-
The Birth of Neil Simon
Neil Simon was born on July 4, 1927 in New York City -
Family members
Simon’s father, Irving, was a fabric salesman. His mother, Mamie, was a saleswoman at Gimbels department store. -
Places lived
Neil Simon only lived in one area and that was The Bronx -
World events and politics
Growing up in the Washington Heights district of Manhattan amid the financial worries of the Great Depression. Neal Simon identifies himself as a "moderate independent"; in the 2018 campaign, he described his fiscal positions as being closer to that of the Republican platform and his social positions as closer to those of the Democratic platform. -
Period: to
Education
The younger Simon later studied at New York University and at the University of Denver. -
Children
Neil Simon fathered three children: Nancy Simon, Bryn Simon, and Ellen Simon. -
Other Facts about Neil Simon
He served in the Army Air Force Reserve, 1945-1946
He Has won three Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Nominated for four Academy Awards.
Simon's parents had a volatile relationship. His father would periodically leave the family.
The character of Felix in "The Odd Couple" was based on Simon's older brother, Danny. -
Period: to
Marriages
Simon was married five times. First to dancer Joan Baim from 1953 to 1973, then to Marsha Mason from 1973 to 1983. His third wife, Diane Lander, he married twice, and at the time of his death, he was married to Elaine Joyce. -
Barefoot in the Park
Neil Simon published this play in 1963.
In this film based on a Neil Simon play, newlyweds Corie (Jane Fonda), a free spirit, and Paul Bratter (Robert Redford), an uptight lawyer, share a sixth-floor apartment in Greenwich Village. Soon after their marriage, Corie tries to find a companion for mother, Ethel (Mildred Natwick), who is now alone, and sets up Ethel with neighbor Victor (Charles Boyer). Inappropriate behavior on a double date causes conflict, and the young couple considers divorce. -
The Odd Couple
Neil Simon published the play in 1964.
The plot concerns two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easygoing Oscar Madison. Simon adapted the play in 1985 to feature a pair of female roommates (Florence Ungar and Olive Madison) in The Female Odd Couple.
It was the winner of Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Comedy award. -
People who influenced Neil Simon
Simon looked for and found inspiration everywhere. He once visited his older brother, Danny, who was recently divorced and was rooming with another divorced friend. While others might have seen an apartment in chaos, Simon saw a play. It became ''The Odd Couple. -
Sweet Charity
Neil Simon published this play in 1966
Charity Hope Valentine (Shirley MacLaine) always tries to look on the bright side of life, despite working in a rundown dance hall and contending with a seemingly endless run of bad dates. Determined to find love, Charity falls for suave actor Vittorio Vidal (Ricardo Montalban), but their romance is all too brief. However, when Charity finds herself stuck in an elevator with the reserved Oscar Lindquist (John McMartin) -
Plaza Suite
Neil Simon published this play in 1969.
In based on Neil Simon's hit play, Walter Matthau portrays three unconnected roles. Sam Nash reluctantly joins his wife, Karen in the suite where they spent their honeymoon, hoping to revive their flagging marriage. Then Jesse Kiplinger, an aging movie producer, is determined to seduce his old flame, Muriel (Barbara Harris). Finally, Matthau is beleaguered father Roy Hubley who, with his wife, Norma struggles to get their daughter to her own wedding. -
The Good Doctor
Neil Simon published this play in 1973.
A combination of Neil Simon and Chekhov, The Good Doctor, a comedy with music, is, by turns, charming, hilarious, sad, and touching. It centers around a writer, who speaks to the audience and shares his writing with them, throughout one day. -
Fools
Neil Simon published this play in 1981.
Fools is a comic fable by Neil Simon, set in the small village of Kulyenchikov, Ukraine, during the late 19th century. ... Leon soon learns that there is a curse on the village that makes everyone stupid, but complications ensue when Leon falls in love with his pupil. -
Rumors
Neil Simon published this play in 1988.
The play starts with Ken Gorman and his wife, Chris Gorman, at the 10th anniversary party of Charlie Brock, the Deputy Mayor of New York, and his wife, Myra. Unfortunately, things are not going quite to plan. All the kitchen staff are gone, Myra is missing, and Charlie has shot himself in the head. -
Lost in Yonkers
Neil Simon published this play in 1990.
During the 1940s, Jay (Mike Damus) and Arty (Brad Stoll) find their lives turned upside down when their father moves south for work, leaving them with their no-nonsense grandmother (Irene Worth) and their loving but absent-minded spinster aunt, Bella (Mercedes Ruehl). Along the way, they're also introduced to Uncle Louie (Richard Dreyfuss), a small-time crook.Underlying tension between Bella and her mother surface when Bella decides to marry her boyfriend -
Proposals
Neil Simon published this play in 1997.
Proposals is a memory play that nostalgically recalls an afternoon the Hines family spends in the Pocono Mountains during the 1950s. The family's housekeeper, Clemma, narrates the story, which revolves around relationships at a family gathering. Clemma worries about a visit from her ex-husband. -
Period: to
Health issues
In 2004, Simon received a kidney transplant from his long-time friend and publicist Bill Evans. Neil Simon died on August 26, 2018, after being on life support while hospitalized for renal failure. He also had Alzheimer's disease. He was 91. The cause of death was complications of pneumonia, according to his publicist, Bill Evans. Simon died around 1 a.m. Sunday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. -
The Death of Neil Simon
Simon passed away on August 26, 2018, at a Manhattan hospital due to complications from pneumonia. The legendary playwright was also reported to have been suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. -
Reference Page
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Neil Simon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Aug. 2019
“Neil Simon.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 23 July 2019
“Neil Simon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Oct. 2019
“Neil Simon Fast Facts.” CNN, Cable News Network, 26 Aug. 2018,
Walsh, S.M. “Neil Simon's Kids & Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know.” Heavy.com, 26 Aug. 2018,
