Elliott Nugent

Playwright and stage performer who entered film with the coming of sound, first turning his hand to directing in 1932. Nugent proved a nimble orchestrator of breezy romances and comedies and enjoyed productive collaborations with such leading comic players as Danny Kaye, Harold Lloyd and Bob Hope. His parallel caareer as a playwright crested with the 1940 production of "The Male Animal," which he co-wrote with college friend James Thurber. Alcohol and mental problems conspired to end his career in the 1950s. Husband of actress Norma Lee and son of playwright John Charles Nugent.