Mad About Music (1938)

Born Friedrich Kohner in Teplitz-Schönau, Austria-Hungary (now Teplice, Czech Republic). He studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and attended the University of Vienna where he wrote and later published his dissertation, "Film Is Art." During the 1920s he worked as a film correspondent in Hollywood. Later he returned to Europe, and he entered German film as an assistant director for SEITENSPRÜNGE (1931). His first writing credit was DIE WASSERTEUFEL VON HIEFLAU (1932). Other German writing credits include EIN LIED, EIN KUß, EIN MÄDEL / A SONG, A KISS, A GIRL (also 1932), BRENNENDES GEHEIMNIS /THE BURNING SECRET (1933, from his book), Robert Siodmak's LA CRISE EST FINIE / THE DEPRESSION IS OVER (1935, France) and VIKTORIA (also 1935, uncredited). Fleeing the rise of the Nazis in Europe, Kohner moved to the US and his first American film was SINS OF MAN (1936) at 20th Century-Fox. Then he worked at Universal on Deanna Durbin's MAD ABOUT MUSIC (1938, story). He penned two other Durbin films: IT'S A DATE (1940, story) and NICE GIRL? (1941, uncredited). Known for his escapist fare, his other writing credits (alone or in collaboration) include THE MEN IN HER LIFE (1941), JOHNNY DOUGHBOY (1942), TAHITI HONEY (1943), THE LADY AND THE MONSTER and LAKE PLACID SERENADE (both 1944), PATRICK THE GREAT and PAN-AMERICANA (both 1945), THREE DANCING DAUGHTERS (1948), BRIDE FOR SALE (1949), NANCY GOES TO RIO and ATOLL K (both 1950), HOLLYWOOD STORY and PICTURA (documentary) (both 1951) and NEVER WAVE AT A WAC (1952). Kohner wrote a few more German screenplays in the mid-1950s: STERN VON RIO / STAR FROM RIO and LIEBE, TANZ UND 1000 SCHLAGER / LOVE DANCE, AND 1000 SONGS (both 1955) and STUDENTIN HELENE WILLFÜER (1956). He wrote TOY TIGER (1956), GIDGET (1959, from his novel) with Sandra Dee in the title role, and GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN (1961), a classic beach movie with James Darren and Deborah Walley. It is said that the bubbly surfer-girl character is based on his own daughter. The success of his Gidget character spawned a TV series, books and several TV movies. His play The Bees and the Flowers was produced on Broadway in 1956. He also published the book Seven Rooms in Hollywood.    Nominated for Writing (Original Story) 1938: MAD ABOUT MUSIC (w. Marcella Burke) 1 nomination