(1904-61), American playwright, librettist and director.
His earliest and most sustained success was in partnership with George S. Kaufman. Their most popular collaborative works include: Once In A Lifetime (1930), You Can't Take It With You (1936), and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939). Another Kaufman and Hart work, Merrily We Roll Along (1934) was the basis for one of Stephen Sondheim's less-appreciated, but quite fascinating musicals of the same title.
Hart also is remembered for the musical Lady In The Dark (1941), whose composer was Kurt Weill.
Hart also directed his own plays as well as others, including My Fair Lady. He wrote the screenplay for Gentlemen's Agreement, among others.
Hart was married to Kitty Carlisle, an actress perhaps best known for her appearances on the television game show What's My Line?. He authored an autobiography, Act One (1959) which focuses especially on his early career and association with Kaufman.