Ira levin was born on August 27, 1929 in the Bronx, New York. He is best remembered for his novels which were made into feature films, Rosemary's Baby (1968, with Mia Farrow), The Boys from Brazil (1978) and The Stepford Wives (1975 and 2004). Levin's best-known play is Deathtrap, which holds the record as the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway. (It was also made into a feature film in 1982, starring Christpher Reeve.) His first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, earned him the 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Ira Levin died in Manhattan from a heart attack on November 12, 2007.