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Classically Speaking:
Promoting Classic Movies in a Jaded World!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Don't Know...I.A.L. DIAMOND?

You really should know who I.A.L. DIAMOND (1920-1988) is! I.A.L. DIAMOND, born Itek Dominici in Romania, was a very talented screenwriter. He emmigrated to Brooklyn, New York at the age of nine and moved to Hollywood when he was twenty-one. He changed his name to Isidore Diamond. He chose the initials I.A.L. as his nom de plume. He teamed up with Billy Wilder and began writing and co-writing several Billy Wilder films. His friends called him Iz. People like to speculate what the initials I.A.L. represent. Irregardless, Iz should be known for the art he produced, not the controversy surrounding his initials. He was a truly talented man.


Some Like it Hot (1959) PosterA fine place to start is by viewing: Some Like it Hot (1959). An extremely funny film; one of the best ever made. Great script and cast. It stars Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis.

Watch this and then see these other four films.


Monkey Business (1952) A witty comedy starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe.
Avanti (1972) A romantic comedy set in Italy with Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills in the lead roles.
The Apartment (1960) A comedy with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.
Irma La Douce (1963) Another comedy with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.


*Contributed by: "Nina M." Date: Thurs, Nov 24 2005 / 16:48:49 PST

Academy Awards®
© A.M.P.A.S.®
1959 Nominated for Writing - Screenplay (Based on Material from Another Medium): SOME LIKE IT HOT
1960 Won Best Achievement in Writing - Story and Screenplay (Written Directly For The Screen): THE APARTMENT
1966 Nominated for Best Achievement in Writing - Story and Screenplay (Written Directly For The Screen): THE FORTUNE COOKIE

posted by Elizabeth Van Cleve Randolph at 13:57
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2 Comments:

  • The other night my husband and I were watching a film and simply loved it! Paul wanted to know who wrote the screenplay, so we could see more of his films. I said, "Oh, look at this, it's I.A.L. Diamond. Nina has done a showcase on him."

    I wanted to thank you for showcasing this very talented man. Never before had I paid much attention to who wrote what, but after seeing how clever his dialog was, and so witty, I had to know who wrote it.

    Now that I see your recommendations for I.A.L. Diamond, I can see why I liked the other films he did. They, too, had great dialog.

    The film we watched was Cactus Flower. This is the main headliner on Paul's Goldie Hawn showcase, and rightly so. It's a wonderful film. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. I'll have to revisit the films I knew on your list and watch the ones I don't know. Thanks again for doing this showcase.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Mar 24, 10:49:00 AM PDT  

  • Hi Liz :)
    Your welcome and no I've not seen Cactus Flower. Not watched any Classic Film now for a long while have become more interested now in Period Dramas and reading a good book.
    Nina x

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at Mon Mar 24, 03:18:00 PM PDT