N. Richard Nash
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N. Richard Nash (June 8, 1913 - December 11, 2000) was a successful playwright and screenwriter probably best known for writing The Rainmaker. The Philadelphia-born writer was a boxer before entering the University of Philadelphia to study English and philosophy. After graduation Nash wrote the Shakespearian-themed comedy The Second Best Bed in 1946. The highly acclaimed drama lead to him writing more including The Rainmaker in the early 1950s. The play, translated to over 40 languages and made into a Hollywood film starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn, was a huge success. The story was also made into a Broadway musical, 110 in the Shade. Nash went on to write a number of screenplays, novels and plays. Nash's first film screenplay was the 1947 Ann Sheridan film noir, Nora Prentiss