LEVIN DIES AGED 78

LEVIN DIES AGED 78

Legendary playwright and novelist IRA LEVIN has died. He was 78. The writer - who saw many of his works turned into major Hollywood movies - died of natural causes on Monday (12Nov07) at his home in New York. Levin is most famous for writing the novel Rosemary's Baby, which was made into the 1968 film of the same name, directed by Roman Polanski. He will also be remembered for writing The Stepford Wives - first adapted for the big screen in 1975 and then remade again in 2004 in a version which starred Nicole Kidman. Levin wrote on a variety of genres throughout his career and sold millions of books worldwide, despite only producing seven novels in 40 years. He leaves behind three sons, Adam, Jared and Nicholas, by his first wife Gabrielle Aronsohn, who he divorced in 1968. He divorced second wife, Phyllis Finkel, in 1981.