About Lesser Samuels
Lived 1894 – 1980 (aged 86). Lesser Samuels was an American screenwriter and film producer.
Lesser Samuels (26 July 1894 – 22 December 1980) enjoyed a 20-year career as a Hollywood screenwriter.
He is best known for back-to-back Oscar nominations for the racial drama No Way Out in 1950 and Billy Wilder's lacerating critique of tabloid journalism Ace in the Hole the following year.
Samuels also wrote and served as associate producer on the notorious Biblical flop The Silver Chalice - a film which its star Paul Newman deemed one of the low points of his career - in 1954.
Samuels co-authored the book for the 1960 Frank Loesser musical Greenwillow.
Selected filmography It's Love Again (1936)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Lesser Samuels's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Lesser Samuels's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Lesser Samuels?
American screenwriter (1894-1980)
When was Lesser Samuels born?
Lesser Samuels was born on 26 July 1894 in Pennsylvania.
When did Lesser Samuels die?
Lesser Samuels died on 22 December 1980 in New York City.
What was Lesser Samuels's occupation?
Lesser Samuels was a screenwriter and film producer.
What nationality was Lesser Samuels?
Lesser Samuels was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lesser Samuels. https://biography.guide/lesser-samuels/
MLA: "Lesser Samuels." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lesser-samuels/.
Chicago: "Lesser Samuels." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lesser-samuels/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:01 UTC