Moss Hart

Moss Hart was born on October 24, 1904, in New York City. Raised in deep poverty in the Bronx, his passion for the stage was nurtured by his eccentric theatre-loving aunt Kate. Beginning his theatrical career as an office boy for Broadway producer Augustus Pitou, Hart struggled for years before writing the showbiz satire 'Once in a Lifetime' (1930).

Teaming up with master satirist George S. Kaufman, the duo forged one of the most brilliant playwriting partnerships in theatrical history. Their 1936 screwball comedy 'You Can't Take It with You' became an instant American classic, winning the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and inspiring Frank Capra’s Academy Award-winning film. In 1939, they created 'The Man Who Came to Dinner', featuring the irascible critic Sheridan Whiteside. Collaborating with composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Ira Gershwin, Hart also penned the groundbreaking psychoanalytic musical 'Lady in the Dark' (1941).

As a stage director, Hart achieved immortal triumph in 1956 directing Lerner and Loewe’s 'My Fair Lady' starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, which ran for a record-shattering 2,717 performances and won him the Tony Award for Best Director. In Hollywood, he wrote the screenplay for George Cukor’s musical masterpiece 'A Star Is Born' (1954) starring Judy Garland. His 1959 autobiography 'Act One' topped the New York Times bestseller list for forty weeks and remains widely hailed as the finest memoir of Broadway life ever penned.