Miklós László
| Miklos Laszlo | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | Nicholaus Leitner May 20, 1903 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | April 19, 1973 (aged 69) |
| Occupation | playwright screenwriter |
| Nationality | Naturalized American citizen |
| Spouse | Florence Herrman (1939-1973; his death) |
Miklos Laszlo (May 20, 1903 – April 19, 1973) was a playwright and naturalized American citizen born in Budapest, Hungary. He is best remembered for his play Illatszertár, also known as Parfumerie, which was used as the storyline for three movies, The Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime, and, most recently, You've Got Mail. The play also was adapted for the Broadway stage as the musical She Loves Me.
Nicholaus Leitner (Laszlo) was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1903, to a family of German Jewish extraction. Emperor Franz Josef ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Great War was still a few years away, and it had been decreed by the government that all ethnic non-Magyar (non-Hungarian) citizens should take an indigenous name as part of the "cultural unification" of the population. The name "László" was chosen for the Leitner family. No particular reason is known other than that it was a well-known Hungarian name and that it was similar (vaguely) to the original family name "Leitner". Henrik and Ilona Fischer Leitner therefore gave to their infant son on his birth certificate the name Leitner László Nicholaus, last name first as is the custom in Hungary.
Niki grew up in the hustle and bustle of wartime Budapest. His family was in the entertainment business, and he naturally gravitated toward a career in entertainment as well. He was a clever and witty lad, always amusing friends and family with his quips and characterizations. He rubbed elbows with the Hungarian literati of the day including Ferenc Molnár the playwright, whose most famous work Liliom is known to English speaking audiences as the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. It only made sense then that Niki was encouraged to put pen to paper and as a young adult began to produce his own little one-scene plays for the various small theatres and cabarets around the city. These "little plays" became his fame and provided spare income to support his "young man with possibilities" lifestyle. It even afforded him the time to work on some larger more comprehensive works which he would eventually complete as full multi-act plays.
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