1. Jerome Coopersmith was an American dramatist known for television, theater, and his work as a professor of screenplay writing.
24 Facts About Jerome Coopersmith
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Jerome Coopersmith was a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member and past officer of the Writers Guild of America, East.
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On November 12,2019, at age 94, Jerome Coopersmith was honored with the highest distinction of Chevalier, or Knight, in the National Order of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of his service to France in World War II.
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Jerome Coopersmith's education was interrupted by two years of service in WW2's 94th Infantry Division of the United States Army, where he was awarded a Purple Heart.
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In 1945,20 year old Jerome Coopersmith returned to college and earned his degree from New York University.
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Jerome Coopersmith landed his first television job in 1947 with pioneer TV producer Martin Stone, who had a number of shows on the air including the popular "Howdy Doody".
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Jerome Coopersmith wrote the short vignettes of American history which aired on the show.
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In 1952, Martin Stone wanted to try his hand at producing a comedy, and so he and Jerome Coopersmith came up with the idea of a series called "Johnny Jupiter" about a television studio janitor, played by Vaughn Taylor, who succeeds in contacting the planet Jupiter.
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David Susskind, wishing to enter that realm, took over as executive producer of "Armstrong Circle Theater," originally a half-hour dramatic show, and recruited Jerome Coopersmith to help him change the show's format.
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In 1964, Coopersmith wrote an episode for "Decision: The Conflicts of Harry S Truman", A documentary series based on the writings of Harry S Truman during his US presidency, produced by Ben Gradus for Screen Gems.
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Jerome Coopersmith met President Truman when he wrote the 25th episode, "I Am an American", reflecting on the attempted assassination of Truman in 1950.
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In 1967, Jerome Coopersmith was hired by producer Leonard Freeman to write a script for a new TV series "Hawaii Five-O".
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Jerome Coopersmith wrote screenplays for TV movies and specials which aired on the major networks in the 1970s and 80s.
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In 1973, Jerome Coopersmith wrote the screenplay for "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" an animated adaptation of Clement Moore's classic poem "A Visit From Saint Nicholas".
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Jerome Coopersmith's first effort was a biographical play entitled "Eleanor" about the early life of Eleanor Roosevelt when she worked as a volunteer teacher in a New York Settlement House.
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Jerome Coopersmith wrote the first act, a playlet based on Mark Twain's stories "The Diary of Adam and Eve" and "Eve's Diary".
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Jerome Coopersmith continued bringing children's stories to the stage with his musical adaption of Johann David Wyss's "Swiss Family Robinson".
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In 1991, Jerome Coopersmith collaborated with Lucy Freeman to co-author "The Mystery of Anna O", a full-length non-musical play about the first person in the world ever to be psychoanalyzed.
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In 1992, Ruth Gruber enrolled in Jerome Coopersmith's writing class at Hunter College.
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Jerome Coopersmith shared with him a book she had written, "Haven", the remarkable true story of her involvement in the rescue of 1000 Holocaust refugees and her fight to keep them in America.
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Jerome Coopersmith's research led him to learn of the controversial relationship between illusionist Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle over the subject of spiritualism.
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Jerome Coopersmith wrote the children's book, "A Chanukah Fable for Christmas", illustrated by Syd Hoff, about a young Jewish boy dreaming for something to celebrate during Christmas time.
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Jerome Coopersmith was an adjunct professor at Hunter College and Brooklyn College spanning 1970 to 2009, teaching screenplay and television writing.
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Jerome Coopersmith died in Rochester, New York, on July 21,2023, at the age of 97.