RIP William Goldman 87

[Insidious Von]

Perhaps the most acclaimed author/screenwriter of his generation and a private man. So little of him is known, he shunned the spotlight, his work speaks for itself. His five most famous films are:

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
Lenny
All The President's Men
The Princess Bride
Misery

Two of those film (Lenny, The Princess Bride) were adaptations from his books. His last screenplay was for Dreamcatcher. He also wrote the book and the screenplay for Marathon Man, a film that scared the shit out of me!

 

[shack]

Perhaps the most acclaimed author/screenwriter of his generation and a private man. So little of him is known, he shunned the spotlight, his work speaks for itself. His five most famous films are:

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
Lenny
All The President's Men
The Princess Bride
Misery

Two of those film (Lenny, The Princess Bride) were adaptations from his books (Lenny, The Princess Bride). His last screenplay was for Dreamcatcher. He also wrote the book and the screenplay for Marathon Man, a film that scared the shit out of me!

Those are some damn fine movies.

 

[essguy_]

The movie in that list which still scares me is “Misery”. Bates really earned the Oscar that year. I still haven’t watched the ankle breaking scene without turning my head away...

 

[Insidious Von]

In all Goldman adapted four novels by Stephen King for the screen: Misery, Dolores Claibourne, Heart of Atlantis and Dreamcatcher.

His first critical hit was his novel A Family Affair, it inspired a song.

 

[Zaibetter]

Perhaps the most acclaimed author/screenwriter of his generation and a private man. So little of him is known, he shunned the spotlight, his work speaks for itself. His five most famous films are:

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
Lenny
All The President's Men
The Princess Bride
Misery

Two of those film (Lenny, The Princess Bride) were adaptations from his books. His last screenplay was for Dreamcatcher. He also wrote the book and the screenplay for Marathon Man, a film that scared the shit out of me!

Is it safe? .....Is it safe? :Eek:

 

[bemeup]

I read a few of Goldman's novels back in the 70's, such as Marathon Man and Magic (which was made into a movie starring Anthony Hopkins). He specialized in the big mind-fuck style twist. For instance, Marathon Man has two protagonists in the first part of the book, the character of the student and runner played by Dustin Hoffman in the movie, and his brother the spy, played by Roy Scheider, The Scheider character talks on the phone to his lover, Janey. After the Scheider character is killed, a colleague approaches the Hoffman character to investigate. He is played by William Devane, He introduces himself to Hoffman " I'm Elliot Janeway, but everybody calls me Janey." Only then does the reader discover that Scheider's lover was a man, this was pretty daring for a novel written in the early 70's.

 

[Insidious Von]

William Devane could have had a stellar career if he didn't look like Jack Nicholson. I believe he ended up on Melrose Place. Interesting trivia about Marthe Keller (Elsa), she was Al Pacino's gf and brought Jessica Chastain to his attention. Her career had been almost snuffed out for refusing to honk Harvey Weinstein's bo bo. Alfredo wasn't buying it and gave JC her first break.

I read Goldman's biography of Lenny Bruce, he was the original blue comic. Without him breaking barriers, George Carlin could not have made Seven Words and Richard Pryor could not have made Southern Belle.

- Why I do declare you are a handsome buck
- thank ya missy, wanna feel my ass

Unfortunately Bruce had a hard life. He was arrested several times for transgressing morality laws and his drug habit was out of control. He died in 1966 at the age of 41. Brilliant portrayal by Dustin Hoffman in the film version.