Murray Schisgal

Murray Schisgal
Born
Murray Joseph Schisgal

(1926-11-25)November 25, 1926
DiedOctober 1, 2020(2020-10-01) (aged 93)
Port Chester, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, playwright

Murray Joseph Schisgal (November 25, 1926 – October 1, 2020) was an American playwright and screenwriter.[1]

Early life, family and education

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Early life

Schisgal was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. He was the son of Jewish immigrants, Irene (Sperling), a bank clerk, and Abraham Schisgal, a tailor.[2][3]

Education

Schisgal studied at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. In 1953, he graduated from Brooklyn Law School with a Honorary Degree and LLB. He then studied at Long Island University in Brooklyn and later earned a Bachelors of Arts at The New School for Social Research in 1959.[1]

Career

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Schisgal won his first recognition for the 1963 off-Broadway double-bill The Typists and The Tiger, which received the Drama Desk Award. His 1965 Broadway debut, Luv, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and for Best Author of a Play. Other credits include Jimmy Shine, 74 Georgia Avenue,[4] Naked Old Man and All Over Town, which received a Drama Desk nomination.[citation needed]

Schisgal also wrote The Love Song of Barney Kempinski, which was the first presentation of ABC Stage 67, and the screenplay for The Tiger Makes Out. Along with Larry Gelbart, Schisgal co-wrote the screenplay for Tootsie, for which he was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA, and for which he won awards from the Writers Guild of America, New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.[5][6]

Personal life and death

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Schisgal died on October 1, 2020, in Port Chester, New York, at the age of 93.[3]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Tootsie Party Guest also co-screenwriter

References

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  1. ^ a b "Murray Schisgal". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  2. ^ Kaye, Helen (July 13, 1990). "To Israel With Luv". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Murray Schisgal, Who Brought the Absurd to the Mainstream, Dies at 93". The New York Times. October 2, 2020.
  4. ^ "74 Georgia Avenue, a play by Murray Schisgal". britishtheatre.com. 2011. Archived from the original on January 16, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  5. ^ McCarthy, Todd (December 7, 1982). "Tootsie Movie Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Film Tootsie". variety.com. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  6. ^ "Murray Schisgal Biography". movies.yahoo.com. 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
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