Arthur Laurents American playwright, theater director and screenwriter Date of Birth: 14.07.1917 Country: USA

1. Biography of Arthur Laurents
2. Early Career
3. Personal Life
4. Hollywood and Broadway Success
5. Hollywood Career and Blacklist
6. Later Life and Legacy

Biography of Arthur Laurents

Arthur Laurents was an American playwright, theater director, and screenwriter. He was born on July 14, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of two children. His father was a lawyer, and his mother was a school teacher who gave up her career after marriage. Laurents attended Erasmus Hall High School and later studied at Cornell University.

Early Career

After college, Laurents began writing scripts for radio dramas. He then worked on educational films for the U.S. Army during World War II. Upon his return, he started writing for Broadway. Laurents is best known for his screenplays for "West Side Story" (1957), "Gypsy" (1959), "Hallelujah, Baby!" (1967), and "La Cage Aux Folles" (1983).

Personal Life

Arthur Laurents was born into a mixed religious background. His paternal grandparents were Orthodox Jews, while his maternal side of the family were atheists. Although he identified as Jewish, Laurents grew up secular and did not adhere to any specific religious beliefs. He even changed his last name to make it easier to find work.

Hollywood and Broadway Success

After completing a master's degree in theatrical arts at New York University, Laurents gained professional experience as a radio writer. His first major success was the comedy "Now Playing Tomorrow," which aired on CBS Radio with Shirley Booth in the lead role.

During his time in the army, Laurents met influential figures such as film director George Cukor and actor William Holden. Once he was discharged, Laurents embarked on a romantic relationship with ballerina Nora Kaye. Despite their on-and-off relationship, they remained connected throughout their lives.

Laurents's play "Home of the Brave," which addressed anti-Semitism in the army, premiered on Broadway in 1945. It received critical acclaim and was later adapted into a film. His other successful Broadway productions include "The Time of the Cuckoo" (1952), "West Side Story," and "Gypsy."

Hollywood Career and Blacklist

Laurents had mixed experiences with Hollywood. He had an unfortunate encounter with the film "Rope" (1948), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, as he was denied credit for his extensive rewrites of the script. However, Laurents went on to write screenplays for renowned films such as "Anastasia" (1956), "Bonjour Tristesse" (1958), "The Way We Were" (1973), and "The Turning Point" (1977).

In the 1950s, during the era of the Red Scare, Laurents, like many others in the theater and film industry, was blacklisted due to his political beliefs. He spent a year and a half in Paris before being officially removed from the blacklist and offered work by MGM.

Later Life and Legacy

Laurents spent more than 50 years in a relationship with his partner Tom Hatcher until Hatcher's death in 2006. Laurents continued to contribute to the theater and film industry until his passing on May 5, 2011, in New York City at the age of 93. In honor of his legacy, the lights on Broadway were dimmed for one minute at 8 pm on May 6, 2011.