Leonard B. Stern

Leonard Bernard Stern (December 23, 1922 – June 7, 2011) was an American screenwriter, film and television producer, director, and one of the creators, with Roger Price, of the word game Mad Libs. Life and career Stern was born in New York City and majored in journalism at New York University. He was a Women’s Army Corps recruiter while serving in the Army during World War II. Stern was a successful television writer who wrote for such now classic series such as The Honeymooners, The Phil Silvers Show, The Steve Allen Show, Tonight Starring Steve Allen and Get Smart (a program on which he served as executive producer). Stern created the signature opening door credits for Get Smart. Stern was also a writer for the 1952 Danny Thomas and Peggy Lee version of The Jazz Singer and a few Abbott and Costello films (with Martin Ragaway), among others. In the 1970s, he produced and directed the TV series McMillan & Wife, which starred Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James.