student at New York University by turning out
television scripts. At age 22, he had his first novel published: a suspense
story entitled “A Kiss Before Dying,” which won an Edgar award -- named for
author Edgar Allan Poe -- the mystery writer’s equivalent of an Oscar or
Tony. A worldwide success, it was translated into 15 languages and made
into a major Hollywood motion picture.
As a
draftee in the Army in 1953, Levin continued turning out television scripts,
many of which were produced on the U.S. Steel Hour. One of these was
an adaptation of a humorous book about the peace-time Air Force by Mac Hyman
called No Time for Sergeants. When the rights to the book were
acquired for a Broadway stage production, it was inevitably Levin who was
given the assignment of doing the dramatization. A huge hit – it opened in
October 1955, ran up an impressive total of 796 performances, and made a
star of the young Andy Griffith -- No Time for Sergeants established
Levin as a playwright of note. But its success did not guarantee an equal
reception for his next effort, a hapless 1957 Broadway entry called
Interlock, which closed after four performances.
In
December 1960, Levin hit pay dirt on Broadway with a comedy called
Critic’s Choice. Henry Fonda headed up the cast of the show, which ran
through May of the following year for a total of 189 performances. A film
version released in the spring of 1963 starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball
was not favorably received, with critics complaining that a delightful play
had been converted into slapstick farce to suit the talents of its two
co-stars.
Among Levin’s other writings, both for the stage and the literary world,
are the following:
Drat! The Cat!
(1965) -- Levin
contributed the book and lyrics to music by Milton Schafer for this musical,
which ran for only eight performances. One song from the show, “She Touched
Me,” was recorded by Barbra Streisand and has become a popular standard.
Rosemary’s
Baby (1967) --
Levin enjoyed enormous success in two arenas with this popular novel about
modern-day practicing witches in New York City. The book was a runaway
best-seller and turned out to be even more successful when transferred to
the silver screen. The 1968 film featured Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes and
Ruth Gordon, who won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as
the friendly – but fiendly – witch next door.
The
Stepford Wives
(1972) -- Set in contemporary New York and Connecticut, this Levin novel
combined the elements of horror and science fiction to relate the story of a
group of suburban husbands who secretly replace their wives with robotic
copies to achieve “the perfect spouse.” The film version starring Katherine
Ross and Paula Prentiss debuted in 1975 and acquired a cult following – as
well as a place in the lexicon for its title. A 2004 feature film remake
starred Nicole Kidman and Bette Midler.
Veronica’s
Room (1973) –
This Broadway effort exploring the subject of soul possession and
reincarnation had a short run of 76 performances and featured Eileen Heckart
and Arthur Kennedy.
The
Boys From Brazil
(1976) – This Levin novel explored the notion of a plan to re-establish
Nazism through the science of eugenics. The story proposed that if incubated
babies were placed in homes around the world with the same environment as
that of the young Adolf Hitler, a future Fuhrer might emerge. A motion
picture version of the novel starring Gregory Peck, Sir Laurence Olivier,
and James Mason was released in 1978.
Deathtrap
(1978) -- Levin was awarded his second Edgar award by the Mystery Writers of
America for this play, which ran on Broadway for over four years – making it
the longest running Broadway mystery to date.
Cantorial
(1988) – This off-beat play about a young couple who rent an apartment which
is haunted by the ghost of a singing cantor was first produced Off Broadway
and then transferred to a small Broadway house. |
