Leonard Gershe (
June 10,
1922 -
March 9,
2002) was an
American playwright,
screenwriter, and
lyricist.
Born in
New York City, Gershe made his
Broadway debut as a lyricist for the 1950
revue Alive and Kicking. He wrote the book for
Harold Rome's
musical stage adaptation of
Destry Rides Again in 1959, and in 1969 a play,
Butterflies Are Free. Later Gershe wrote another play,
Snacks, intended for
Tony Danza.)
He wrote the lyrics for the "Born in a Trunk" sequence from the
Judy Garland/
James Mason musical
A Star Is Born.
[Roger Edens, who wrote the music, was not credited due to a contractual issue. ] In the 1950s, Gershe wrote ten scripts for the
Ann Sothern sitcom Private Secretary. He also wrote a number of episodes of
The Lucy Show. His screen credits include
Funny Face,
40 Carats, and
Butterflies Are Free.
Gershe died in Beverly Hills, California from complications from a
stroke.
Nominations
- 1958 Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, Written Directly for the Screen (Funny Face)
- 1973 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium (Butterflies Are Free)
- 1974 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium (40 Carats)
