Leonard B. Stern

Stern was born in New York City and majored in journalism at New York University.{{cite news|last=Fox|first=Margalit|date=June 9, 2011|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/arts/television/leonard-b-stern-creator-of-mad-libs-dies-at-88.html|title=Leonard B. Stern, Creator of Mad Libs, Dies at 88|work=The New York Times}} He was a Women’s Army Corps recruiter while serving in the Army during World War II.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-leonard-stern-20110609-story.html|title=Leonard Stern dies at 88; TV writer, producer also co-created Mad Libs|first1=Dennis|last1=McLellan|first2=Los Angeles|last2=Times|date=June 9, 2011|website=Los Angeles Times}}

Stern was a successful television writer who wrote for such now classic series such as The Honeymooners, The Phil Silvers Show, The Steve Allen Show, Tonight Starring Steve Allen and Get Smart (a program on which he served as executive producer). Stern created the signature opening door credits for Get Smart.{{cite web |last1=Stern |first1=Leonard |interviewer1=Gary Rutkowski |interviewer2=Jenni Matz|title=Leonard Stern - Archive Interview Part 7 of 9 |url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/leonard-stern?clip=86350#about |website=televisionacademy.com |date=23 October 2017 |publisher=Academy of Television Arts and Sciences |access-date=21 March 2022 |time=9:50 ("Leonard Stern on the famous opening sequence of Get Smart; the nuances of the original idea")}} Stern also created "He & She," a 1967 CBS comedy which earned critical acclaim and an Emmy Award despite a short TV run.

Stern was also a writer for the 1952 Danny Thomas and Peggy Lee version of The Jazz Singer and a few Abbott and Costello films (with Martin Ragaway), among others. In the 1970s, he produced and directed the TV series McMillan & Wife, which starred Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James.

Stern was the senior vice president of Price Stern Sloan (PSS). In 2000, after Price's death, Stern and another partner, Larry Sloan, launched another publishing company, Tallfellow Press, and acquired the rights to Droodles. Stern co-wrote, with Diane L. Robison, A Martian Wouldn't Say That (2000), a compilation of actual memos and notes from television executives.{{cite book|title=A Martian Wouldn't Say That|author=Stern, Leonard B.|publisher=Tallfellow Press|year=2000|isbn=0967606152}}

Early in his career, when he wanted to write feature films on his own, he had trouble finding work. When he finally got the assignment for Let's Go Navy! he adopted the pseudonym "Max Adams" because he "wasn't particularly proud of doing a Bowery Boys [film]".{{cite web |last1=Writers Guild Foundation |first1=(video; starts at 9:20 minutes) |title=The Writer Speaks: Leonard Stern (interview) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCrNyz-wAgw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/aCrNyz-wAgw |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|website=Youtube |date=14 August 2018 |access-date=21 September 2020}}{{cbignore}}

Stern was married twice. His first marriage was in 1951 to actress Julie Adams. The marriage ended in divorce two years later in 1953. In 1956, Stern married actress Gloria Stroock, to whom he remained married until his death. The couple had two children, Kate and Michael.[https://www.nytimes.com/1956/08/13/archives/gloria-stroock-wed-actress-is-bride-of-leonard-stern-writer-for.html Notice of Gloria Stroock/Leonard Stern marriage], nytimes.com; accessed August 22, 2014.[https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mad-libs-co-creator-leonard-stern-dies-at-88 Obituary for Leonard B. Stern], foxnews.com; accessed August 22, 2014.

On June 7, 2011, Stern died of heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills, California, aged 88. He was survived by his wife of 55 years, actress Gloria Stroock, as well as a son, daughter, two grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Funeral services were held at Mount Sinai Memorial Park.{{Cite web|last= McLellan |first=Dennis |title=Leonard Stern dies at 88; TV writer, producer also co-created Mad Libs |work=Los Angeles Times|date=June 9, 2011 |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/09/local/la-me-leonard-stern-20110609 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309183913/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/09/local/la-me-leonard-stern-20110609 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 9, 2012 }}

;Producer

• I'm Dickens, He's Fenster (1962–1963)
• 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)
• McMillan & Wife (1971–1976)
• The Snoop Sisters (1972–1974)
• Faraday & Company (1973)
• Holmes & Yoyo (1976–1977)
• Lanigan's Rabbi (1976)
• Rosetti and Ryan (1977)
• Operation Petticoat (1977–1978)
• Partners in Crime (1984)
• Get Smart, Again! (1989)
• Missing Pieces (film) (1992)

;Writer

• Africa Screams (1949) uncredited, with Martin Ragaway
• Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950) with Martin Ragaway
• Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) with Martin Ragaway
• The Milkman (1952) with Martin Ragaway
• Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952) with Martin Ragaway
• Lost in Alaska (1952) with Martin Ragaway
• 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)
• The Good Guys (1968)

;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)
• Holmes & Yoyo (1976)
• Lanigan's Rabbi (1977)
• Just You and Me, Kid (1979)
• Partners in Crime (1984)
• Missing Pieces (1992)

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

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|827767}}
• [http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/leonard-stern Leonard Stern interview] at Archive of American Television – July 13, 2000 and August 20, 2008

{{EmmyAward ComedyWriting}}

{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1960s}}

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Category:1922 births

Category:2011 deaths

Category:Screenwriters from New York City

Category:American publishers (people)

Category:American television directors

Category:Television producers from New York City

Category:American television writers

Category:Jewish American screenwriters

Category:American male television writers

Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners

Category:21st-century American Jews