Meyer Levin - Anne Frank Case

Anne Frank Case

Levin was one of the first American journalists to become aware of the existence of Anne Frank's diary, and he was also one of the first people to recognize the literary and dramatic potential of this document; he wrote the book review, which appeared on the front page of the New York Times Sunday Book Review. He corresponded with and met Anne's father Otto Frank, who authorized Levin by mail to adapt the Diary for the stage. Levin later became obsessed when Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett were later substituted for him, successfully adapting the diary into a hit play, while the play he wrote was rejected. He brought suit against the producers and writers of the Broadway play, alleging that they had appropriated a number of Levin's original scenes from his adaptation. Levin prevailed in his lawsuit, but settled for a lesser amount of damages, rather than continue with expensive litigation, since the Hacketts decided to appeal the verdict, but Levin still obtained no right to have his version of the play performed, as he had signed that away, under pressure by Myer Mermin, an attorney for Otto Frank, of the law firm Paul, Weiss.

Levin wrote a novel, The Fanatic, based on his experiences, but that was not sufficient to exorcise his inner demons. Some years later, he wrote one of his best-received books, The Obsession, containing his straightforward version of all the facts.

His 30-year battle to have his play performed and the legal battles were also covered in An Obsession with Anne Frank: Meyer Levin and the Diary by Lawrence Graver, The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank: Meyer Levin, Lillian Hellman and the Staging of the Diary by Ralph Melnick, as well as in the French-language book by Levin's wife, Tereska Torres, Les maisons hantees de Meyer Levin, published by Editions Phebus (Paris). Also look for the 2010 play by Rinne Groff Compulsion, inspired by the life of Meyer Levin, starring Mandy Patinkin and directed by Oskar Eustis.