Herman Raucher began his writing career during The Golden Age of Live Television, penning original one hour dramas for such esteemed shows as Studio One, Goodyear Playhouse and The Alcoa Hour. At the same time, he was serving as Advertising Copy Director for Walt Disney whose new company, Buena Vista, was expanding from animated films into live action productions. The debut of Disneyland in California and all the excitement that came with it further employed his creative input.

Back in New York Raucher served as Creative Director and Board Member of several major advertising agencies, finally leaving the ad world behind to focus solely on his own writing. His efforts led to four plays, six novels and seven films, among them being “Summer of '42” which was both an internationally best-selling novel and a box office success.  It earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Screenplay as well as a similar nomination from The Writers Guild of America.

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Previously, Raucher's cult film, “Hieronymus Merkin,” won the Best Original Screenplay award from The Writers Guild of Great Britain. This was his second project with Anthony Newley who previously co-starred with Sandy Dennis in Raucher's "Sweet November." His groundbreaking racially-charged movie “Watermelon Man” inspired several other films to explore similar territory. Raucher's original screenplay and novel based on the hit song "Ode to Billy Joe" earned further acclaim.

 

Raucher's other books include A Glimpse of Tiger, There Should Have Been Castles, and Maynard's House. He still feels most at home with novels, in that no one can change as much as a comma without his approval—a condition that every writer savors but very few achieve.