Morrie Ryskind was born on October 20, 1895 in New York City, New York, USA as Morris Ryskind. He was a writer, known for Animal Crackers (1930), A Night at the Opera (1935) and My Man Godfrey (1936). He died on August 24, 1985 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
He held very conservative political views. In 1947, he testified to Communist infiltration of the Screenwriter's Guild before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Turning away from film work -- after claiming to be shunned by Hollywood -- he later concentrated on writing political columns for The National Review, The Los Angeles Times Syndicate and the Los Angeles Examiner. He retired in 1978.
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Best known for his collaborations with George S. Kaugman and the Gershwins on Broadway plays, and, from 1935, on Hollywood screenplays.
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Was expelled from Columbia University in 1917 (six weeks before his graduation), when he wrote an editorial in the collegiate magazine 'The Jester', in which he called the university's president 'Czar Nicholas'.
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He was the son of Russian immigrants. His father operated a cigar store in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
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