Ira Levin
Birth Name:
Ira Marvin Levin
Birth Place:
Manhattan, New York, United States
Profession
Writer, Soundtrack, Actor, Music department
Fast Facts
- Earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writers Association in 1996 and was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America in 2003
- Served in the U․S․ Army from 1953 to 1955 as a member of the Signal Corps
- Won two Edgar Allan Poe Awards, one for Best First Novel for "A Kiss Before Dying" in 1954 and one for Best Play for "Deathtrap" in 1980
- Attended Drake University and graduated from New York University with a degree Philosophy and English in 1950
- A screenplay he wrote for a contest at CBS during college later became his first successfully sold work when NBC aired it as "Leda's Portrait" on their "Lights Out" series in 1951
- Published his first novel, "A Kiss Before Dying," in 1953, and it has since been adapted for the screen twice
- Quote: "I feel guilty that 'Rosemary's Baby' led to 'The Exorcist,' 'The Omen․'․․․that the [the generation's belief in Satan] would not be as strong if there hadn't been so many of these books․ Of course, I didn't send back any of the royalty checks․"
- Although he wrote only seven novels in his 40-year career, nearly all of them were made into films and together sold tens of millions of copies
- Best known as a novelist and playwright who wrote the bestselling novels "Rosemary's Baby," "The Stepford Wives," and "The Boys From Brazil․"
- Frequently combined genres like science fiction, Gothic horror, and mystery in his novels and many critics praised him as a master of pace and suspense
- Some of his other novels include "A Kiss Before Dying," "This Perfect Day," and "Sliver․"
Awards
- 1969Hugo - Best Dramatic Presentation:Nominated