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Herman J. Mankiewicz

Herman J. Mankiewicz

Known For Writing
Birthday Nov 07, 1897
Died Mar 05, 1953 (55)
Birthplace New York City, New York, USA
Popularity 0.9 (history)
Updated Aug 05, 2024 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 29, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

Herman Jacob Mankiewicz (November 7, 1897 – March 5, 1953; New York City) was an American screenwriter, who, with Orson Welles, wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane (1941). Earlier, he was the Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the drama critic for The New York Times and The New Yorke ... r. Alexander Woollcott said that Herman Mankiewicz was the "funniest man in New York". Both Mankiewicz and Welles received Academy Awards for their screenplay. Mankiewicz's younger brother was Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909–1993), an Oscar-winning Hollywood director, screenwriter, and producer. His nephew Tom Mankiewicz (1942 – 2010) was also a screenwriter and director. He was often asked to fix the screenplays of other writers, with much of his work uncredited. Occasional flashes of what came to be called the "Mankiewicz humor" and satire distinguished his films, and became valued in the films of the 1930s. The style of writing included a slick, satirical, and witty humor, which depended almost totally on dialogue to carry the film. It was a style that would become associated with the "typical American film" of that period. Among the screenplays he wrote or worked on, besides "Citizen Kane", were "The Wizard of Oz", "Man of the World", "Dinner at Eight", "Pride of the Yankees", and "The Pride of St. Louis". Film critic Pauline Kael credits Mankiewicz with having written, alone or with others, "about forty of the films I remember best from the twenties and thirties. ... he was a key linking figure in just the kind of movies my friends and I loved best.". Mankiewicz was an alcoholic. Ten years before his death, he wrote: “I seem to become more and more of a rat in a trap of my own construction, a trap that I regularly repair whenever there seems to be danger of some opening that will enable me to escape. I haven’t decided yet about making it bomb proof. It would seem to involve a lot of unnecessary labor and expense". A future Hollywood biographer went so far as to suggest that Mankiewicz’s behavior “made him seem erratic even by the standards of Hollywood drunks.” Herman Mankiewicz died March 5, 1953, of uremic poisoning, at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles.

Known For

Filmography

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane

1941

as Newspaperman (uncredited)

The Front Page

The Front Page

1931

as (Undetermined Secondary Role)

The Mating Call

The Mating Call

1928

as Newspaperman

Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight

1989

Writer

The Pride of St. Louis

The Pride of St. Louis

1952

Screenplay

A Woman's Secret

A Woman's Secret

1949

Screenplay

The Spanish Main

The Spanish Main

1945

Screenplay

The Enchanted Cottage

The Enchanted Cottage

1945

Screenplay, Writer

Christmas Holiday

Christmas Holiday

1944

Screenplay

The Good Fellows

The Good Fellows

1943

Screenplay

The Human Comedy

The Human Comedy

1943

Writer

This Time for Keeps

This Time for Keeps

1942

Characters

The Pride of the Yankees

The Pride of the Yankees

1942

Screenplay

Stand by for Action

Stand by for Action

1942

Screenplay

The Wild Man of Borneo

The Wild Man of Borneo

1941

Screenplay

Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine

1941

Screenplay

Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane

1941

Screenplay

Comrade X

Comrade X

1940

Writer

Keeping Company

Keeping Company

1940

Story

The Ghost Comes Home

The Ghost Comes Home

1940

Staff Writer

It's a Wonderful World

It's a Wonderful World

1939

Original Story

Live, Love and Learn

Live, Love and Learn

1937

Writer

My Dear Miss Aldrich

My Dear Miss Aldrich

1937

Original Story, Screenplay

John Meade's Woman

John Meade's Woman

1937

Writer

Love in Exile

Love in Exile

1936

Writer

The Three Maxims

The Three Maxims

1936

Adaptation

San Francisco

San Francisco

1936

Writer

Suzy

Suzy

1936

Writer

Escapade

Escapade

1935

Screenplay

The Perfect Gentleman

The Perfect Gentleman

1935

Writer

It's in the Air

It's in the Air

1935

Writer

After Office Hours

After Office Hours

1935

Screenplay

The Murder Man

The Murder Man

1935

Writer

Operator 13

Operator 13

1934

Writer

Stamboul Quest

Stamboul Quest

1934

Screenplay

The Show-Off

The Show-Off

1934

Screenplay

Come On, Marines!

Come On, Marines!

1934

Writer

Dinner at Eight

Dinner at Eight

1933

Screenplay

Fast Workers

Fast Workers

1933

Screenplay

Another Language

Another Language

1933

Writer

Meet the Baron

Meet the Baron

1933

Story

Girl Crazy

Girl Crazy

1932

Adaptation

The Lost Squadron

The Lost Squadron

1932

Dialogue

Dancers in the Dark

Dancers in the Dark

1932

Writer

Ladies' Man

Ladies' Man

1931

Writer

Dude Ranch

Dude Ranch

1931

Writer

Man of the World

Man of the World

1931

Story, Screenplay

Honey

Honey

1930

Writer, Dialogue

True to the Navy

True to the Navy

1930

Dialogue

The Vagabond King

The Vagabond King

1930

Screenplay

Ladies Love Brutes

Ladies Love Brutes

1930

Screenplay

Men Are Like That

Men Are Like That

1930

Adaptation

Laughter

Laughter

1930

Writer

The Dummy

The Dummy

1929

Writer

The Mighty

The Mighty

1929

Dialogue

Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt

1929

Writer

Fast Company

Fast Company

1929

Writer

The Man I Love

The Man I Love

1929

Story

The Canary Murder Case

The Canary Murder Case

1929

Dialogue

The Love Doctor

The Love Doctor

1929

Dialogue

The Last Command

The Last Command

1928

Writer

The Barker

The Barker

1928

Dialogue

Avalanche

Avalanche

1928

Screenplay, Dialogue

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

1928

Dialogue

The Mating Call

The Mating Call

1928

Dialogue

The Big Killing

The Big Killing

1928

Writer

Love and Learn

Love and Learn

1928

Dialogue

What a Night!

What a Night!

1928

Dialogue

Moran of the Marines

Moran of the Marines

1928

Writer

The Magnificent Flirt

The Magnificent Flirt

1928

Dialogue

Abie's Irish Rose

Abie's Irish Rose

1928

Dialogue

His Tiger Lady

His Tiger Lady

1928

Dialogue

The Water Hole

The Water Hole

1928

Dialogue

Take Me Home

Take Me Home

1928

Dialogue

A Night of Mystery

A Night of Mystery

1928

Dialogue

Three Week Ends

Three Week Ends

1928

Dialogue

Something Always Happens

Something Always Happens

1928

Dialogue

The Drag Net

The Drag Net

1928

Dialogue

The Spotlight

The Spotlight

1927

Dialogue

Serenade

Serenade

1927

Dialogue

Fashions for Women

Fashions for Women

1927

Writer

Figures Don't Lie

Figures Don't Lie

1927

Writer

The Gay Defender

The Gay Defender

1927

Dialogue

A Gentleman of Paris

A Gentleman of Paris

1927

Writer

The City Gone Wild

The City Gone Wild

1927

Dialogue

Stranded in Paris

Stranded in Paris

1926

Adaptation

No data available

A Woman's Secret

A Woman's Secret

1949

Producer

Duck Soup

Duck Soup

1933

Producer

Million Dollar Legs

Million Dollar Legs

1932

Producer

Horse Feathers

Horse Feathers

1932

Producer

Monkey Business

Monkey Business

1931

Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

No data available

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 6 15 2
2024 7 8 13 3
2024 8 6 14 2
2024 9 4 10 1
2024 10 3 6 2
2024 11 1 4 1
2024 12 2 6 1
2025 1 3 5 1
2025 2 2 4 1
2025 3 2 4 1
2025 5 1 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 2 4 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
No trending metrics available.

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