Don Mankiewicz (January 20, 1922 – April 25, 2015) was an American screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Sara (Aaronson) and the screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz is best known for his 1955 novel Trial, which won the Harper Prize and was adapted for the screen.

Life and background

Mankiewicz grew up in a family engaged with writing and entertainment; his father was an established Hollywood screenwriter. Although details of his early education and private life remained relatively private, his professional path followed the twin tracks of fiction and dramatic writing for visual media. He lived most of his life in the United States and worked in the circles that bridged publishing and motion pictures.

Career and works

Don Mankiewicz wrote both novels and scripts. His novel Trial (1955) earned the Harper Prize, marking a high point in his literary career and leading to a film adaptation. Beyond that title he contributed to various motion-picture and television projects, applying his understanding of plot, character and dialogue to the different demands of page and screen.

Themes and style

His writing is often described as focused on moral complexity and the procedural elements of drama, with an interest in how institutions, law and media affect individuals. Mankiewicz's background in screenwriting informed a concise, dramatic prose style suited to adaptation and performance.

Legacy and death

Through his fiction and screen work, Mankiewicz exemplified a mid-20th-century writer who moved between novels and film. He helped demonstrate how literary narratives could be shaped for cinema and television without losing thematic depth. Don Mankiewicz died of congestive heart failure in Monrovia, California, at the age of 93.

Notable facts

  • Author of the Harper Prize–winning novel Trial (1955).
  • Born into a family connected to early Hollywood screenwriting.
  • Worked across both prose fiction and dramatic writing for screen and television, illustrating the overlap between the two fields.