---
name: "Ernest Lehman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ernest-lehman"
fi1m_id: "ernest-lehman"
imdb_id: "nm0499626"
tmdb_id: 2637
wikidata_id: "Q1356427"
roles: ["Writer","Producer"]
born: "8 December 1915"
died: "2 July 2005"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-09-25T08:09:29.525895+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 Lehman

## Identity

Ernest Lehman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ernest-lehman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ernest-lehman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0499626
- **TMDB ID:** 2637
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1356427
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Lehman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356427, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0499626/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2637

Writer and producer. Born 8 December 1915 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 2 July 2005.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer
- **Born:** 8 December 1915, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 2 July 2005
- **Active:** 1956–1969
- **Frequently works with:** [Rita Moreno](https://film.one/person/rita-moreno.md), [Robert Wise](https://film.one/person/robert-wise.md)
- **Golden Globes:** 1 Golden Globe (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as writer, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 83 (3), 1960s 77 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 75 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Romance 4, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 16 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $434m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Lehman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1356427, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0499626/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2637

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*North by Northwest*](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md) (89), [*West Side Story*](https://film.one/film/west-side-story.md) (80)
- **Disney+:** [*The Sound of Music*](https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music.md) (86), [*Hello, Dolly!*](https://film.one/film/hello-dolly.md) (56)
- **Apple TV:** [*Sweet Smell of Success*](https://film.one/film/sweet-smell-of-success.md) (88)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The King and I*](https://film.one/film/the-king-and-i.md) (71)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ernest Lehman was an American screenwriter whose credits include the original screenplay for *North by Northwest* (1959), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He also wrote screenplays for *Sabrina* (1954), *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957), *The King and I* (1956), *West Side Story* (1961), *The Sound of Music* (1965), *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* (1966) and *Family Plot* (1976).

Born in New York City, Lehman graduated from the City College of New York and began his career as a freelance fiction writer before moving into screenwriting. He received six Academy Award nominations for his screenplays and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2001, the first screenwriter to receive that honour.

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

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Hello, Dolly!* (1969), Fi1m 56, Producer, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/hello-dolly.md)
- *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* (1966), Fi1m 86, Screenplay, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf.md)
- *The Sound of Music* (1965), Fi1m 86, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music.md)
- *West Side Story* (1961), Fi1m 80, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/west-side-story.md)
- *North by Northwest* (1959), Fi1m 89, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md)
- *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957), Fi1m 88, Screenplay, Novel — [page](https://film.one/film/sweet-smell-of-success.md)
- *The King and I* (1956), Fi1m 71, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/the-king-and-i.md)

## Complete filmography (23)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Mashup* (2021), Original Story
- *The Sound of Music: The Musical* (2010), Writer
- *Sabrina* (1995), Original Film Writer
- *The French Atlantic Affair* (1979), series, Novel
- *Black Sunday* (1977), Screenplay
- *Family Plot* (1976), Screenplay
- *Portnoy's Complaint* (1972), Screenplay, Director, Producer
- *Hello, Dolly!* (1969), Producer, Writer — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/hello-dolly.md)
- *Sen Bir Meleksin* (1969), Story
- *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* (1966), Producer, Screenplay — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf.md)
- *The Sound of Music* (1965), Screenplay — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sound-of-music.md)
- *The Prize* (1963), Screenplay
- *West Side Story* (1961), Screenplay — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/west-side-story.md)
- *From the Terrace* (1960), Screenplay
- *North by Northwest* (1959), Writer — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md)
- *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957), Screenplay, Novel — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/sweet-smell-of-success.md)
- *The Comedian* (1957), Novel
- *Playhouse 90* (1956), series, Novel
- *Somebody Up There Likes Me* (1956), Screenplay
- *The King and I* (1956), Screenplay — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/the-king-and-i.md)
- *Sabrina* (1954), Screenplay
- *Executive Suite* (1954), Screenplay
- *The Inside Story* (1948), Writer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 6 nominated

- 1970: Best Picture (nominated), for *Hello, Dolly!*
- 1967: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*
- 1967: Best Picture (nominated), for *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*
- 1962: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *West Side Story*
- 1960: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *North by Northwest*
- 1955: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Sabrina*

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 1955: Best Screenplay (won), for *Sabrina*

### Other awards — 2 won

- Academy Honorary Award 2001: Academy Honorary Award (won)
- Edgar Awards 1960: Edgar Awards (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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-lehman