Murray Schisgal

Murray Joseph Schisgal (November 25, 1926 – October 1, 2020) was an American playwright and screenwriter.

Early life Schisgal was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. He was the son of Jewish immigrants, Irene (Sperling), a bank clerk, and Abraham Schisgal, a tailor.

Education He dropped out of high school and worked as a radio operator during World War II. He went to night school to get a diploma, while pushing a hand truck in the Garment District to support himself. Naked Old Man and All Over Town, which received a Drama Desk nomination.

Schisgal also wrote The Love Song of Barney Kempinski, which was the first presentation of ABC Stage 67, and the screenplay for The Tiger Makes Out. Along with Larry Gelbart, Schisgal co-wrote the screenplay for Tootsie, for which he was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA, and for which he won awards from the Writers Guild of America, New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Personal life and death He married Reene Shapiro in 1958, a movie producer; she died in 2017. They had two children. In 1984, he signed a letter protesting German arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Schisgal died on October 1, 2020, in Port Chester, New York, at the age of 93.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1982 Tootsie Party Guest Also co-screenwriter