Hellman, Lillian Florence

US dramatist. Her work is concerned with contemporary political and social issues. The Children's Hour (1934) on accusations of lesbianism, The Little Foxes (1939) on industrialists, and Toys in the Attic (1960) are all examples of a social critique cast in the form of the ‘well-made play’. In the 1950s she was summoned to appear before the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

She lived 31 years with the writer Dashiell Hammett, and in her will set up a fund to promote Marxist doctrine. Since her death there has been dispute over the accuracy of her memoirs, for example Pentimento (1973).