Charles Leonard, born Chaim Leb Eppelboim, embarked on a multifaceted career in Hollywood spanning over four decades, from the early 1920s to the early 1960s. As a publicist, screenwriter, and script doctor, he left an indelible mark on the industry.
A stalwart member of the Rodeo Drive Radicals and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance, Leonard's leftist leanings led to collaborations with the esteemed Langston Hughes, who credited Leonard with inspiring the skit "Young Black Joe."
Leonard's tenure as Head of Publicity for the L. Ron Hubbard Foundation in Wichita, Kansas, circa the early 1950s, is shrouded in mystery, with claims of ghostwriting L. Ron Hubbard's "Dianetics" surfacing, although concrete evidence remains elusive. His stint at the Foundation was cut short due to his past membership in the Communist Party, which was exposed during the McCarthy-era HUAC hearings, with David and Babette Lang serving as key witnesses.
Following his departure from the Foundation, Leonard found solace in his role as a script doctor at Twentieth Century Fox, where he penned "To the Actor" for his mentor and friend, the renowned Michael Chekhov, whose name appears as the book's author.
In 1963, Leonard relocated to Europe with his young daughter, remaining there until 1966, during which time he completed his magnum opus, "To the Director and Playwright." Upon his return to the United States, Leonard struggled to find employment in Hollywood, ultimately accepting a one-year professorship at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where he taught Method acting.
Tragically, this marked the end of Leonard's professional journey. He returned to California and resided at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills until his passing in 1986.
