Harvey Breit was an American poet, editor, and playwright. He was married to poet and playwright Patricia Rinehart

Patricia Rinehart

Patricia Rinehart was an American poet and playwright. With Harvey Breit, whom she had married in 1955, she adapted R. K. Narayan's novel The Guide for Broadway.-References:...

. He co-wrote the play The Disenchanted with Budd Schulberg

Budd Schulberg

Budd Schulberg was an American screenwriter, television producer, novelist and sports writer. He was known for his 1941 novel, What Makes Sammy Run?, his 1947 novel The Harder They Fall, his 1954 Academy-award-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront, and his 1957 screenplay for A Face in the...

, an adaption from Schulberg's novel of the same name, about the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...

. Breit adapted other novels for the stage including R. K. Narayan

R. K. Narayan

R. K. Narayan , shortened from Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami Tamil: ) , Madras Presidency, British India. His father was a school headmaster, and Narayan did some of his studies at his father's school...

's novel The Guide

The Guide

The Guide is a 1958 novel written in English by the Indian author R. K. Narayan. Like most of his works the novel is based in Malgudi, the fictional town in South India...

.

Breit began his writing career at TIME

Time (magazine)

Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

, where he worked from 1933 to 1934. He was also a columnist and editor for the New York Times Book Review from 1948 to 1957. He lectured at Sarah Lawrence College

Sarah Lawrence College

Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...

, and died in 1968.

The Disenchanted

Breit wrote the screenplay for Disenchanted about the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...

 with the author of the book of the same name, Budd Schulberg. The play was nominated for a Tony Award

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

 for Best Play in 1959, and starred Jason Robards

Jason Robards

Jason Nelson Robards, Jr. was an American actor on stage, and in film and television, and a winner of the Tony Award , two Academy Awards and the Emmy Award...

, who won a Tony Award for his performance. Breit also edited the letters of novelist Malcolm Lowry

Malcolm Lowry

Clarence Malcolm Lowry was an English poet and novelist who was best known for his novel Under the Volcano, which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels list.-Biography:...

(The Selected Letters of Malcolm Lowry, Lippincott, 1964) with Lowry's wife Marjorie.

External links

• Harvey Breit Correspondence - Harvey Breit Correspondence, 1940-1965, Manuscript Series I, Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections, Northwestern University Library.