Curiosidades

In 1950, Harry Cohn, president of Columbia Pictures, paid Kanin the then-record sum of $1,000,000 for the movie rights to Garson's Broadway comedy "Born Yesterday.".

Wrote a book about his friendship with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn ("Tracy and Hepburn: An Intimate Memoir", 1971, Plume). Hepburn saw this as a deep betrayal, and didn't speak with Kanin for many years.

Kanin spent 5 1/2 years in the Army, after he was drafted. Because there were so few opportunities for directors, he turned to writing. One of his ideas for a film, for Ginger Rogers, eventually evolved into the play, "Born Yesterday".

There is a 2009 biography of the lives and careers of the Kanin family (Garson, wife Ruth Gordon, brother Michael Kanin and sister-in-law Fay Kanin): "A Family Affair - The Kanins in Hollywood and on Broadway", written by Josh Kanin (his nephew) and Wayne Lindholm.

His first wife, Ruth Gordon, was sixteen years his senior; his second wife, Marian Seldes, was sixteen years his junior.

Kanin was interested in a play, about lynching, called "Too Many Heroes" by a young Dore Schary. Samuel Goldwyn's Eastern representative wanted Kanin to travel to California to meet the producer. Kanin agreed because he could not afford a California trip to discuss Schary's play, but Goldwyn's offer made it possible.

Was nominated for Broadway's Tony Award three times: in 1956, as Best Director for "The Diary of Anne Frank," and in 1961, as Best Director (Musical) and author of the Book for Best Musical nominee "Do Re Mi."

One of the few artists in the history of Hollywood to move from directing to screenwriting.

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 307-308. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

MGM announced it was going to produce an original Kanin feature comedy called "Roses Are Blue" during its 40th-anniversary celebration. The project, along with numerous others, was quietly shelved in 1965, a casualty of studio cutbacks.

His play, "Born Yesterday," at the Remy Bumppo Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2017 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Midsize Play Production.

1945 Sidney Howard Memorial Award (shared with Arthur Laurents).

Younger brother of Michael Kanin.

Alumnus of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1933.