Nora Ephron, The Queen Of Writing Romantic Comedies, Dead At 71!

Nora Ephron, writer, producer and director of such romantic film classics as “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” died Tuesday at age 71 in a New York City hospital after a long battle with leukemia and taxing chemotherapy treatment. Her family released a statement, “Nora Ephron passed away June 26, 2012 at 7:40 p.m. at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center surrounded by her family. The cause of death was acute myeloid leukemia. She was 71. Donations can be made in her honor to The Public Theater and The Motion Picture and Television Fund. We thank you all for your thoughts.” The three-time Academy Award nominee was a prolific author, screenwriter, playwright and director who was a pioneer in Hollywood, where she was one of the first women to write and direct her own films.