Perelman << PURL muhn >>, S. J. (1904-1979), was an American writer known for his humorous satires and parodies on contemporary life. Perelman’s targets included advertising, bestselling fiction, the Hollywood motion-picture industry, and the behavior of American tourists when they visited other countries.
Sidney Joseph Perelman was born on Feb. 1, 1904, in the Brooklyn section of New York City. He grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, the setting of several of his works. Following the success of his first book, Dawn Ginsbergh’s Revenge (1929), he went to Hollywood to write screenplays. He helped write the scripts for two of the Marx Brothers’ best-known comedies, Monkey Business (1931) and Horse Feathers (1932). From 1931 until his death, much of his work appeared in The New Yorker magazine. His selected letters were published in Don’t Tread on Me (1986). He died on Oct. 17, 1979.
