Samuel Hoffenstein (Oct. 8, 1890 – Oct. 6, 1947) was born in Lithuania; his family emigrated to the US in 1894. He graduated from Lafayette College, PA, then worked as a reporter for a local paper. By 1913, he had become the drama critic for the New York Sun. He also wrote articles for the magazine Vanity Fair and the New York Tribune newspaper. He married Edith Morgan in 1927. His first book of poetry, Poems in Praise of Practically Nothing, came out in 1928. In 1931, Hoffenstein settled in Los Angeles, working as a screenwriter for Paramount Studios until 1936, then for 20^th Century Fox from 1941-1947. During that time, he was employed as a scriptwriter for over 30 movies. He was twice a co-nominee for an Oscar: for “Best Adaptation” for the 1931 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and for “Best Screenplay” for the 1944 film Laura. Hoffenstein’s revision of the screenplay for Laura – in which he turned the novel’s narrator, Waldo Lydecker, into the screen character portrayed by Clifton Webb – caused 20^th Century Fox to upgrade the movie from its original B status to an A picture. Other notable film credits for Hoffenstein include The Miracle Man (1932), Phantom of the Opera (1943), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and Tales of Manhattan (1942). He also collaborated with Cole Porter and Kenneth Webb in composing the musical score for The Gay Divorce (1933), which in 1934 was turned into the film The Gay Divorcee, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Hoffenstein died in Los Angeles. His second book of verse, Pencil in the Air, was published to critical acclaim three days after his death.