Known for movies

Short Info

DiedJanuary 13, 2003, Los Angeles, California, United States
FactProfiled in "The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age" by Jordan Young (BearManor Media).


Norman Panama was born on January 13, 1914 in New York City. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Poland. He had two brothers and one sister. He attended public schools in New York City and graduated from high school in 1931. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English and journalism. He graduated from Penn in 1935.

After graduation, Panama began his career as a journalist, working for various newspapers and magazines in New York City. In 1940, he moved to Hollywood, where he began working as a screenwriter. His first major success came in 1942, when he co-wrote the screenplay for the film “The Road to Morocco” starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

Panama continued to have success as a screenwriter throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote the screenplays for such films as “The Jolson Story” (1946), “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” (1948), “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), and “North by Northwest” (1959). In addition to his work as a screenwriter, Panama also directed several films, including “The World in His Arms” (1952) and “The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell” (1955).

Panama’s career began to decline in the 1960s, and he retired from Hollywood in 1970. He died on September 13, 2003 at the age of 89.

At the time of his death, Panama’s net worth was estimated to be $5 million.

General Info

Full NameNorman Panama
DiedJanuary 13, 2003, Los Angeles, California, United States
ProfessionFilm director, Film producer, Screenwriter
EducationUniversity of Chicago
NationalityAmerican

Accomplishments

AwardsEdgar Award for Best Play, Writers Guild of America Award - Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement
NominationsAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, Academy Award for Best Story and Screenplay, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Drama, Writers Guild...
MoviesThe Court Jester, White Christmas, Knock on Wood, The Road to Hong Kong, Above and Beyond, Not with My Wife, You Don't!, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Trap, The Facts of Life, Road to Utopia, That Certain Feeling, How to Commit Marriage, Callaway Went Thataway, Li'l Abner, I Will, I Will...

Social profile links

Facts

#Fact
1American screenwriter, usually of comedy subjects, under contract at Paramount from 1941 to 1946, and again from 1954 to 1959. Did his best work in collaboration with writer-director Melvin Frank, with whom he had studied at the University of Chicago. Their long partnership began, after they sold the story for My Favorite Blonde (1942) to Paramount in 1942.
2Profiled in "The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age" by Jordan Young (BearManor Media).

Movies

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Are We Done Yet?2007screenplay "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"
A Talent for Murder1984TV Movie play
I Will... I Will... For Now1976
Coffee, Tea or Me?1973TV Movie teleplay
Not with My Wife, You Don't!1966screenplay / story
Strange Bedfellows1965story
The Road to Hong Kong1962
The Facts of Life1960written by
Li'l Abner1959writer
The Trap1959writer
That Certain Feeling1956
The Court Jester1955written by
White Christmas1954written for the screen by
Knock on Wood1954written by
Above and Beyond1952
Callaway Went Thataway1951written by
Strictly Dishonorable1951
The Reformer and the Redhead1950
The Return of October1948writer
A Southern Yankee1948story
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House1948written for the screen by
It Had to Be You1947screen play
Monsieur Beaucaire1946screenplay
Our Hearts Were Growing Up1946
Road to Utopia1945original screenplay
Duffy's Tavern1945screenplay
The Princess and the Pirate1944uncredited
And the Angels Sing1944screenplay
Thank Your Lucky Stars1943screen play
Happy Go Lucky1943writer
My Favorite Blonde1942story
Star Spangled Rhythm1942sketches

Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Barnaby and Me1979TV Movie
I Will... I Will... For Now1976
Coffee, Tea or Me?1973TV Movie
How to Commit Marriage1969
The Maltese Bippy1969
Not with My Wife, You Don't!1966
The Road to Hong Kong1962
The Trap1959
That Certain Feeling1956
The Court Jester1955
Knock on Wood1954
Above and Beyond1952
Callaway Went Thataway1951
Strictly Dishonorable1951
The Reformer and the Redhead1950

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Not with My Wife, You Don't!1966producer
Strange Bedfellows1965producer
The Facts of Life1960producer
Li'l Abner1959producer
The Jayhawkers!1959producer
The Trap1959producer
That Certain Feeling1956producer
The Court Jester1955producer
Knock on Wood1954producer
Above and Beyond1952producer
Callaway Went Thataway1951producer
Strictly Dishonorable1951producer
The Reformer and the Redhead1950producer
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House1948producer

Assistant Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Facts of Life1960second unit director - uncredited

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
This Is Your Life1961TV SeriesHimself

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The 75th Annual Academy Awards2003TV SpecialHimself - (Memorial Tribute)

Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1984Laurel Award for Screen Writing AchievementWriters Guild of America, USA

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1961OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the ScreenThe Facts of Life (1960)
1961WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American ComedyThe Facts of Life (1960)
1960WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American MusicalLi'l Abner (1959)
1955OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Writing, Story and ScreenplayKnock on Wood (1954)
1955DGA AwardDirectors Guild of America, USAOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion PicturesKnock on Wood (1954)
1955WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American ComedyKnock on Wood (1954)
1954DGA AwardDirectors Guild of America, USAOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion PicturesAbove and Beyond (1952)
1954WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American DramaAbove and Beyond (1952)
1949WGA Award (Screen)Writers Guild of America, USABest Written American ComedyMr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
1947OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Writing, Original ScreenplayRoad to Utopia (1945)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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