Harry Kurnitz (January 5, 1908 – March 18, 1968) was an American playwright, novelist, and prolific screenwriter who wrote

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...

s for

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

and comedies for Danny Kaye. He also wrote some mystery fiction under the name Marco Page.

Early years

Kurnitz grew up in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

and attended the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

. He entered journalism as a book and music reviewer for ''

The Philadelphia Record ''The Philadelphia Record'' was a daily newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1877 until 1947. It became among the most circulated papers in the city and was at some points the circulation leader. History ''The Public Record'' ...

'' in 1930. In his spare time he wrote mystery fiction as Marco Page.

Writing career

A mystery story Kurnitz wrote in 1937, ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...

'', about skulduggery in the rare-book business, led him to Hollywood.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

bought the book, and Kurnitz wrote the screenplay. Kurnitz wrote more than forty movie scripts, among them ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

''; '' What Next, Corporal Hargrove?''; and ''

How to Steal a Million ''How to Steal a Million'' is a 1966 American heist comedy film directed by William Wyler and starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Eli Wallach, Hugh Griffith, and Charles Boyer. The film is set and was filmed in Paris, though the character ...

''. His first play was ''Reclining Figure'', a 1954 comedy about painters and their patrons and the tricks of the dealers and collectors who prey on them. Later, Kurnitz wrote the hit comedy '' Once More, with Feeling!''. Other plays included ''High Fidelity'' and '' The Girl Who Came to Supper'', a musical he wrote with Noël Coward, who composed the music and lyrics.

Death

On March 18, 1968, Kurnitz died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. At the time of his death he was working on a detective story.

Partial filmography

* ''

'' (1938) * '' Fast and Loose'' (1939) * ''

Fast and Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a ...

'' (1939) * '' I Love You Again'' (1940) * ''

Shadow of the Thin Man ''Shadow of the Thin Man'' is the fourth of six ''The Thin Man'' murder mystery comedy films. It was released by MGM in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this fil ...

'' (1941) * ''

Ship Ahoy ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical-comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...

'' (1942) * '' Pacific Rendezvous'' (1942) * ''

They Got Me Covered ''They Got Me Covered'', also known as ''Washington Story'' and ''The Washington Angle'', is a 1943 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Otto Preminger appears in a supporting role. Plot In mid 1941, a ...

'' (1943) * '' See Here, Private Hargrove'' (1944) * '' The Heavenly Body'' (1944) * ''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1945 comedy- mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles and his ...

'' (1945) * '' What Next, Corporal Hargrove?'' (1945) * ''

The Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web s ...

'' (1947) * ''

Something in the Wind ''Something in the Wind'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Deanna Durbin, Donald O'Connor, and John Dall. Durbin's third husband Charles David said she "hated" making her last three films and that she ...

'' (1947) * '' One Touch of Venus'' (1948) * ''

Adventures of Don Juan ''Adventures of Don Juan'' is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in ...

'' (1948) * '' A Kiss in the Dark'' (1949) * ''

My Dream Is Yours ''My Dream Is Yours'' is a 1949 Technicolor musical romantic comedy film starring Jack Carson, Doris Day, and Lee Bowman. Plot The film opens in Los Angeles, where Doug Blake is dumped as a manager by Gary Mitchell. He goes to New York City to ...

'' (1949) * '' The Inspector General'' (1949) * ''

Pretty Baby Pretty Baby may refer to: * ''Pretty Baby'' (1950 film), a comedy film featuring Dennis Morgan and Betsy Drake * ''Pretty Baby'' (1978 film), a drama film featuring Brooke Shields ** ''Pretty Baby'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film ...

'' (1950) * ''

Tonight We Sing ''Tonight We Sing'' is a 1953 American musical biopic film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring David Wayne, Ezio Pinza and Roberta Peters. It is based on the life and career of the celebrated impresario Sol Hurok. The film is based on the 19 ...

'' (1953) * '' Melba'' (1953) * ''

The Man Between ''The Man Between'' (also known as ''Berlin Story'') is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason, Claire Bloom and Hildegard Knef. The screenplay concerns a British woman on a visit to post-war Berlin, who is ...

'' (1953) * ''

The Love Lottery ''The Love Lottery'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring David Niven, Peggy Cummins, Anne Vernon and Herbert Lom. Produced by Ealing Studios it was one of several Ealing Comedies that veered away from the stan ...

'' (1954) * ''

Land of the Pharaohs ''Land of the Pharaohs'' is a 1955 American epic historical drama film in Cinemascope and WarnerColor from Warner Bros., produced and directed by Howard Hawks, that stars Jack Hawkins as Pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops, and Joan Collins as ...

'' (1955) * ''

The Happy Road ''The Happy Road'' is a 1957 French-American comedy film starring Gene Kelly, Barbara Laage, Michael Redgrave and Bobby Clark. Its plot involves two students (a boy and girl) who escape from their Swiss private school and make for Paris. Their ...

'' (1957) * '' Silk Stockings'' (1957) * ''

'' (1957) * '' Once More, with Feeling!'' (1960) * '' Surprise Package'' (1960) * ''

Hatari! ''Hatari!'' (, Swahili for "Danger!") is a 1962 American adventure romantic comedy film starring John Wayne as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in Africa.McCarthy, Todd. ''Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood'', New York, G ...

'' (1962) * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) (stage play) * '' Goodbye Charlie'' (1964) * ''

'' (1966)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kurnitz, Harry 1908 births 1968 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters American male dramatists and playwrights American male novelists American male screenwriters Jewish American dramatists and playwrights Jewish American novelists Novelists from New York (state) Novelists from Pennsylvania Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania alumni Writers from New York City Writers from Philadelphia 20th-century American Jews