S.J. Perelman(1904-1979)

He was not in attendance when he won an Academy Award for his screenplay for "Around The World In 80 Days", but sent Hermione Gingold to collect the Oscar on his behalf. She began her acceptance speech (written by Perelman) by saying, "Mr. Perelman regrets that he cannot be here tonight for a variety of reasons, all of them spicy.".

There were times, when I drove along the Sunset Strip and looked at those buildings or when I watched the fashionable film colony arriving at some première ... that I fully expected God in his wrath to obliterate the whole shebang. [on Hollywood]