Bernard M. Kahn (April 26, 1930 – April 21, 2021) was an American

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Education

He received bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. At the

1953 Maccabiah Games Eight hundred ninety athletes representing 23 countries competed in the 1953 4th Maccabiah Games, held September 20 to 29, in 18 branches of sports. Israeli President Itzhak Ben-Zvi opened the Games at Ramat Gan Stadium in Tel Aviv District, in f ...

in Israel, in swimming he won a gold medal in the 100 m backstroke.

Screenwriting career

He wrote for the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

s '' The Second Hundred Years'', ''

My Favorite Martian ''My Favorite Martian'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totaling ...

'', and ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

,'' among others. Kahn also co-wrote the 1971

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

The Barefoot Executive ''The Barefoot Executive'' (also known as ''The Rating Game'') is a 1971 American comedy film starring Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, Wally Cox, Heather North, Harry Morgan, and John Ritter (in his film debut), about a pet chimpanzee, named Raffles, ...

'' with Joseph McEveety,

Lila Garrett Lila Garrett (November 21, 1925 – February 1, 2020) was an American television screenwriter and radio host who wrote for the sitcoms '' The Second Hundred Years'' (co-wrote episodes 10 and 13 with Bernie Kahn), ''My Favorite Martian'', ''All in ...

and Stu Billett, and wrote the screenplay for the 1985 comedy film ''

Basic Training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

.'' In 1972, his play ''Our Very Own Hole in the Ground'' was produced at

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

in the

East Village, Manhattan The East Village is a neighborhood on the East Side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is roughly defined as the area east of the Bowery and Third Avenue, between 14th Street on the north and Houston Street on the south. The East Villag ...

, directed by Henry Hewes.La MaMa Archives Digital Collections
"Production: ''Our Very Own Hole in the Ground'' (1972)". Accessed May 9, 2018.
/ref> Kahn received the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy multiple times during the 1970s.

Selected works

*''

The Smothers Brothers Show ''The Smothers Brothers Show'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom featuring the Smothers Brothers that aired on CBS on Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. ET from September 17, 1965, to April 22, 1966, co-sponsored by Alberto-Culver' ...

'' *''

Occasional Wife ''Occasional Wife'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom which aired on NBC beginning September 13, 1966 and running until May 9, 1967 (repeats were aired through August 29). It was originally on NBC's Tuesday night schedule, airing from 8:30� ...

'' (1966 television series) * ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (TV series) * ''The Practice'' (1976 television series) *''

The Paul Lynde Show ''The Paul Lynde Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC. The series starred comedian Paul Lynde and aired for one season, with original episodes airing from September 13, 1972, to March 14, 1973. Setting The series starred Lyn ...

'' * ''Brothers and Sisters'' (1979 TV series) * List of ''Bewitched'' episodes * List of ''The Brady Bunch'' episodes * List of ''Chico and the Man'' episodes * List of ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' episodes * List of ''Maude'' episodes * List of ''The Partridge Family'' episodes * List of ''Superboy'' episodes * List of ''Three's Company'' episodes

References

External links

*
Bernie Kahn on Rotten TomatoesBernie Kahn on TV.comKahn's page on La MaMa Archives Digital Collections
1930 births 2021 deaths Writers from Brooklyn American screenwriters University of Michigan alumni Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the United States Competitors at the 1953 Maccabiah Games Maccabiah Games medalists in swimming {{US-screen-writer-stub