Date of Birth: June 20, 1905
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Date of Death: June 30, 1984
Biography
Lillian Florence Hellman was an influential American dramatist and screenwriter, renowned for her sharp, socially conscious plays that often tackled issues of moral integrity and injustice. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Hellman spent her early years in a culturally rich environment that would later influence her writing. She attended New York University and Columbia University, though she did not graduate. Hellman began her career as a play reader and script reader in Hollywood before making her mark as a playwright. Her first major success came with “The Children’s Hour” in 1934, a play that dealt with the destructive power of lies and was based on a true story. This was followed by other significant works like “The Little Foxes” (1939) and “Watch on the Rhine” (1941), both of which were adapted into successful films. Her personal life was equally dramatic; she had a long-term relationship with the writer Dashiell Hammett and was a known leftist, which led to her blacklisting during the McCarthy era. Despite this, she continued to write and publish, producing memoirs such as “An Unfinished Woman” and “Pentimento,” the latter of which included the story “Julia,” later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film.
5 Interesting Facts about Lillian Hellman
1. Lillian Hellman was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s due to her alleged communist affiliations.
2. She was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama three times but never won.
3. Hellman’s long-term partner was the famous detective novelist Dashiell Hammett.
4. Her memoir “Pentimento” was adapted into the film “Julia,” which won three Academy Awards in 1977.
5. Hellman was awarded the National Book Award for her memoir “An Unfinished Woman” in 1969.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Lillian Hellman
1. “If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don’t listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.”
2. “Cynicism is an unpleasant way of saying the truth.”
3. “People change and forget to tell each other.”
4. “It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.”
5. “Since when do you have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At the height of her career, Lillian Hellman’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.
Children
Lillian Hellman did not have any children.
Relevant Links
1. [Lillian Hellman – Biography on Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lillian-Hellman
2. [Lillian Hellman – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0375602/
3. [Lillian Hellman – The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/lillian-hellman
4. [Lillian Hellman – Poetry Foundation](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/lillian-hellman
