Samuel Hoffenstein

Birth Name:

Samuel Goodman Hoffenstein

Birth Place:

Kera, Russia

Profession

Writer

A book of his poetry published after his death won critical acclaim
Was a graduate of Lafayette College in Pennsylvania
Immigrated to the United States and after graduating from college, he worked as a local reporter and eventually a drama critic for the New York Evening Sun
Wrote and collaborated on over thirty screenplays, some of which rose to classic film status, including "The Wizard of Oz," which he contributed to though his name did not appear in the credits
Wrote several scripts for director Julien Duvivier's films
His revisions to the screenplay of "Laura" moved it up from a B-movie to an A-movie
Had articles and short stories published in "New York World," "The New York Tribune," "Vanity Fair" and other venues

Fast Facts