Leonard B. Stern

For other people named Leonard Stern, see Leonard Stern (disambiguation).

Leonard B. Stern
Born	December 23, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	June 7, 2011(2011-06-07) (aged 87) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation	Publisher, director, writer, producer
Years active	1949–2000

Leonard Bernard Stern (December 23, 1923 – June 7, 2011) was an American screenwriter, film and television producer, director, and one of the creators, with Roger Price, of the classic word game Mad Libs.^[1]^[2]

Life and career

Stern was born in New York City.^[1] He studied at New York University.^[1] Stern was a successful television writer who wrote for such now classic series such as Get Smart,^[1]The Honeymooners, The Phil Silvers Show,^[1]The Steve Allen Show^[1] and Steve Allen's Tonight Show. He also was a writer for the 1952 Danny Thomas and Peggy Lee version of The Jazz Singer and several Abbott and Costello films, among others. In the 1970s, he produced and directed the TV series McMillan and Wife, which starred Rock Hudson.^[2]

Stern was the senior vice president of Price Stern Sloan (PSS).^{[citation needed]} In 2000, after Price's death, Stern and another partner (Sloan) launched another publishing company, Tallfellow Press, and acquired the rights to Droodles.^{[citation needed]} Stern co-wrote, with Diane L. Robinson, A Martian Wouldn't Say That (2000), a compilation of actual memos and notes from television executives.^{[citation needed]}

Death

On June 7, 2011, Stern died of heart failure at at his home in Beverly Hills, California, aged 87.^[1] He was survived by his wife of 55 years, actress Gloria Stroock, as well as a son, daughter, two grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.^[1]

Film and television credits

Producer

I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962–1963)
Duncan Be Careful [unsold pilot] (1964)
Supermarket Sweep (1965)
Get Smart (1965–1968)
Run Buddy Run (1966)
The Hero (1966–1967)
He & She (1967–1968)
The Good Guys (1968–1970)
The Governor & J.J. (1969–1970)
Shepherd's Flock [unsold pilot] (1971)
McMillan & Wife (1971–1976)
The Snoop Sisters (1972–1974)
Faraday & Company (1973)
Diana (1973)
Brock's Last Case (1973)
Koska and His Family [unsold pilot] (1973)
Phillip and Barbara [unsold pilot] (1976)
Holmes and Yo-Yo (1976–1977)
Lanigan's Rabbi (1976)
Three Times Daley [unsold pilot] (1976)
Rosetti and Ryan (1977)
Operation Petticoat (1977–1978)
Partners in Crime (1984)
Get Smart, Again! (1989)
Missing Pieces (1992)

Writer

Africa Screams (1949)
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950)
Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950)
The Milkman (1952)
Okinawa (1952)
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952)
Lost in Alaska (1952)
The Jazz Singer (1952)
Three for the Show (1955)
The Steve Allen Show (1956–1960)
The Honeymooners (1955–1956)
The Phil Silvers Show (1956)
The Jackie Gleason Show (1953–1956)

Director

I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962–1963)
Run Buddy Run (1966)
He & She (1967)
The Good Guys (1968)
The Governor & J.J. (1969)
McMillan & Wife (1971)
The Snoop Sisters (1972)
Diana (1973)
Phillip and Barbara (1976)
Holmes and Yo-Yo (1976)
Lanigan's Rabbi (1977)
Just You and Me, Kid (1979)
Partners in Crime (1984)
Missing Pieces (1992)

Awards

Emmy Award, 1957, Best Comedy Writing-variety Or Situation Comedy (The Phil Silvers Show)
Emmy Award, 1967, Outstanding Writing Achievement In Comedy (Get Smart)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Fox, Margalit (June 9, 2011). "Leonard B. Stern, Creator of Mad Libs, Dies at 88". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/arts/television/leonard-b-stern-creator-of-mad-libs-dies-at-88.html.
^ ^a ^b Penguin Group website

External links

Leonard B. Stern at the Internet Movie Database
Leonard Stern interview at Archive of American Television – July 13, 2000 and August 20, 2008
Leonard Stern's Find A Grave Memorial

v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (1960–1969)

George Balzer / Hal Goldman / Al Gordon / Sam Perrin (1960) Dave O'Brien / Martin Ragaway / Sherwood Schwartz / Al Schwartz / Red Skelton (1961) Carl Reiner (1962) Carl Reiner (1963) Sam Denoff / Bill Persky for "Coast to Coast Big Mouth" (1966) Buck Henry / Leonard B. Stern for "Ship of Spies Parts 1 and 2" (1967) Allan Burns / Chris Hayward for "The Coming Out Party" (1968)

Complete list (1955–1959) (1960–1969) (1970–1979) (1980–1989) (1990–1999) (2000–2009) (2010–present)

v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (1957–1969)

1957 Billy Friedberg Nat Hiken Coleman Jacoby Arnold Rosen Leonard Stern Tony Webster 1958–1963 No award 1964 Sam Denoff Bill Persky Carl Reiner 1965 No award 1966 Hal Goldman Al Gordon Sheldon Keller 1967 Mel Brooks Sam Denoff Bill Persky Carl Reiner Mel Tolkin 1968 Chris Bearde Phil Hahn Jack Hanrahan Coslough Johnson Paul Keyes Marc London Allan Manings David Panich Hugh Wedlock Digby Wolfe 1969 Allan Blye Bob Einstein Carl Gottlieb Cy Howard Steve Martin Jerry Music Murray Roman Cecil Tuck Paul Wayne Mason Williams

Complete list (1957–1969) (1970–1979) (1980–1989) (1990–1999) (2000–2009) (2010–2019)

Persondata
Name	Stern, Leonard B.
Alternative names
Short description	American television writer and producer
Date of birth	December 23, 1923
Place of birth	New York, New York
Date of death	June 7, 2011
Place of death	Beverly Hills, California