Jack Lait

Jack Lait (March 13, 1883—April 1, 1954) was a celebrated American journalist.

Born Jacquin Leonard Lait in New York City, he became renowned during his fifty-year career in journalism as one of the leading newspapermen of the first half of the 20th century. He wrote a syndicated column called "All in the Family" for two decades, was the editor of the "New York Daily Mirror" and "Sunday Mirror" and ended his career working for the Hearst newspapers. During his tenure as editor, the "Mirror" gained the second-highest circulation of any U.S. newspaper. In 1963, nine years after Lait's death, it ceased publication, following a strike and was absorbed into the then-top selling paper "The Daily News".

With Lee Mortimer, he wrote "New York Confidential", "Chicago Confidential" and "Washington Confidential" in 1951 which became a bestseller.

Lait and Mortimer's books inspired the movies; "New York Confidential" (1955), Challenge Productions / Warner Brothers Directed by Russell Rouse - From the book "New York Confidential" by Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer; Script Credits: Clarence Greene & Russell Rouse and "Chicago Confidential ( [1957] ), Robert E. Kent Productions/ United Artists Directed by Sidney Salkow - From the book "Chicago Confidential" by Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer; Script Credits: Clarence Greene & Russell Rouse, Bernard Gordon.

Jack Lait died of a circulatory ailment in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 71.

Plays

He was writer of five plays that appeared on Broadway.
*"The Hook-up", May 7, 1935 - May 1935
*"Rufus LeMaire's Affairs", [Original, Musical, Revue] March 28, 1927 - May 1927
*"Spice of 1922", [Original, Musical, Revue] July 6, 1922 - Sep 9, 1922
*"One of Us", September 9, 1918 - Sep 1918
*"Help Wanted", February 11, 1914 - May 1914

Books

*"Beef, Iron, and Wine", - Garden City, Doubleday, Page & Co 1916
*"Put on the Spot" - NY: Grosset & Dunlap (1930.) Novel (Basis of 1931 film "Bad Company.")
*"Our Will Rogers" - NY, Greenberg 1935
*"New York Confidential, The Lowdown on Its Bright Life", with Lee Mortimer - Chicago: Ziff-Davis, 1948
*"Washington Confidential", with Mortimer - Crown Publishers 1951
*"Chicago Confidential", with Mortimer -Crown 1951
*U.S.A. Confidential, with Mortimer - Crown 1952

ource

*Lait and Mortimer, "Washington Confidential" 1951 Crown Publishers NY

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482011/ IMDb entry for Jack Lait]
*Find A Grave|id=7842606