Zuckerman, George, 1916-1996

George Zuckerman, nationally known screenwriter, playwright, and author, was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 16, 1916. He started writing short stories as a teenager and first gained national exposure by publishing novelettes in several magazines during the mid-1940s. Zuckerman started writing screenplays in 1947 and earned screenwriting credits in seventeen movies, including La Forteresse (1947), The Square Jungle (1955), and The Tarnished Angels (1958). In addition to his screenplays, he wrote the dialogue for the 1964 musical Golden Boy, starring Sammy Davis Jr., which had a successful run on Broadway. Zuckerman also wrote and published three novels: The Last Flapper (1969), Farewell Frank Merriwell (1973), and The Potato Peelers (1974).

From the description of George Zuckerman papers, 1930-1974. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 57664339

George Zuckerman, nationally known screenwriter, playwright, and author, was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 10, 1916. He started writing short stories when he was a teenager. Zuckerman attended and graduated from the University of South Carolina. While he was a student there, he published short stories in the school’s literary magazine The Carolinian, including The House of Six-Fifty O’Clock (March 1938) and Death Ends At Eighteen (November 1939). Zuckerman turned to writing novelettes during the mid-1940s and gained national exposure with works such as Crosstown (1945), The Victims (1946), and The Case of Lela Cade (1949). His novelettes were published in several magazines including Cosmopolitan, Collier’s, and Esquire.

Zuckerman began writing motion picture screenplays in 1947, starting with La Forteresse . Often drawing upon his earlier literary efforts for material, he enjoyed great success as a screenwriter for over a decade. He earned screenwriting credits in seventeen movies, including Trapped (1949), Under the Gun (1951), The Square Jungle (1955), and The Tarnished Angels (1958). A number of prominent actors and actresses appeared in Zuckerman’s screenwriting efforts, including Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, and Lauren Bacall.

Zuckerman turned to other creative endeavors in the 1960s. He wrote the dialogue for the 1964 musical Golden Boy, starring Sammy Davis Jr., which had a successful run on Broadway. He also started writing novels during this decade, often using material from his theatrical works. His first novel, The Last Flapper (1969), was loosely based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, the widow of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. He wrote and published two more novels in the 1970s: Farewell Frank Merriwell (1973) and The Potato Peelers (1974).

George Zuckerman was married to Blanche Zuckerman. The couple had two children: Gregg and Laurie. George Zuckerman passed away on September 30, 1996.

From the guide to the George Zuckerman Papers, ca. 1930-1974, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)