D.M. Marshman Jr.

December 21, 1922 – September 17, 2015

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

While Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder were working on the screenplay for "Sunset Blvd." (1950), they feared that their writing had gone stale. They asked D.M. Marshman, Jr., an influential film critic for Life magazine to join their team. Marshman's contribution to the screenplay included the memorable line, "As long as the lady is paying for it, why not take the Vicuna?" The film went on to win three Oscars including one for Brackett, Wilder, and Marshman's screenplay. Despite Marshman's auspicious start as a screenwriter, his career in Hollywood did not last long. After a couple more screenwriting credits (both without either Brackett or Wilder), Marshman left Hollywood to work in the advertising industry.