Epstein, Julius J., 1909-2000

Julius J. Epstein (August 22, 1909 – December 30, 2000) was an American screenwriter, who had a long career, best remembered for his screenplay, written with his twin brother, Philip, and Howard E. Koch, of the film Casablanca (1942), for which the writers won an Academy Award. It was adapted from an unpublished play, Everybody Comes to Rick's, written by Murray Bennett and Joan Alison. His identical twin died in 1952, a loss that he felt for the rest of his life. He continued writing, receiving two more Oscar nominations. In 1998, he received a Los Angeles Film Critics Association career achievement award. His credits included Four Daughters (1938) for which he received his first Oscar nomination, The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Mr. Skeffington (1944), The Tender Trap (1955), Light in the Piazza (1962), Send Me No Flowers (1964), Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), Cross of Iron (1977) and Reuben, Reuben (1983). Epstein had a less successful result as a playwright in Broadway theatre. He adapted his play Front Porch in Flatbush into Saturday Night, the first professional musical written by Stephen Sondheim. The musical was intended to open on Broadway in 1955, but was shelved due to the death of its lead producer. His play, But, Seriously (starring Richard Dreyfuss and Tom Poston) would prove to be the last to be staged at Henry Miller's Theatre for more than 30 years, opening on February 27, 1969, and closing after only four performances.