---
name: "Ernest Kinoy"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ernest-kinoy"
roles: ["Screenwriter"]
born: "1 April 1925"
died: "10 November 2014"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T16:49:39.815215+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ernest Kinoy

Screenwriter. Born 1 April 1925 in New York City. Died 10 November 2014.

## Details

- **Work:** Screenwriter
- **Born:** 1 April 1925, New York City
- **Died:** 10 November 2014

## Biography

Ernest Kinoy (1925–2014) was an American writer, screenwriter and playwright. Born in New York City, he attended the Fieldston School and Columbia University. His studies were interrupted by service in the US Army during the Second World War, after which he began writing for NBC radio and live television anthology series such as Studio One and Playhouse 90.

Kinoy wrote for numerous television series including The Untouchables, Naked City, Dr Kildare and The Defenders. He won an Emmy Award in 1964 for the episode 'Blacklist' of The Defenders. He contributed to the 1977 miniseries Roots, sharing an Emmy with William Blinn for the second episode, and served as head writer on the sequel Roots: The Next Generations (1979). His screenplays include Buck and the Preacher (1972) and Brother John (1971), both starring Sidney Poitier.

Other notable television work includes the 1981 film Skokie, for which he received a Writers Guild of America Award. He also wrote for Broadway, including the book for the musicals Bajour (1964) and Golden Rainbow (1968).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com, bostonglobe.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Roots* (1977), Fi1m 83, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/tv/roots.md)

## Also known for

- *The Untouchables* (1959), Writer
- *Diagnosis: Murder* (1993), Writer
- *White Water Summer* (1987), Writer
- *Buck and the Preacher* (1972), Screenplay, Story

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ernest-kinoy