I. A. L. Diamond

I. A. L. Diamond
Born Ițec Domnici
June 27, 1920
Ungheni, Basarabia (now Moldova)
Died April 21, 1988(1988-04-21) (aged 67)
Beverly Hills, California, US
Occupation Writer, screenwriter
Years active 1941–88
Spouse(s) Barbara Ann Bentley (1945–88; his death; 2 children)
Awards Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
1960 The Apartment
NYFCC Award for Best Screenplay
1960 The Apartment
WGA Award – Best Written American Comedy
1960 The Apartment
1959 Some Like It Hot
1957 Love in the Afternoon

I. A. L. Diamond (June 27, 1920 – April 21, 1988) was a comedy and drama writer in Hollywood from the 1940s through the 1980s. He wrote eleven screenplays with Billy Wilder for the latter's films.[1]

Early life

Diamond was born Ițec (Itzek) Domnici in Ungheni, Iași County, Bessarabia, Romania,[1] present day Moldova, was referred to as "Iz" in Hollywood, and was known to quip that his initials stood for "Interscholastic Algebra League", a prize he had won while attending Boys' High School in Brooklyn.

Diamond emigrated with his mother and sister, following his father to the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn in the United States at the age of 9. There he studied at the Boy's High School,[1] showing ability in mathematics, competing in the state Mathematics Olympiads in 1936–37, winning several medals.[1]

Diamond completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia in 1941. There he studied journalism, publishing in the Columbia Daily Spectator under the pseudonym "I. A. L. Diamond". He was editor of the humor magazine Jester of Columbia, a member of the Philolexian Society, and became the only person to single-handedly write four consecutive productions of the annual revue, the Varsity Show as well as a spare should they need one. As a result, upon graduation he abandoned his plans to pursue his master's in engineering at Columbia and accepted a short-term contract in Hollywood.

Career and later life

A succession of limited-term contracts ensued, notably at Paramount Pictures where he worked on projects without ultimately receiving a writing credit. He then moved to Universal, where in 1944 he worked on his first credited feature script, Murder in the Blue Room. It was a year later, at Warner Brothers, that he achieved his first real success and consequent recognition with Never Say Goodbye in 1946. He worked at 20th Century Fox from 1951–55, eventually deciding to become independent.

In 1957 he began a collaborative relationship with Billy Wilder on the movie Love in the Afternoon. From there, the pair had a string of hits with Some Like It Hot; The Apartment (which won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay);[1] One, Two, Three; Irma la Douce; the Oscar-nominated The Fortune Cookie; the sex comedy Kiss Me, Stupid; and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Diamond also had a hit with his 1969 solo adaptation of the play Cactus Flower into the movie of the same name.[1]

In total, Diamond and Wilder wrote twelve movies together over 25 years. Some of these films feature characters engaged in never-ending but friendly squabbling, such as Joe and Jerry in Some Like it Hot and Holmes and Watson in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Diamond's widow claims that these characters were based on her husband's relationship with Wilder.

In 1980, Diamond and Wilder were given the Writers Guild of America's Laurel Award for career achievement in screenwriting. Wilder had previously received the Laurel Award in 1957 for his screenwriting partnership with Charles Brackett.

Diamond died in Beverly Hills, California in 1988.[1]

Filmography

as Writer

as Associate Producer

Award and Nominations

Academy Awards

Shared with Billy Wilder

Year Category Film Result
1959 Best Adapted Screenplay Some Like It Hot Nominated
1960 Best Original Screenplay The Apartment Won
1966 Best Original Screenplay The Fortune Cookie Nominated

Golden Globe Awards

Shared with Billy Wilder

Year Category Film Result
1972 Best Screenplay Avanti! Nominated

WGA Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bennetts, Leslie (April 22, 1988). "I. A. L. Diamond Is Dead at 67; Won Oscar for 'The Apartment'". The New York Times.

External links

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