Leonard Gershe

Playwright, Screenwriter

About

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

June 10, 1922

Died

March 03, 2002

Cause of Death

Complications From A Stroke

Filmography

The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979)

From Story

40 Carats (1973)

Screenplay

Butterflies Are Free (1972)

Screenwriter

Funny Face (1957)

Writer

Silk Stockings (1957)

Screenwriter

Funny Face (1957)

Composer

Photos & Videos

View All

Funny Face (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Let's Kiss And Make Up

Funny Face (1957) -- (Movie Clip) You're Anna Karenina

Family & Companions

Roger Edens

Companion

Composer, music arranger.

Notes

Reportedly the character of the spirited young woman in Gershe's play "Butterflies Are Free" was based on his next-door neighbor Mia Farrow.

Biography

Filmography

Life Events

1948

Early writing credit, the musical revue "Alive and Kicking"

1948

Worked on the musical spoof "Horse Opera"

1951

Penned the stage musical "Wedding Day"

1953

Worked as a writer on the CBS sitcom "Private Secretary"

1954

Contributed lyrics to the song "Born in a Trunk" performed by Judy Garland in the remake of "A Star Is Born"

1957

Wrote screenplays for "Silk Stockings" and "Funny Face"

1959

Adapted the film "Destry Rides Again" as a Broadway musical

1969

Enjoyed Broadway hit with "Butterflies Are Free"; Blythe Danner co-starred

1972

Wrote screenplay adaptation of "Butterflies Are Free"

1973

Penned the screenplay of "40 Carats" based on the stage play

1973

Wrote episodes of the short-lived ABC sitcom "Adam's Rib", starring Blythe Danner

1976

Penned the narration for the compilation film "That's Entertainment II"

1979

Wrote the story for the NBC children's fantasy "The Man in the Santa Claus Suit", starring Fred Astaire

1982

Play "Snacks" announced for Broadway but never produced

Videos

Funny Face (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Let's Kiss And Make Up After a minor dispute, in Paris, between Fred Astaire as photographer Dick and Audrey Hepburn as reluctant model Jo, director Stanley Donen finishes the song by George & Ira Gershwin and Fred solos, in Paramount’s Funny Face, 1957.

Funny Face (1957) -- (Movie Clip) You're Anna Karenina Photographer Dick (Fred Astaire) has finally got his model (Audrey Hepburn as literature-oriented Jo) to Paris and begins coaching her, director Stanley Donen shooting on location at Gare du Nord, Opera Garnier, the Seine and Latona Fountain, Versailles, in Funny Face, 1957.

Funny Face (1957) -- (Movie Clip) She's A Thinker Having difficulty making their model (Dovima) look brainy, fashion editor Maggie (Kay Thompson) and photographer Dick (Fred Astaire) seize a Greenwich Village bookstore, finding co-star Audrey Hepburn as clerk Jo, early in director Stanley Donen’s Funny Face, 1957.

Funny Face (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Think Pink The de facto opening number, an original for the movie by Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe, Kay Thompson as fashion editor Maggie Prescott is inspired to wake up the next issue of “Quality” magazine, Eugene Loring choreography, in Funny Face, 1957, starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn.

Star Is Born, A (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Born In A Trunk Norman (James Mason) and Esther-now-Vicky (Judy Garland) in the audience at the preview, for a portion of the giant Born In A Trunk number, song by Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe, in George Cukor's A Star Is Born, 1954.

Family

Richard Gershe

Brother

Selma Becker

Sister

Companions

Roger Edens

Companion

Composer, music arranger.

Bibliography

Notes

Reportedly the character of the spirited young woman in Gershe's play "Butterflies Are Free" was based on his next-door neighbor Mia Farrow.

About

Filmography

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Notes

Biography

Filmography

Writer (Feature Film)

Music (Feature Film)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Cast (Special)

Life Events

1948

1948

1951

1953

1954

1957

1959

1969

1972

1973

1973

1976

1979

1982

Videos

Movie Clip

Family

Companions

Bibliography

Notes

TCM Emails