Jerome Chodorov (August 10, 1911 – September 12, 2004) was an American

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

, and

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. ...

. He co-wrote the book with Joseph A. Fields for the original Broadway musical ''

Wonderful Town ''Wonderful Town'' is a 1953 musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be a writer and act ...

'' starring

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...

. The musical was based on short stories by

Ruth McKenney Ruth Marguerite McKenney (November 18, 1911 – July 25, 1972) was an American author and journalist, best remembered for '' My Sister Eileen'', a memoir of her experiences growing up in Ohio and moving to Greenwich Village with her sister Eilee ...

Biography

Chodorov was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and entered journalism in the 1930s. He is best known for his 1940 play ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (an ...

'', its 1942

screen adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

, and the

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

'', which was based on his play.Jones, Kennet
"Jerome Chodorov, Librettist and Playwright Who Turned 'My Sister Eileen' Into 'Wonderful Town', Dead at 93"
playbill.com, September 13, 2004
tamswitmark.com, accessed May 26, 2012

Joseph A. Fields Joseph Albert Fields (February 21, 1895 – March 4, 1966)According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, Californiaancestry.com/ ...

was his frequent collaborator. The writing team also adapted Sally Benson's short stories as the play and film '' Junior Miss''. Chodorov was

Hollywood blacklist The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of denying empl ...

ed during the McCarthy era.McKinley, Jess
Jerome Chodorov, Broadway and Film Writer, Dies at 93"
''The New York Times'', September 14, 2004 His brother,

Edward Chodorov Edward Chodorov (April 17, 1904 – October 9, 1988), was a Broadway playwright, and the writer or producer of over 50 motion pictures. Filmography * ''Kind Lady (1951 film), Kind Lady'' (1951, writer) * ''Road House (1948 film), Road House'' ...

(1904–1988), was also a playwright, author of the perennial favorite of amateur groups, '' Kind Lady''.

Works

Sources: ''Playbill''; ''Doollee

Plays

*''Schoolhouse on the Lot'' (1938) *''My Sister Eileen'' (1940) *''Junior Miss'' (1941) *''Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1943) *''The French Touch'' (1945) *'' Anniversary Waltz'' (1954) *''The Ponder Heart'' (1956) *''Three Bags Full'' (1966) *''A Talent for Murder'' (with

Norman Panama Norman Kaye Panama (April 21, 1914 – January 13, 2003) was an American screenwriter, film producer and film director born in Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his partnership with Melvin Frank and their work on films such as '' Mr. Bla ...

) (

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

, 1982, Best Play)

Musicals

*''Wonderful Town'' (Tony Award for Best Musical, 1953) *''

I Had a Ball ''I Had a Ball'' is a musical with a book by Jerome Chodorov and music and lyrics by Jack Lawrence and Stan Freeman. It starred Buddy Hackett, and featured Richard Kiley and Karen Morrow. Plot overview Set on the Coney Island Boardwalk, it foc ...

'' *''

The Girl in Pink Tights ''The Girl in Pink Tights'' is a musical comedy with music by Sigmund Romberg; lyrics by Leo Robin; and a musical book by Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields. The musical opened on Broadway on March 5, 1954 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre where it ...

Work as theatre director

*'' Alive and Kicking'' (revue, 1950) - additional material *''The Gazebo'' (1958) - director
''Make A Million''
(1958) - director *''Christine'' (1960) - director *''Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole'' (1961), director

Film

*''

The Case of the Lucky Legs ''The Case of the Lucky Legs'' is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer. Plot Margie Clune wins the "Lucky Legs" beauty contest concocted by Frank Patton, but has trouble ...

'' (a 1935 Perry Mason film) *''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or ap ...

'' (1941) *''

'' (1942) *'' Junior Miss'' (1945) *'' Those Endearing Young Charms'' (1945; based on his play) *'' Happy Anniversary'' (1959), based on ''Anniversary Waltz''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chodorov, Jerome 1911 births 2004 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American male dramatists and playwrights Jewish American songwriters Edgar Award winners Hollywood blacklist Writers from New York City American musical theatre librettists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American male writers Tony Award winners 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews