Known for movies

Short Info

DiedNovember 17, 2008, Los Angeles, California, United States
SpouseNorma Brecher, Eve Bennett
FactProfiled in "The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age" by Jordan Young (BearManor Media).


Irving Brecher was born on August 8, 1914 in New York City. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. He had two brothers and one sister. Brecher’s early education was in the New York City public school system. He then attended the City College of New York, where he majored in English.

After college, Brecher began his career as a writer for radio shows. He later wrote for television and film. Some of his most famous works include the screenplay for the film “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek” (1944) and the television series “The Honeymooners” (1955-1956). Brecher was also a successful producer, directing the films “The Great Gatsby” (1974) and “Logan’s Run” (1976).

He was married three times and had four children. Brecher died on April 23, 2008 at the age of 93.

General Info

DiedNovember 17, 2008, Los Angeles, California, United States
ProfessionFilm director, Screenwriter, Television Director, Television producer
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseNorma Brecher, Eve Bennett

Accomplishments

NominationsAcademy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay
MoviesMeet Me in St. Louis, The Wizard of Oz, Bye Bye Birdie, At the Circus, Go West, Shadow of the Thin Man, Yolanda and the Thief, Sail a Crooked Ship, Ziegfeld Follies, Somebody Loves Me, Du Barry Was a Lady, The Life of Riley, Best Foot Forward, Cry for Happy, Summer Holiday, New Faces of 1937, Fools ...
TV ShowsThe People's Choice

Social profile links

Facts

#Fact
1American radio writer, who became a close friend of Groucho Marx and went on to script two classic Marx Brothers comedies (At the Circus (1939) and Go West (1940). Brecher jokingly referred to "Go West" "as the longest short ever made". He began his career as an usher at a Manhattan movie theater. A critic from "Variety" magazine told him that he could earn money writing jokes for comedians and he consequently moved to Hollywood in 1937. He wrote gags for Milton Berle and worked at MGM for some time, afterwards creating, producing and writing the popular radio sitcom "The Life of Riley" and then turning it into a feature film and a TV series.
2Talks about considering Lon Chaney Jr. for the top role in TV's "The Life of Riley" in the book "A Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde" (McFarland & Co., 2010) by Tom Weaver.
3Profiled in "The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age" by Jordan Young (BearManor Media).

Movies

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The People's ChoiceTV Series producer - 31 episodes, 1955 - 1957 executive producer - 1 episode, 1957
The Life of Riley1949-1950TV Series producer - 26 episodes
The Life of Riley1949producer

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Best Foot Forward1943screenplay
Du Barry Was a Lady1943screenplay
Ship Ahoy1942uncredited
Shadow of the Thin Man1941screen play
Go West1940original screenplay
At the Circus1939screen play
The Wizard of Oz1939contributing writer - uncredited
Fools for Scandal1938additional dialogue - as Irv Brecher
New Faces of 19371937screenplay - as Irv S. Brecher
Bye Bye Birdie1963screen play
Cry for Happy1961
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis1959TV Series written by - 1 episode
Meet Me in St. Louis1959TV Movie original screenplay
The People's ChoiceTV Series creator - 4 episodes, 1956 - 1957 writer - 1 episode, 1958
Somebody Loves Me1952written by
The Life of RileyTV Series written by - 25 episodes, 1949 - 1950 writer - 1 episode, 1949
The Life of Riley1949writer
Summer Holiday1948adaptation
Yolanda and the Thief1945screenplay
Ziegfeld Follies1945written by - segment "The Babbitt and the Bromide", uncredited
Meet Me in St. Louis1944screen play
The Heavenly Body1944uncredited

Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Sail a Crooked Ship1961
The People's Choice1955TV Series 2 episodes
Somebody Loves Me1952
The Life of Riley1949TV Series 1 episode
The Life of Riley1949

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Remarks on Marx2004Video short special thanks
The Unknown Marx Brothers1993TV Movie documentary special thanks - as Irv Brecher

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
On Your Marx, Get Set, Go!2004Video documentary shortHimself
Remarks on Marx2004Video shortHimself
Great Performances1996TV SeriesHimself
The Unknown Marx Brothers1993TV Movie documentaryHimself - Screenwriter-Director (as Irv Brecher)
A Museum of Broadcasting Tribute: Milton Berle - Mr. Television1985TV Movie documentary
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell1982TV Movie documentaryHimself

Awards

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1945OscarAcademy Awards, USABest Writing, ScreenplayMeet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

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