Ferdinand Reyher

Ferdinand Maximilian Reyher (July 26, 1891 – October 24, 1967 ) was an American screenwriter, novelist, and newspaper correspondent. Reyher was also a notable friend and collaborator of Bertolt Brecht.

Early life Ferdinand Reyher was born on July 26, 1891, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Max Reyher and Lina Sichel Reyher. Reyher's family had German heritage, specifically the town of Büdingen. In 1913, Reyher obtained his master's degree in English from Harvard University. Reyher spent the following year teaching English at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1915 to 1916, Reyher was a war correspondent for notable papers such as the New York Evening Sun, the Boston Globe, and the Boston Post. In 1917, Reyher married Rebecca Hourwich, an American suffragist and author. The couple had a daughter, Faith, in 1919 and divorced in 1934.

Reyher's work meant that he was acquainted with prominent figures in both the literary world and Hollywood. Reyher's friends and acquaintances included Wallace Stevens, Ford Madox Ford, John Huston, and Paul Henreid. Reyher was one of the few people who the notoriously headstrong Brecht would tolerate disagreement from. Reyher also attempted to teach the newly immigrated Brecht about American culture and advocated for its positive aspects, something that Brecht was skeptical of.