Born in New York City, son of silent film actress Betty Carpenter. Consistently effective scenarist whose often witty and always acute examinations of American social mores produced several superior films of the 1950s and 60s. Outstanding credits include THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955), adapted from his stage hit, Blake Edwards's BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961) and John Frankenheimer's THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962). Axelrod's directorial efforts (LORD LOVE A DUCK, 1966, THE SECRET LIFE OF AN AMERICAN WIFE, 1968), though equally superb, have unfortunately been overlooked. He was the creator of TV's "The Tammy Grimes Show" (1966). After a decade hiatus he returned to film work in 1979 (THE LADY VANISHES), and continued to write well into the 1980s (THE HOLCROFT COVENANT, 1985, and THE FOURTH PROTOCOL, 1987).  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) 1961: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S 1 nomination