I.A.L. Diamond was born on June 27, 1920 in Ungheni, Iasi, Romania as Itek Domnici. He was a writer and producer, known for Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960) and Just Go with It (2011). He was married to Barbara Ann Bentley. He died on April 21, 1988 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
[interviewed in 1981 about changes in the film industry]: The old group who started the business wanted to make pictures to get class. Today, these men all come from Harvard and already have class, so they're only interested in making enough money to serve cocaine to their guests.
2
The only other mathematician I know of who became a writer is Lewis Carroll. I guess he had a good ear for a joke.
3
[interviewed in 1982]: I think we are dealing with an audience that is almost functionally illiterate, that has grown up on television and comic books. According to a survey I read, a kid of eighteen will have seen some 30,000 hours of television. He has seen 700 movies. There's no indication as to how many books he's read, but I'd guess about one-and-a-half.
His family emigrated to the United States from Romania when he was 9 years old.
3
New York, Connecticut and New Jersey Mathematics Champion, in 1936 and 1937.
4
Graduated from Columbia University in 1941. Signed as a junior writer at Paramount for $75 a week. His apprenticeship ended, when he joined Warner Brothers as full screenwriter (1946-49). Subsequently with 20th Century Fox (1951-52). Had his most productive spell at United Artists in collaboration with Billy Wilder, 1958-66 and 1970-72.
5
One story often told says I.A.L. stood for Interscholastic Algebra League because Diamond was a tri-state winner when he was in high school. Another says that he chose the three initials when the editors of the Columbia humor magazine, The Jester insisted he write under the name Ian because his Anglicized name 'Isidore' was too Jewish-sounding. Iz was always his nickname. Izzy was something he was called by people who did not know him well.
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Just Go with It
2011
screenplay "Cactus Flower"
Buddy Buddy
1981
Fedora
1978
screenplay by
The Front Page
1974
screenplay
Avanti!
1972
screenplay
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1970
written by
Cactus Flower
1969
screenplay
The 40th Annual Academy Awards
1968
TV Special
The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special
1967
TV Special "Gallipacci" was based on an original sketch by
The Fortune Cookie
1966
written by
Kiss Me, Stupid
1964
screenplay
Irma la Douce
1963
writer
One, Two, Three
1961
screenplay
The Apartment
1960
written by
Some Like It Hot
1959
screenplay
Merry Andrew
1958
screenplay
Love in the Afternoon
1957
screenplay
That Certain Feeling
1956
Something for the Birds
1952
uncredited
Monkey Business
1952
screenplay
Let's Make It Legal
1951
Love Nest
1951
screenplay
It's a Great Feeling
1949
story
The Girl from Jones Beach
1949
writer
Two Guys from Texas
1948
screenplay
Romance on the High Seas
1948
additional dialogue
Always Together
1947
Love and Learn
1947
Never Say Goodbye
1946
screenplay
Two Guys from Milwaukee
1946
original screenplay
Murder in the Blue Room
1944
screenplay
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Fedora
1978
associate producer
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1970
associate producer
The Fortune Cookie
1966
associate producer
Kiss Me, Stupid
1964
associate producer
Irma la Douce
1963
associate producer
One, Two, Three
1961
associate producer
The Apartment
1960
associate producer
Some Like It Hot
1959
associate producer
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Don Jon
2013
writer: "Some Like It Hot" - as Isidore Diamond
Shooting the Hollywood Stars
2011
TV Movie documentary writer: "Some Like It Hot" - uncredited
The Jethro Junction
1995
TV Movie writer: "Some Like It Hot"
Some Like It Hot
1959
music: "Some Like It Hot" 1958 - uncredited
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
American Masters
1998
TV Series documentary
Himself
Live from Lincoln Center
1982
TV Series
Himself
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder
1982
Documentary
Himself
Billy Wilder
1970
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The 33rd Annual Academy Awards
1961
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Original Screenplay
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
2006
Video documentary short
Himself
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1980
Laurel Award for Screen Writing Achievement
Writers Guild of America, USA
1961
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen
The Apartment (1960)
1961
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Comedy
The Apartment (1960)
1960
NYFCC Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Best Screenplay
The Apartment (1960)
1960
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Comedy
Some Like It Hot (1959)
1958
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Comedy
Love in the Afternoon (1957)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1975
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium
The Front Page (1974)
1973
Golden Globe
Golden Globes, USA
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Avanti! (1972)
1973
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium
Avanti! (1972)
1971
Edgar
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
Best Motion Picture
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
1971
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
1970
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium
Cactus Flower (1969)
1967
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
1967
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Comedy
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
1964
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Comedy
Irma la Douce (1963)
1962
WGA Award (Screen)
Writers Guild of America, USA
Best Written American Comedy
One, Two, Three (1961)
1960
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
$200,000
