Abby Mann

Abby Mann (December 1 1927 – March 25 2008) was an American film writer and producer. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A02E5DC103EF930A15751C0A9649C8B63 Ron Wertheimer, "The Sleeping Car Porter Who Won the Last Round". "The New York Times", February 23, 2002.] ]

Born as Abraham Goodman in Philadelphia, he grew up in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was best known for his work on controversial subjects and social drama. His most famous work is the drama "Judgment at Nuremberg", which was initially a television drama aired in 1959. Stanley Kramer directed the 1961 film adaptation, for which Mann received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In his acceptance speech, he said:

"A writer worth his salt at all has an obligation not only to entertain but to comment on the world in which he lives." [ [http://www.post-gazette.com/movies/20030309oscars0309fnp2.asp Ron Weiskind and Barbara Vancheri, "Pittsburgh goes to the Oscars". "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette", March 9, 2003.] ]

Mann later adapted the play for a 2001 production on Broadway, which featured Maximilian Schell from the 1961 film in a different role. [ [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9D05E5DB113CF934A15750C0A9679C8B63 Bruce Weber, "On Evil and the Citizen, No Answers Are Easy". "The New York Times", March 27, 2001.] ]

Working on television, he most notably created the television series "Kojak", starring Telly Savalas. Mann was executive producer, but was credited as a writer also on many episodes. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069599/maindetails "'Kojak' (1973)". "Internet Movie Database"] ] His other writing credits include the screenplays for the television films "The Marcus-Nelson Murders", "The Atlanta Child Murders", [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E1DA1739F93AA35751C0A963948260 Sally Bedell Smith, "CBS Turning Cameras on its Decision-Makers". "The New York Times", February 9, 1985.] ] "Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story" [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6DE143FF932A2575AC0A964958260 John J. O'Connor, "Corruption, Love and Murder, All From Real Life". "The New York Times", September 11, 1992.] ] , and "Indictment: The McMartin Trial", [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5DB153FF93AA25756C0A963958260 John J. O'Connor, "The Horrors Behind The McMartin Trial". "The New York Times", May 19, 1995.] ] as well as the film "War and Love". [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?res=980DE6DF103BF930A2575AC0A963948260 Vincent Canby, "Screen: War and Love". "The New York Times", September 13, 1985.] ]

He died of heart failure in Beverly Hills, California on March 25 2008, aged 80. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982942.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2590 Obituary - Variety] ] [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-mann28mar28,1,1781294.story Obituary - Los Angeles Times] ] He died one day after Richard Widmark, one of the stars of "Judgment at Nuremberg".

His stepson is former Israeli Special Forces operative Aaron Cohen. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/28/arts/28mann.php]

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0542631|name=Abby Mann
* [http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1178681609044 1961 Academy Award winners list]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=25556712 Memorial Page for Abby Mann at FindaGrave]