Garson Kanin

Garson Kanin, b. November 24 1912, Rochester, New York d. March 13, 1999, New York, New York, was a writer and director of plays and films. He is most notable for:

• Writer and stager of the 1946 play Born Yesterday, which ran for 1642 performances; and the screenplay of the 1950 film adaptation.
• Director of the 1955 play The Diary of Anne Frank, which ran for 717 performances.
• Director of the 1964 musical Funny Girl, which ran for 1348 performances.

He was a colleague of Thorton Wilder, who mentored him, and an admirer of the work of Frank Capra. Kanin said "I'd rather be Capra than God, if there is a Capra."