KLEIN, Alexander 1918-2002

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born November 12, 1918, in Szibo, Hungary; died August 13, 2002, in New York, NY. Businessman, educator, and author. Klein had a varied career but is likely to be remembered most for his spy thriller The Counterfeit Traitor, which was adapted as a 1962 movie starring William Holden. A Hungarian immigrant, Klein came to the United States when he was five years old and graduated from City College of the City University of New York in 1939. He embarked on a career as a screenwriter and speechwriter, working on combat-training films and documentaries during World War II. He subsequently worked in film and television for Henry Steele Commager, moving to vice president in charge of television for the J. D. Tarcher Advertising Agency in the early 1950s. During this time he was also a creative writing instructor at City College. In 1957 he cofounded the Arden House, a foreign-policy think tank, and from 1970 to 1975 was an adjunct professor at Fordham University. Although best remembered for The Counterfeit Traitor, Klein was the author of ten books and wrote over two hundred movie scripts. His books include The Empire City (1955), The Double Dealers (1959), The Magnificent Scoundrels (1961), and The Pellet Woman (1965); his movie scripts include Shalom, Baby (1975) and The Savage. Klein also edited the nonfiction works Natural Enemies: Youth and Conflict of the Generations (1970) and Dissent, Power, and Confrontation (1972).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

New York Times, August 24, 2002, p. A13.

Washington Post, August 25, 2002, p. C6.