Kanin, Michael, 1910-1993

Michael and Fay Kanin were one of the most prominent husband-wife collaborative teams in the performing arts responsible for writing, directing and producing hundreds of motion pictures, plays and works of fiction. Michael Kanin was born in Rochester, NY, studied at the Arts Students League in New York City and at the New York School of Design. He was an artist and musician before turning to writing, producing, and directing for the stage and screen. Michael, along with Ring Lardner, Jr., received the 1942 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award for their original screenplay, "Woman of the Year", which starred Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

Fay Kanin was a native of New York and attended Elmira College in Elmira, NY prior to moving to California where she graduated from the University of Southern California (1937). She married Michael Kanin in 1940 and immediately started writing collaboratively. She was a prolific playwright and screenwriter who along with her husband received the 1958 Academy Award for the best written comedy for their work "Teacher's Pet". Fay Kanin served as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1979-1983).