- Born
- Died
- Birth nameCyril Woolf Mankowitz
- Playwright, screenwriter and novelist Wolf Mankowitz was one of Britain's most prolific and successful writers. Once dubbed "the rising hope of British musical theatre," he lived an extravagant lifestyle, which included three luxury homes, although he was frequently in trouble with the taxman.
Born in London's East End, his father Solomon was a Russian émigré who ran a second hand books stall. Educated at East Ham Grammar School he won a scholarship to Downing College, Cambridge where he edited an undergraduate magazine and worked in a bookshop part time.
After leaving Cambridge he wrote several books about pottery and porcelain (his first love) before writing Make Me An Offer (1952). A success, it was later adapted for television and a film (1954) and a West End musical. One of his most memorable films L'enfant et la licorne (1955) followed in 1953.
He wrote screenplays of his own novels as well as Les dessous de la millionnaire (1960), The Waltz of the Toreadors, Casino Royale (1967), Black Beauty (1971), and Le Jour où la Terre prit feu (1961).
Expresso Bongo (1959) was both a success on stage and film and led to Mankowitz becoming a theatrical impresario. He wrote several other musicals including Pickwick (1963) and Stand and Deliver (1972).
He bought a house in Cork, Ireland, in 1971 in order to take advantage of Ireland's lean approach to the taxation of writers, but in 1981, he was declared bankrupt with tax debts of £53,000.
Irish playwright and screenwriter Patrick Galvin commented: "Mankowitz had this enormous energy as a writer coupled with a terrific knack for dialogue. He was a born playwright and a very professional man."
Mankowitz married Ann Margaret Seligman in 1944. They had a son, Gered, who became an acclaimed photographer, mainly of pop stars, such as The Rolling Stones, Marianne Faithfull, Elton John and John Barry.- IMDb mini biography by: Patrick Newley
- SpouseAnn Margaret Seligmann(August 2, 1944 - May 20, 1998) (his death, 3 children)
- After working with Peter Sellers on "The Waltz Of The Toreadors", Mankowitz joined forces with the actor in an independent film company called Sellers-Mankowitz Productions, and they announced, as their first production, a comedy film to be entitled "Memoirs Of A Cross-Eyed Man". But the unpredictable Sellers went cold on the idea and found he had little fondness for the duties and responsibilities of a film producer, so he wound up the company very soon after it had been launched, without its having made any films. Later, Mankowitz described him as a "treacherous lunatic" - they were never reconciled.
- Introduced legendary producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli to each other. The two men partnered up to make the James Bond films. They returned the favor by hiring him to write the first draft of James Bond 007 contre Dr. No (1962). But Wolf decided to have his name removed, thinking the film would be a huge flop. After seeing it, he asked to have his name re-inserted, but prints were already made.
- Did a screenplay for a film entitled The Nylon Pirates which was announced as a Val Guest production in December 1965.
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