Stewart Stern

Stewart Henry Stern (March 22, 1922 – February 2, 2015) was an American screenwriter and performer. Born the nephew of Adolph Zukor, the founder of Paramount Pictures, Stern went on to build a career that spanned stage, screen, and education. He died of cancer in Seattle, Washington, at the age of 92.

Before establishing himself as a writer, Stern appeared on Broadway in 1945 in the play The French Touch. His stage work preceded a screenwriting career that would produce some of the most recognized films and television productions of the mid-twentieth century. His screenplay for Rebel Without a Cause (1955), starring James Dean, remains his most celebrated work. Among his other notable film credits are The Rack (1956), starring Paul Newman; The James Dean Story (1957), directed by Robert Altman; The Outsider (1961), starring Tony Curtis; The Ugly American (1963), starring Marlon Brando; Rachel, Rachel (1968), starring Joanne Woodward; and The Last Movie (1971), directed by Dennis Hopper. His teleplay for Sybil (1976) earned Emmy Awards for both Stern and actress Sally Field. He also appeared on screen as an actor, taking the role of Cook in Fright Night (1985).

Stern's connection to Paul Newman extended beyond Rachel, Rachel. He authored No Tricks in My Pocket: Paul Newman Directs, a book examining Newman's directorial process during the filming of The Glass Menagerie.

During World War II, Stern served as an infantryman and saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge, for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. The frostbite he sustained during the war left him with permanently numb feet for the remainder of his life. In later years he became a dedicated educator, teaching a course called "The Personal Connection" at TheFilmSchool in Seattle and returning annually to teach at the Sundance Institute. His life and work were also the subject of the documentary Going Through Splat: The Life and Work of Stewart Stern.