James Lee

James Henderson Lee III (January 4, 1923 – July 2, 2002) was an American screenwriter. He is best known for writing several episodes of the 1977 TV miniseries Roots. Career Born in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, James Lee graduated from Harvard University and initially worked as a stage actor in New York. Not finding much success, he turned to screenwriting to supplement his income. His fifth play Career, which drew on his experiences as a struggling actor, was an Off Broadway hit. Lee went on to write the screenplay for the 1959 film of the same name, starring Dean Martin, Tony Franciosa, and Shirley MacLaine. Moving into television, Lee wrote four episodes of the anthology series Omnibus. One of these, "Capital Punishment", won an Edgar Award for Best Episode in a TV Series.