Neil Simon Editorial Photo

Neil Simon is seen here during an interview at the Chicago Film Festival in 1980. Simon, a prolific Jewish-American playwright, writer, author, screenwriter, and producer, was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1927 in The Bronx and died in Manhattan on August 26, 2018 from pneumonia at 91. Known mostly as a humorous wordsmith, he occasionally had several of his productions on Broadway simultaneously. Among his works are, `Lost in Yonkers,` `Brighton Beach Memoirs,` `Biloxi Blues,` `The Odd Couple,` `The Goodbye Girl,` Barefoot in the Park, "Sweet Charity," "The Star-Spangled Girl," "The Dinner Party," "The Sunshine Boys," "Laughter on the 23rd Floor," "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "Plaza Suite," "California Suite," and `Chapter Two,` just to name 15. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for "Lost in Yonkers," won 4 Tony Awards, and the Mark Twain Humor Award as well.