Murray Schisgal obit

Murray Schisgal, Who Brought the Absurd to the Mainstream, Dies at 93

With “Luv” on Broadway and “Tootsie” on the screen, he wrote with knowing, slightly askew humor about subjects like sex, family and failure. 

He was not on the list.

Schisgal was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. He was the son of Jewish immigrants, Irene (Sperling), a bank clerk, and Abraham Schisgal, a tailor.

Schisgal won his first recognition for the 1963 off-Broadway double-bill The Typists and The Tiger, which received the Drama Desk Award. His 1965 Broadway debut, Luv, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and for Best Author of a Play. Other credits include Jimmy Shine, 74 Georgia Avenue, Naked Old Man and All Over Town, which received a Drama Desk nomination.

Schisgal also wrote The Love Song of Barney Kempinski, which was the first presentation of ABC Stage 67, and the screenplay for The Tiger Makes Out. Along with Larry Gelbart, Schisgal co-wrote the screenplay for Tootsie, for which he was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA, and for which he won awards from the Writers Guild of America, New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Schisgal died on October 1, 2020, in Port Chester, New York, at the age of 93.

Writer

Felix Bruneau and Marvast Dumas in The Tiger (2021)

The Tiger

Short

Writer

2021

 

Pridhvi Sunain Zoro and Rebecca Oystila in Jimmy Shine 1968 (2014)

Jimmy Shine 1968

Short

play by

2014

 

Szerelem, Ó!

TV Movie

Writer

2009

 

Tootsie (1982)

Tootsie

7.4

screenplay by

1982

 

Love, Life, Liberty & Lunch

TV Special

writer

1976

 

Vinduer

TV Movie

play

1972

 

The Typists (1971)

The Typists

7.3

TV Movie

play

1971

 

Stenotypisté

TV Movie

play "The Typists"

1969

 

Prozorci

TV Movie

play

1969

 

Sunday Father

6.7

Short

writer

1969

 

A gépírók

TV Movie

play

1967

 

The Tiger Makes Out (1967)

The Tiger Makes Out

5.8

play "The Tiger"

screenplay

1967

 

Jack Lemmon and Elaine May in Luv (1967)

Luv

5.3

play

1967

 

Konttoristit

TV Movie

play "The Typists"

1966

 

ABC Stage 67 (1966)

ABC Stage 67

7.3

TV Series

written by

1966

1 episode

 

Freddie Andersen, Karl Erik Christophersen, Per Pallesen, and Kirsten Peüliche in Vinduer (1966)

Vinduer

TV Movie

play

1966

 

Hanne Løye and Erik Paaske in Kontoristerne (1966)

Kontoristerne

TV Movie

play

1966

 

Daktilografi

TV Movie

Writer

1965

 

Playdate

6.4

TV Series

play

1963

1 episode

 

Armchair Theatre (1956)

Armchair Theatre

7.6

TV Series

writer

1961

1 episode

 

Producer

Toby Moore in A Separate Peace (2004)

A Separate Peace

5.4

TV Movie

executive producer

2004

 

Club Land (2001)

Club Land

5.7

TV Movie

executive producer

2001

 

Claire Forlani, Jason Biggs, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Amanda Detmer in Boys and Girls (2000)

Boys and Girls

5.4

producer

2000

 

Kirsten Dunst in The Devil's Arithmetic (1999)

The Devil's Arithmetic

6.3

TV Movie

producer

1999

 

Diane Lane and Viggo Mortensen in A Walk on the Moon (1999)

A Walk on the Moon

6.6

producer

1999

 

Actor

Tootsie (1982)

Tootsie

7.4

Party Guest

1982