10 Facts About David Lardner

David Ellis Lardner was an editor, a movie critic, and later a war correspondent for The New Yorker magazine.

David Lardner was the fourth son of humorist Ring Lardner.

David Lardner was killed when a land mine exploded under the jeep he was riding in while covering the European Theatre of World War II.

David Lardner, the youngest of four sons born to noted writer and humorist Ring Lardner and his wife, Ellis Abbott, remained unnamed for two months after his birth, and his father ran a contest for naming suggestions, none of which were used.

David Lardner became an anonymous reporter and interviewer for "The Talk of the Town" column in The New Yorker in 1939 at the age of 20, as well as a movie reviewer.

David Lardner's two children, Kate and Joe, were born while he was writing this column.

The "Notes on Sports" column continued intermittently for more than two years but was discontinued permanently when David left to cover World War II in London.

David Lardner asked for an overseas assignment after being rejected for military service due to poor eyesight.

David Lardner had only joined the First Army press corps a few days before, on his first war assignment.

David Lardner died a few hours later in a hospital.