Don Martin Mankiewicz (January 20, 1922 – April 25, 2015) was an American screenwriter and novelist best known for his novel Trial.

Early life

Born in Berlin, Germany, he was the son of Sara (née Aaronson) and the screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and brother of journalist Frank Mankiewicz. He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1942.

Career

His 1955 novel Trial won the Harper Prize and was made into a film of the same name. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for I Want to Live! (1958). Among his many television credits are Ironside, for which he wrote the pilot, the Star Trek episode "Court Martial", and the mini-series adaptation of President John F. Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage. His college classmate, the novelist and journalist, Gordon Cotler was a frequent creative partner, including: Lanigan's Rabbi, Rosetti and Ryan, The Bait, McMillan & Wife, and The Black Bird.

Personal life

Mankiewicz married Ilene Korsen on March 26, 1946, and divorced her in 1972. He married Carol Bell Guidi on July 1, 1972. Mankiewicz had 2 children with Ilene (Jane and John). He had two children with Carol (Jan and Sandy). His son is screenwriter and producer John Mankiewicz. Jane is a fiction writer published in The New Yorker.

Death

Mankiewicz died on April 25, 2015, at his home in Monrovia, California at age 93 of congestive heart failure. He was survived by his wife of 40 years and his four children.

Novels

Filmography

Films

Television