Bruce Jay Friedman
Encyclopedia
Bruce Jay Friedman is an American
novel
ist, screenwriter
, playwright
, and actor.
Raised in the Bronx by Irving and Mollie (Liebowitz) Friedman, Bruce Jay Friedman graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School
. He then attended the University of Missouri
as a journalism
major, then served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force
from 1951 to 1953. In 1954, he married the model (now an acting coach and writer) Ginger Howard. In the same year, Friedman worked for many of the era's famous men's magazines through Magazine Management Company. Friedman ended up as an executive editor in charge of the magazines Men (not the present magazine of the same title
), Male, and Man's World.
In 1962, Friedman published Stern, the first of his eight novels. In 1988, he appeared in a film by Woody Allen, "Another Woman." His latest collection of short fiction, Three Balconies, appeared in September 2008, from Biblioasis, who also published his 2011 memoir Lucky Bruce.. A collection of some of his plays, "3.1 Plays", is being published in March 2012, by Leaping Lion Books .
, cartoonist Drew Friedman, and photographer Kipp Friedman. He has one daughter—writer Molly Friedman—with second wife Patricia J. O'Donohue. Friedman currently resides in New York City
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and actor.
Raised in the Bronx by Irving and Mollie (Liebowitz) Friedman, Bruce Jay Friedman graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
. He then attended the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
as a journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
major, then served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
from 1951 to 1953. In 1954, he married the model (now an acting coach and writer) Ginger Howard. In the same year, Friedman worked for many of the era's famous men's magazines through Magazine Management Company. Friedman ended up as an executive editor in charge of the magazines Men (not the present magazine of the same title
Men (magazine)
Men is an American pornographic magazine, published by Specialty Publications based in Los Angeles and is the largest-selling magazine of that type in the country...
), Male, and Man's World.
In 1962, Friedman published Stern, the first of his eight novels. In 1988, he appeared in a film by Woody Allen, "Another Woman." His latest collection of short fiction, Three Balconies, appeared in September 2008, from Biblioasis, who also published his 2011 memoir Lucky Bruce.. A collection of some of his plays, "3.1 Plays", is being published in March 2012, by Leaping Lion Books .
Personal life
Friedman had three children with wife Ginger Howard: writer, musician Josh Alan FriedmanJosh Alan Friedman
Josh Alan Friedman is an American musician, writer, editor and journalist. Widely known for his 1986 collection Tales of Times Square and his often-controversial comix collaborations with his brother, artist Drew Friedman, many of which are compiled in the books Any Similarity to Persons Living or...
, cartoonist Drew Friedman, and photographer Kipp Friedman. He has one daughter—writer Molly Friedman—with second wife Patricia J. O'Donohue. Friedman currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Fiction
- "Stern" (1962)
- "A Mother's Kisses" (1964)
- "The Dick" (1970)
- "About Harry Towns" (1974)
- "Tokyo Woes" (1985)
- "The Current Climate" (1989)
- "A Father's Kisses" (1996)
- "Violencia!: A Musical Novel" (2002)
Short Fiction
- "Black Angels: Stories" (1966)
- "Far From the City of Class" (1966)
- "Black Humor" (1969) (Editor)
- "Let's Hear It for a Beautiful Guy" (1985)
- "The Collected Short Fiction of Bruce Jay Friedman" (2000)
- "Sexual Pensees" (with Andre Barbe) ((2006)
- "Three Balconies: Stories and a Novella" (2008)
Filmography
- The Heartbreak KidThe Heartbreak Kid (1972 film)The Heartbreak Kid is a 1972 dark romantic comedy film directed by Elaine May, written by Neil Simon, and starring Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, and Cybill Shepherd...
(1972) (screenplay by Neil SimonNeil SimonNeil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
) (Based on the Short Story "A Change of Plan") - The Ted Bessell Show (1973) (TV)
- Fore PlayFore PlayFore Play is a 1975 comedy film co-directed by future Academy Award-winner John G. Avildsen. It is currently being distributed by Troma Entertainment...
(1975) (Story) - Stir CrazyStir Crazy (film)Stir Crazy is a 1980 American comedy film starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor as down-on-their-luck friends who are given 125-year prison sentences after being framed for a bank robbery; while in prison they befriend other inmates and ultimately escape. In 2000, Total Film magazine voted it the...
(1980) - Doctor DetroitDoctor DetroitDoctor Detroit is a 1983 comedy film, written by Bruce Jay Friedman, Robert Boris and Carl Gottlieb. The film stars Dan Aykroyd, Howard Hesseman, Lynn Whitfield, Fran Drescher, and Donna Dixon, with a special appearance by James Brown. The film was directed by Michael Pressman.James Brown performed...
(with Robert BorisRobert BorisRobert Boris is an award-winning American screenwriter, film producer and film director.Boris was nicknamed Double B by film producer Elliott Kastner.-Awards:...
and Carl GottliebCarl GottliebCarl Gottlieb is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian and executive. He is probably best known for co-writing the screenplay for Jaws, as well as directing the 1981 low-budget cult film Caveman.-Early life:...
) (1983) - SplashSplash (film)Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge...
(with Lowell GanzLowell GanzLowell Ganz is an American screenwriter, television writer, and television producer. He is the long-time writing partner of Babaloo Mandel.-Life and career:...
and Babaloo MandelBabaloo MandelMarc "Babaloo" Mandel is an American writer. His writing credits include the television series Happy Days and the movie Night Shift. He is the long-time writing partner of Lowell Ganz. Mandel was born in New York City, the son of a taxi driver...
) (1984) - The Lonely GuyThe Lonely GuyThe Lonely Guy is a 1984 romantic comedy film, directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Steve Martin. The screenplay was written by Neil Simon, based on the book The Lonely Guy's Book of Life by Bruce Jay Friedman....
(1984) (screenplay by Neil SimonNeil SimonNeil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
, Ed. WeinbergerEd. WeinbergerEdwin B. “Ed.” Weinberger is an American Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and television producer.Ed. Weinberger began his career writing for such stand-up comedians as Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, and Bill Cosby. His first job in television was writing on “The Tonight Show” for Johnny Carson...
and Stan DanielsStan DanielsStanley Edwin Daniels was a Canadian-American screenwriter, producer and director, who won eight Emmy Awards for his work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi.-Early life:...
) (Based on the Book "The Lonely Guy's Book of Life")
Plays
- Scuba Duba (1967)
- Steambath (1970)
- "Have You Spoken to Any Jews Lately?" (1995)
Non-fiction
- "The Lonely Guy's Book of Life" (1978)
- "Even The Rhinos Were Nymphos" (2000)
- "The Slightly Older Guy" (2001)
- "Lucky Bruce: A Literary Memoir" (2011)