Frieda Fishbein

Frieda FISHBEIN: b. 20 March 1886, Pitesti - d. 6 Sept 1981, Brooklyn, New York

N.B. strange disparities in DOB given on differing - even very official - documents etc. The date entered here follows that of New York Times obituary and matches with family Census rrecords but doesn't tally with details entered on her US naturalisation form or on that of her father Osias ...

Information courtesy of various sources, including the following:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieda_Fishbein

Frieda Fishbein (born 7 March 1886, Romania, d. 6 September 1981, Brooklyn) was a Romanian American theatrical, film, television and literary agent for writers including Elmer Rice, George S Kaufman, Moss Hart, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean Anouilh[1] and Colleen McCullough.

Personal Life and Education​:

Fishbein was born in Romania, the oldest daughter of Molly and Osias Fishbein. The family emigrated to America in 1901. She was educated in the New Orleans public school system, then spent the majority of her adult life in New York City, initially Manhattan, moving to Brooklyn in later life.

Work​:

Fishbein worked as a stenographer in New Orleans in 1903.[2] After moving to New York City, her first job was as a secretary in a movie company.[3] In 1910 she was again working as a stenographer.[4]

In 1929 Fishbein established the Frieda Fishbein Agency, a literary and theatrical agency, in New York City. In the same year, the playwright, director and producer Dore Schary described her as having “a stable of young writers, none of whom she could support, except with praise and enthusiasm.” He credited Fishbein with helping to get him his first job in Hollywood as a “$100-a-week writer”[5] by introducing him to Harry Cohn, “the maharajah of Columbia [studio]”.[6]

By 1932 she was on the advisory board of the New York Stage Society.[7] Her agency moved to the New Amsterdam Theatre in 1937.[8] During an interview in 1946 she made the observation that many writers who had returned from the war had bought back partly completed plays. She believed the war had given them stamina and that they were sticking to their craft “more tenaciously”.[9] The following year she made theatrical headlines across America by developing a new approach to selling shows. She would arrange for scripts to be acted out by semi-pros, filmed and the reel was submitted to prospective producers.[10][11] According to an interview in 1954, she would receive “about ten plays a week”. She would accept “about five a year, and would sell about 8-10 options a year.”[12]

After Fishbein's death in 1981, her niece, Janice Fishbein, continued as the president of her agency.[13]

cf. 1910 US/NY census:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RK7-XKL?i=3&cc=17...

&

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M541-7RJ

Name Osias Fishbein
Geschlecht Male
Alter 54
Datum des Ereignisses 1910
Ereignisort Brooklyn Ward 21, Kings, New York, United States
Ereignisort (original) Brooklyn Ward 21, , New York
Art des Ereignisses Census
Geburtsjahr (geschätzt) 1856
Geburtsort Romania
Familienstand Married
Ethnische Zugehörigkeit White
Verhältnis zum Haushaltsvorstand Head
Relationship Code Head
Geburtsort des Vaters Austria
Geburtsort der Mutter Austria
Blatt (Buchstaben) B
Blattnummer 2
Ehepartner und Kinder von Osias Fishbein

Molly Fishbein
Ehefrau
F
42
Romania

Frieda Fishbein
Tochter
F
24
Romania

Rachel Fishbein
Tochter
F
22
Romania

Andere Personen in diesem Dokument

Hirsh Kastner
M
72
Austria

Profession of Osias given as "cler", that of Frieda given as "stenographer".

1920 US/New York census:

Volkszählung der Vereinigten Staaten 1920; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6R-XH9?cc=1488411&wc...

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6R-XH9?i=23&cc=1...

&

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJB4-YMB

Name Osias Fishbein
Geschlecht Male
Alter 64
Datum des Ereignisses 1920
Ereignisort New York City, New York, United States
Ereignisort (original) New York, New York
Art des Ereignisses Census
Immigration Date 1900
Geburtsjahr (geschätzt) 1856
Geburtsort Austria
Familienstand Married
Ethnische Zugehörigkeit White
Verhältnis zum Haushaltsvorstand Head
Relationship Code Head
Geburtsort des Vaters Austria
Geburtsort der Mutter Austria
Haushalt ID 301
Zeilennummer 63
Blatt (Buchstaben) B
Blattnummer 12
Blatt (Nr. und Buchstaben) 12B
Filmnummer bei der angeschlossenen Organisation 1205
Veröffentlichungsnummer bei der angeschlossenen Organisation T625
Partner-Name The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Ehepartner und Kinder von Osias Fishbein

Molly Fishbein
Ehefrau
F
52
Romania

Freda Fishbein
Tochter
F
27
Romania

Profession of Osias given as "Salesman, commercial", that of fRieda as "stenographer, office".

US naturalisation:

New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89M8-5X39?cc=1999177&w...

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89M8-5X39?i=210&cc...

Frieda Fishbein 27 1922 New York, United States 20 Mar 1894 Pitesti, Roumania Naturalization 269650 Declarations of intention 1922 vol 546, no 269236-269735

Basic death data:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JK2N-F2X

Name Frieda Fishbein
Staat New York
Wohnort New York
Letzter Wohnort Brooklyn, Kings, New York
Postleitzahl des früheren Aufenthalts 11235
Alter 95
Geburtsdatum 25 Mar 1886
Sterbedatum Sep 1981

cf. New York Times obituary:

https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/10/obituaries/frieda-fishbein-book-...

Frieda Fishbein, a literary and theatrical agent since 1929, died Sunday in as nursing home in Manhattan. She was 95 years old and had suffered a stroke in February.

Miss Fishbein was born in Rumania on March 7, 1886, came to the United States at an early age, and was educated in the New Orleans public schools. She obtained her first job in New York as a secretary in a movie company. In his book, Heyday, the late Dore Schary credited Miss Fishbein with helping to get him his first job in Hollywood as a $100-a-week writer.

Her first big success came when she represented Elmer Rice in the sale of his Street Scene in 1929 after the play had been turned down by a number of Broadway producers. The drama won the Pulitzer Prize and later formed the basis for a film and opera. Agent for First Hart Play

The following year, Miss Fishbein sold Moss Hart's first play, Once in a Lifetime, written with George S. Kaufman. Subsequently, Miss Fishbein brought a lawsuit against Mr. Hart, contending that she was entitled to a percentage of his royalties from plays produced by Sam H. Harris. The matter was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in 1940.

Miss Fishbein was the agent for Paul Bowles's adaptations of Jean-Paul Sartre's plays, The Respectful Prostitute and No Exit in 1946 and The Flies in 1947.

In more recent years, Miss Fishbein concentrated on book publishing. She sold Colleen McCullough's first novel, Tim, in 1973, and then the author's highly successful novel, The Thorn Birds, in 1977.

Miss Fishbein never married. She is survived by her niece, Janice Fishbein, who is president of the agency. She will continue it under her aunt's name.

Also cf. eg.

https://archives.nypl.org/controlaccess/21233?term=Fishbein,%20Frie...