Abby Mann
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
After a Berlin showing of "Judgment at Nuremberg", "a German came up to me and said, how dare I do this. He started pushing me around. There were fists exchanged. They wanted to let bygones be bygones." --Abby Mann quoted in Variety, February 7, 1994.
Biography
This "Golden Age" TV writer has branched out to become an extremely successful producer as well. Born in Philadelphia, Mann served in the Army and attended Temple University and NYU, where he wrote several student productions. He started his career in earnest in the fertile ground of 1950s TV in New York, writing for such now-legendary showcases as "Lucky Strike Theater" (NBC), "Playhouse 90" (CBS) and "Matinee Theater" (NBC) before branching out into films.
Mann's first attempt won him an Oscar, for adapting his 1959 "Playhouse 90" script "Judgment at Nuremberg" for the screen in 1961. He went on to adapt his teleplay "A Child is Waiting" (1962) for the big screen as well, and furnished screenplays for Vittorio De Sica's "The Condemned of Altona" (1962), Stanley Kramer's "Ship of Fools" (1965), "The Detective" (1968), "Report to the Commissioner" (1975) and "War and Love" (1985).
But TV provided Mann with steadier employment. He wrote and produced the 1973 TV-movie "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" (CBS), which then had a five-year run as the series "Kojak," starring Telly Savalas. In 1985, Mann was credited as "creator" on the first of seven "Kojak" TV movies, which ran through 1990 on both CBS and ABC. He served as executive producer on the pilot and series "Medical Story" (NBC, 1975-76) and the CBS miniseries "Sinatra" (1992), and he was both producer and screenwriter for the miniseries "King" (NBC, 1978, which he also directed), the NBC pilot "Skag" (1980), the CBS miniseries "The Atlanta Child Murders" (1985) and the HBO movie "Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story" (1992). Mann shared Emmy Awards for co-writing and co-producing the HBO movie "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story" (1989). While he was in the process of writing and producing the 1995 HBO movie "Indictment: The McMartin Trial," Mann's house burned down, destroying many unpublished scripts and mementos. Mann felt that someone opposed to the McMartin telefilm was responsible.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Writer (Special)
Special Thanks (Special)
Writer (TV Mini-Series)
Producer (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1961
First movie screenplay, "Judgement at Nuremberg"; won Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
1962
Adapted teleplay "A Child Is Waiting" for film directed by John Cassavetes
1965
Penned the screenplay for the film adaptation of "Ship of Fools"
1968
Wrote the script for the Frank Sinatra vehicle "The Detective"
1973
Created character of Kojak in the acclaimed CBS TV-movie "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" and subsequent spin-off series; won Emmy for the former
1975
Served as executive producer and writer on the pilot for the short-lived NBC anthology series "Medical Story"
1975
Returned to feature films to pen screenplay for "Report to the Commissioner"
1978
Directorial debut, "King" and NBC biographical miniseries about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr; also wrote teleplay
1980
Executive produced (also wrote) the NBC TV-movie "Skag" starring Karl Malden
1985
Scripted (also executive produced) the CBS drama "The Atlanta Child Murders"
1985
Made one-shot return to feature writing on "War and Love"
1989
Co-wrote and executive produced the HBO biographical drama "Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story"; garnered second Emmy Award
1992
Penned the HBO teleplay (also executive produced) "Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story"
1992
Penned the biographical miniseries "Sinatra" (CBS)
1995
Served as executive producer and screenwriter for the Emmy-winning "Indictment: The McMartin Trial" (HBO)
2001
National Actors Theater revived stage play "Judgment at Nuremberg"
2002
Produced (also wrote) "Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story"
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
After a Berlin showing of "Judgment at Nuremberg", "a German came up to me and said, how dare I do this. He started pushing me around. There were fists exchanged. They wanted to let bygones be bygones." --Abby Mann quoted in Variety, February 7, 1994.
