Ring Lardner Jr.

Ring Lardner Jr.
Lardner in 1947
Born
Ringgold Wilmer Lardner Jr.

August 1915
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, 2000(2000-10-31) (aged 85)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationsScreenwriter, novelist
Years active1937–1977
Spouses
  • (m. 1937; div. 1945)
  • (m. 1946)
Children3
Parent(s)Ring Lardner, Ellis Abbott
RelativesJames, John, David (brothers)

Ringgold Wilmer Lardner Jr. (August 15 or 19, 1915 – October 31, 2000) was an American screenwriter and novelist. After enjoying early success in Hollywood, he was subpoenaed in 1947 by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), where he refused to answer whether he was a member of the Communist Party. He was declared in contempt of Congress, blacklisted by the film studios as one of the "Hollywood Ten", and sentenced to a year in federal prison. Lardner's next screenplay credit, using his own name, was not until The Cincinnati Kid in 1965. He went on to win an Academy Award for his M*A*S*H (1970) screenplay.