Play it again

In Robert Abeles’ informative article (“Written in Blood,” March 16) about brothers as writing partners and focusing on three pairs of Oscar-nominated siblings, two real and the third imaginary, my eye was drawn to the list -- the Weitzes, the Cuarons and the non-existent Kaufmans, plus the Coens, the Hughes, the Farrellys and the Wachowskis.

I looked in vain for a mention of the Epstein twins, Julius J. and Philip G., who collaborated on the script for “Casablanca” more than 60 years ago and were awarded an Oscar for their effort.

It seems that the “quaint factoid” (of brothers as writing partners) did not begin with Joel and Ethan Coen after all, but rather way back in the ‘30s when the Epsteins toiled in the writers’ building on the Warner Bros. lot.

Jim Pinkston

Los Angeles