Lithuanian-born author and screenwriter, who had been residing in the United States since 1894, graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and embarked on a career as a reporter for a local newspaper. By 1913, he had progressed to a position as a drama critic for the New York Evening Sun, while simultaneously contributing articles and short stories to Vanity Fair and a regular column to The New York Tribune. Additionally, he wrote poetry, with one of his collections being titled "Poems in Praise of Practically Nothing" in 1928.
In 1931, Hoffenstein settled in Los Angeles and was employed as a screenwriter by Paramount until 1936, and subsequently by 20th Century Fox from 1941 to 1948. He was twice an Oscar co-nominee for Best Adaptation and Best Screenplay for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and Laura (1944),with the latter being considered one of the best adaptations of a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. He was hired for Laura by supervising producer Bryan Foy, and at the time, the film was intended to be a B-movie. However, after Hoffenstein's revised screenplay was submitted, the picture was upgraded to A-status, thanks in large part to his creation of the acidulous character Waldo Lydecker, played by Clifton Webb.
Tragically, Hoffenstein died just three years later at the age of 56.
