---
name: "George S. Kaufman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/george-s-kaufman"
fi1m_id: "george-s-kaufman"
imdb_id: "nm0442151"
tmdb_id: 144060
wikidata_id: "Q163662"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "16 November 1889"
died: "2 June 1961"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-25T02:15:25.096235+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."
---

# George S. Kaufman

## Identity

George S. Kaufman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/george-s-kaufman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** george-s-kaufman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0442151
- **TMDB ID:** 144060
- **Wikidata ID:** Q163662
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Kaufman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163662, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442151/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/144060

Writer. Born 16 November 1889 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Died 2 June 1961.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 16 November 1889, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- **Died:** 2 June 1961
- **Active:** 1935–1938
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 79 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Drama 1, Music 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $9m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Kaufman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q163662, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442151/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/144060

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*A Night at the Opera*](https://film.one/film/a-night-at-the-opera.md) (84)

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

## Biography

George S. Kaufman was an American playwright, screenwriter and director. Born on 16 November 1889 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he died on 2 June 1961 in New York. He worked as a journalist and drama critic for the *New York Times* before establishing himself as a writer for the stage.

Kaufman collaborated on numerous Broadway successes, often with Moss Hart, Edna Ferber and Morrie Ryskind. His plays include *Dinner at Eight* (1932), *You Can't Take It with You* (1936) and *The Man Who Came to Dinner* (1939). With Ryskind he co-wrote the screenplay for the Marx Brothers film *A Night at the Opera* (1935) and the stage musical *Of Thee I Sing* (1931). He also contributed to the Marx Brothers stage works *The Cocoanuts* (1925) and *Animal Crackers* (1928).

Kaufman received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama and was a member of the Algonquin Round Table. He directed many of his own plays and musicals.

*Sources: britannica.com, georgeskaufman.com, tcm.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *You Can't Take It with You* (1938), Fi1m 70, Theatre Play — [page](https://film.one/film/you-cant-take-it-with-you.md)
- *Stage Door* (1937), Fi1m 85, Theatre Play — [page](https://film.one/film/stage-door.md)
- *A Night at the Opera* (1935), Fi1m 84, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/a-night-at-the-opera.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

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

- *Merrily We Roll Along* (2025), Theatre Play
- *Una* (2017), Executive Producer
- *Dinner at Eight* (1989), Theatre Play
- *You Can't Take it With You* (1984), Writer
- *Drei gegen Hollywood* (1982), Theatre Play
- *Přišel na večeři* (1981), Theatre Play
- *You Can't Take it With You* (1979), Theatre Play
- *The Royal Family* (1977), Writer
- *June Moon* (1974), Theatre Play
- *The Man Who Came to Dinner* (1972), Theatre Play
- *Great Performances* (1971), series, Writer
- *Love for Everyone* (1965), Writer
- *Silk Stockings* (1957), Theatre Play
- *The Solid Gold Cadillac* (1956), Theatre Play
- *Three Sailors and a Girl* (1953), Theatre Play
- *Dancing in the Dark* (1949), Theatre Play
- *The Senator Was Indiscreet* (1947), Director
- *Merton of the Movies* (1947), Theatre Play
- *The Late George Apley* (1947), Theatre Play
- *The Good Fellows* (1943), Screenplay
- *George Washington Slept Here* (1942), Theatre Play
- *Star Spangled Rhythm* (1942), Screenplay
- *The Man Who Came to Dinner* (1941), Theatre Play
- *Dulcy* (1940), Theatre Play
- *An Angel from Texas* (1940), Theatre Play
- *No Place to Go* (1939), Theatre Play
- *You Can't Take It with You* (1938), Theatre Play — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/you-cant-take-it-with-you.md)
- *First Lady* (1937), Writer
- *Stage Door* (1937), Theatre Play — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/stage-door.md)
- *Blonde Trouble* (1937), Theatre Play
- *Dance Charlie Dance* (1937), Theatre Play
- *A Night at the Opera* (1935), Screenplay — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/a-night-at-the-opera.md)
- *Hello, Sweetheart* (1935), Theatre Play
- *The Man with Two Faces* (1934), Theatre Play
- *Elmer and Elsie* (1934), Story
- *Dinner at Eight* (1933), Theatre Play
- *Roman Scandals* (1933), Story
- *Once in a Lifetime* (1932), Theatre Play
- *Make Me a Star* (1932), Writer
- *The Tenderfoot* (1932), Story
- *The Expert* (1932), Theatre Play
- *The Royal Family of Broadway* (1930), Author
- *Animal Crackers* (1930), Theatre Play, Writer
- *The Still Alarm* (1930), Writer
- *The Cocoanuts* (1929), Book, Writer
- *The Butter and Egg Man* (1928), Theatre Play
- *Beggar on Horseback* (1925), Writer
- *Welcome Home* (1925), Theatre Play
- *Merton of the Movies* (1924), Writer
- *To the Ladies* (1924), Theatre Play
- *Dulcy* (1923), Theatre Play
- *Someone in the House* (1920), Screenplay
- *Someone Must Pay* (1919), Theatre Play

## Awards

### Other awards — 3 won

- Tony Award for Best Director 1951: Tony Award for Best Director (won)
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1937: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (won), for *You Can't Take It with You*
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1932: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (won), for *Of Thee I Sing*

*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/george-s-kaufman