Best Writers
by IceBreaker14 | created - 24 Jul 2016 | updated - 24 Jul 2016 | Public1. Graham Moore
Writer | The Imitation Game
Graham Moore was born on October 18, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Imitation Game (2014), The Outfit (2022) and Emmerdale Farm (1972).
2. John Ridley
Producer | 12 Years a Slave
John Ridley is the author of seven published novels, the most recent, What Fire Cannot Burn from Warner Books and The Drift from Knopf. His first novel, Stray Dogs, was made into the feature film U Turn (1997) directed by Oliver Stone and starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez, and Nick Nolte. ...
3. Chris Terrio
Writer | Argo
Chris Terrio is an American filmmaker and screenwriter who had written the Ben Affleck film Argo and the Zack Snyder DC Extended Universe films Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League before Joss Whedon rewrote the script during re-shoots when Snyder stepped down as director. ...
For Argo (2012)
4. Alexander Payne
Director | Nebraska
Director, producer and screenwriter Alexander Payne was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Peggy (Constantine) and George Payne, ran a Greek restaurant. His father is of Greek and German ancestry, and his mother is of Greek descent; the family name was originally Papadopoulos. He is the youngest...
For The Descendants (2011); shared with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
5. Nat Faxon
Actor | The Way Way Back
Nathaniel Wales Faxon was born on October 11, 1975 in Boston, Massachusetts. He spent his childhood living in the seaside community of Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. He joined the Brookwood School while in Boston, and then attended the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire; he also graduated ...
For The Descendants (2011); shared with Alexander Payne and Jim Rash
6. Jim Rash
Actor | The Way Way Back
Jim Rash was born on July 15, 1971 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Way Way Back (2013), Community (2009) and The Descendants (2011).
For The Descendants (2011); shared with Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon
7. Aaron Sorkin
Writer | The West Wing
Aaron Sorkin grew up in Scarsdale, a suburb of New York City where he was very involved in his high school drama and theater club. After graduating from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, Sorkin intended to pursue a career in acting. It took him only a short time to ...
8. Geoffrey Fletcher
Writer | Precious
Initially working with a video camera and cast of toys and action figures, Geoffrey Fletcher began making films as a child. Those films in part led to his acceptance to NYU's Tisch Graduate Film Program, which he attended after his graduation from Harvard University. He has also apprenticed under ...
For Precious (2009)
9. Simon Beaufoy
Writer | Slumdog Millionaire
Born in Keighley, Bradford, West Yorkshire. He attended Malsis School in Cross Hills Ermysted's Grammar School at Skipton, later he attended Sedbergh School in Cumbria.
He has read English at St Peter's College, Oxford and graduated from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth.
In 2009 he won an Academy ...
10. Joel Coen
Producer | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Joel Daniel Coen is an American filmmaker who regularly collaborates with his younger brother Ethan. They made Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, True Grit, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Davis, Hail Caesar and other projects. Joel ...
For No Country for Old Men (2007); shared with Ethan Coen
11. Ethan Coen
Producer | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The younger brother of Joel, Ethan Coen is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winning writer, producer and director coming from small independent films to big profile Hollywood films. He was born on September 21, 1957 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In some films of the brothers- Ethan & Joel wrote, Joel...
For No Country for Old Men (2007); shared with Joel Coen
12. William Monahan
Writer | The Departed
William Monahan was born on November 3, 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Departed (2006), London Boulevard (2010) and Edge of Darkness (2010).
13. Larry McMurtry
Writer | Brokeback Mountain
Larry McMurtry was born on June 3, 1936 in Archer City, Texas, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Brokeback Mountain (2005), The Last Picture Show (1971) and Streets of Laredo (1995). He was married to Faye Kesey and Josephine Ballard. He died on March 25, 2021 in Archer City, Texas, USA.
For Brokeback Mountain (2005); shared with Diana Ossana
14. Diana Ossana
Writer | Brokeback Mountain
Diana Ossana was born on August 24, 1949 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Brokeback Mountain (2005), Streets of Laredo (1995) and Dead Man's Walk (1996).
For Brokeback Mountain (2005); shared with Larry McMurtry
15. Alexander Payne
Director | Nebraska
Director, producer and screenwriter Alexander Payne was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Peggy (Constantine) and George Payne, ran a Greek restaurant. His father is of Greek and German ancestry, and his mother is of Greek descent; the family name was originally Papadopoulos. He is the youngest...
For Sideways (2004); shared with Jim Taylor
16. Jim Taylor
Writer | Election
Jim Taylor was born in 1962 in Bellevue, Washington, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Election (1999), Sideways (2004) and About Schmidt (2002). He has been married to Tamara Jenkins since 2002. They have one child.
For Sideways (2004); shared with Alexander Payne
17. Fran Walsh
Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Fran Walsh is a New Zealand writer and wife of New Zealand film director Peter Jackson. She co-wrote The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, which is seen by many as Jackson's magnum opus and one of the most significant film series ever made. She also wrote The Hobbit trilogy, a prequel to Jackson's ...
For The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); shared with Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson
18. Philippa Boyens
Writer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Philippa Boyens is a New Zealand writer and producer who has co-written several of Peter Jackson's films. She co-wrote the Academy Award winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit trilogy which is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings films, The Lovely Bones, Mortal Engines, and the 2005 remake of ...
For The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); shared with Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson
19. Peter Jackson
Producer | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Sir Peter Jackson made history with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were nominated for and collected a slew of awards from around the globe, with The ...
For The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); shared with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens
20. Ronald Harwood
Writer | The Pianist
Born in Cape Town, Union of South Africa in 1934, Ronald Harwood moved to London in 1951 to pursue a career in the theatre. After attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he joined the Shakespeare Company of Sir Donald Wolfit, one of the last 'actor-manager' of Great-Britain. From 1953 to 1958...
21. Akiva Goldsman
Writer | A Beautiful Mind
Akiva Goldsman was born on July 7, 1962 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for A Beautiful Mind (2001), Batman & Robin (1997) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022).
22. Stephen Gaghan
Writer | Syriana
Stephen Gaghan was born on May 6, 1965 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Syriana (2005), Traffic (2000) and Dolittle (2020). He has been married to Minnie Mortimer since May 19, 2007. They have two children.
For Traffic (2000)
23. John Irvin
Director | Raw Deal
John Irvin is a British director who has made more than thirty motion pictures in his career so far.
Born in England, Irvin began his career working for British Movietone News. He directed his first film "Gala Day" a documentary financed by the British Film Institute which was bought by the BBC. ...
24. Bill Condon
Director | Dreamgirls
Bill Condon was born on October 22, 1955 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and writer, known for Dreamgirls (2006), Gods and Monsters (1998) and Kinsey (2004).
25. Curtis Hanson
Director | L.A. Confidential
After small films like The Bedroom Window (1987) and Sweet Kill (1972), Curtis Hanson went on to direct major features including The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The River Wild (1994) and the Academy Award-winning L.A. Confidential (1997). Setting his sights on another city, Hanson was ...
For L.A. Confidential (1997); shared with Brian Helgeland
26. Brian Helgeland
Writer | Finestkind
Brian Helgeland was born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised in New Bedford Massachusetts. A born worker, Helgeland has endeavored to achieve in the following fields: snow shoveler, scrap newspaper collector, dishwasher, nursing home janitor, drug store clerk and unreliable nightshift gas ...
For L.A. Confidential (1997); shared with Curtis Hanson
27. Billy Bob Thornton
Actor | Sling Blade
Billy Bob Thornton was born on August 4, 1955 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Virginia Roberta (Faulkner), a psychic, and William Raymond (Billy Ray) Thornton, an educator, high school history teacher, and basketball coach (now deceased). He is the older brother of James Donald (Jimmy Don) (born in ...
28. Emma Thompson
Actress | Sense and Sensibility
Emma Thompson was born on April 15, 1959 in Paddington, London, into a family of actors - father Eric Thompson and mother Phyllida Law, who has co-starred with Thompson in several films. Her sister, Sophie Thompson, is an actor as well. Her father was English-born and her mother is Scottish-born. ...
29. Eric Roth
Writer | Dune
Mr. Roth won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Forrest Gump & has been nominated for his screenplays of The Insider, Munich, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, A Star is Born, & Dune. He wrote Mr. Kurosawa's Rhapsody in August, The Horse Whisperer, Ali, & Best Picture Nominee, Extremely ...
30. Steven Zaillian
Writer | Searching for Bobby Fischer
Steven Zaillian was born on January 30, 1953 in Fresno, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), The Irishman (2019) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). He is married to Elizabeth Zaillian. They have two children.
31. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Writer | Howards End
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born on May 7, 1927 in Cologne, Germany. She was a writer, known for Howards End (1992), A Room with a View (1985) and The Remains of the Day (1993). She was married to Cyrus Jhabvala. She died on April 3, 2013 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
32. Ted Tally
Writer | The Silence of the Lambs
Ted Tally was born on April 9, 1952. He is a writer and actor, known for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), All the Pretty Horses (2000) and Mission to Mars (2000).
33. Michael Blake
Writer | Dances with Wolves
Michael Blake was born on July 5, 1945 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Dances with Wolves (1990), Winnetou and The One. He was married to Marianne Mortensen. He died on May 2, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.
34. Alfred Uhry
Writer | Driving Miss Daisy
Alfred Uhry was born on December 12, 1936 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Mystic Pizza (1988) and Broadway on Showtime (1979). He was previously married to Joanna "Jolly" Kellogg Uhry.
35. Christopher Hampton
Writer | The Father
Christopher Hampton was born on January 26, 1946 in Faial, Açores, Portugal. He is a writer and producer, known for The Father (2020), Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Atonement (2007). He has been married to Laura de Holesch since 1971. They have two children.
36. Bernardo Bertolucci
Writer | Il conformista
Bernardo Bertolucci, the Italian director whose films were known for their colorful visual style, was born in Parma, Italy. He attended Rome University and became famous as a poet. He served as assistant director for Pier Paolo Pasolini in the film Accattone (1961) and directed The Grim Reaper (...
For The Last Emperor (1987); shared with Mark Peploe
37. Mark Peploe
Writer | The Last Emperor
Mark Peploe was born on March 3, 1943 in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a writer and director, known for The Last Emperor (1987), Afraid of the Dark (1991) and Victory (1996). He is married to Louise Stjernsward. They have one child.
For The Last Emperor (1987); shared with Bernardo Bertolucci
38. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Writer | Howards End
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was born on May 7, 1927 in Cologne, Germany. She was a writer, known for Howards End (1992), A Room with a View (1985) and The Remains of the Day (1993). She was married to Cyrus Jhabvala. She died on April 3, 2013 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
39. Kurt Luedtke
Writer | Out of Africa
Kurt Luedtke was born on September 28, 1939 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. He was a writer, known for Out of Africa (1985), Absence of Malice (1981) and Random Hearts (1999). He was married to Eleanor Anna Kruglinski . He died on August 9, 2020 in Royal Oak, Michigan, USA.
40. Peter Shaffer
Writer | Amadeus
Peter Shaffer was born on May 15, 1926 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Amadeus (1984), Equus (1977) and The Public Eye (1972). He died on June 6, 2016 in County Cork, Ireland.
For Amadeus (1984)
41. James L. Brooks
Writer | Broadcast News
James L. Brooks was born on May 9, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Broadcast News (1987), As Good as It Gets (1997) and Terms of Endearment (1983). He was previously married to Holly Holmberg Brooks and Marianne Catherine Morrissey.
42. Costa-Gavras
Director | Z
Costa-Gavras was born on February 12, 1933 in Loutra-Iraias, Greece. He is a director and writer, known for Z (1969), Missing (1982) and Amen. (2002). He has been married to Michèle Ray-Gavras since 1968. They have two children.
For Missing (1982); shared with Donald E. Stewart
43. Donald E. Stewart
Writer | Missing
Donald E. Stewart was born on January 24, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Missing (1982), The Hunt for Red October (1990) and Hostiles (2017). He was married to Joan Elizabeth Miller, Lynne Stewart #4, Barbara Diane Lueck and Suzanne Margaret Beuerle. He died on...
For Missing (1982); shared with Costa-Gavras
44. Ernest Thompson
Writer | On Golden Pond
Academy Award winner Ernest Thompson has acted with, written for and/or directed 30 fellow Oscar winners or nominees. He's starred in the independent movies Time and Charges (2013) and Heavenly Angle (2014), both of which he wrote and directed, and costarred with NYPD Blue Emmy winner Gordon Clapp ...
45. Alvin Sargent
Writer | Spider-Man 2
Alvin Sargent was an American screenwriter who wrote Ordinary People and the Marvel screenplays for Sony: Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man. His writing for Spider-Man 2 got widespread acclaim. He also wrote a few episodes of Paper Moon. He was married to film producer Laura ...
46. Robert Benton
Writer | Kramer vs. Kramer
Robert Douglas Benton is an American screenwriter and filmmaker from Waxahachie, Texas who is known for screenwriting Bonnie & Clyde, Kramer vs. Kramer and Superman. He won two Academy Awards for writing and directing Kramer vs. Kramer. He directed other feature films including Twilight, Bad ...
47. Oliver Stone
Director | JFK
Oliver Stone has become known as a master of controversial subjects and a legendary film maker. His films are filled with a variety of film angles and styles, he pushes his actors to give Oscar-worthy performances, and despite his failures, has always returned to success.
William Oliver Stone was ...
48. Alvin Sargent
Writer | Spider-Man 2
Alvin Sargent was an American screenwriter who wrote Ordinary People and the Marvel screenplays for Sony: Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man. His writing for Spider-Man 2 got widespread acclaim. He also wrote a few episodes of Paper Moon. He was married to film producer Laura ...
For Julia (1977)
49. William Goldman
Writer | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Screenwriter, novelist, playwright, non-fiction author. Born in Highland Park, Illinois, USA, began his career as a novelist in 1957. Started writing screenplays in 1965 with "Masquerade". A two-time Academy Award Winner, he is one of the most successful screenwriters and script doctors in ...
50. Bo Goldman
Writer | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
There are but a few select screenwriters who are spoken of with the kind of reverence usually reserved for film directors - Robert Towne, Alvin Sargent and Bo Goldman. Goldman is a screenwriter's screenwriter, and one of the most honored in motion picture history. The recipient of two Academy ...
For One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975); shared with Lawrence Hauben
51. Lawrence Hauben
Writer | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Lawrence Hauben was born on March 3, 1931 in New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Point Blank (1967) and Then Came Bronson (1969). He died on December 22, 1985 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.
For One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975); shared with Bo Goldman
52. Francis Ford Coppola
Producer | Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in a New York suburb in a creative, supportive Italian-American family. His father, Carmine Coppola, was a composer and musician. His mother, Italia Coppola (née Pennino), had been an actress. Francis Ford Coppola graduated ...
For The Godfather Part II (1974); shared with Mario Puzo
53. Mario Puzo
Writer | The Godfather
Mario Puzo was born October 15, 1920, in "Hell's Kitchen" on Manhattan's (NY) West Side and, following military service in World War II, attended New York's New School for Social Research and Columbia University. His best-known novel, "The Godfather," was preceded by two critically acclaimed novels...
For The Godfather Part II (1974); shared with Francis Ford Coppola
54. William Peter Blatty
Writer | The Exorcist
William Peter Blatty was born on January 7, 1928 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for The Exorcist (1973), The Exorcist III (1990) and The Ninth Configuration (1980). He was married to Julie Alicia Witbrodt, Linda Blatty, Elizabeth Gilman and Mary Margaret Rigard. ...
55. Mario Puzo
Writer | The Godfather
Mario Puzo was born October 15, 1920, in "Hell's Kitchen" on Manhattan's (NY) West Side and, following military service in World War II, attended New York's New School for Social Research and Columbia University. His best-known novel, "The Godfather," was preceded by two critically acclaimed novels...
For The Godfather (1972); shared with Francis Ford Coppola
56. Francis Ford Coppola
Producer | Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola was born in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, but grew up in a New York suburb in a creative, supportive Italian-American family. His father, Carmine Coppola, was a composer and musician. His mother, Italia Coppola (née Pennino), had been an actress. Francis Ford Coppola graduated ...
For The Godfather (1972); shared with Mario Puzo
57. Ernest Tidyman
Writer | The French Connection
Ernest Tidyman was born on January 1, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The French Connection (1971), High Plains Drifter (1973) and Shaft (2019). He was married to Chris Clark and Susan Gould. He died on July 14, 1984 in London, England, UK.
58. Ring Lardner Jr.
Writer | MASH
The Oscar-winning screenwriter, Ring Lardner, Jr., will always be known for one of two things: that he was the son of one of the greatest humorists American literature has produced, and he was one of the Hollywood 10, the ten film-makers who refused to cooperate with the House Un-American ...
For MASH (1970)
59. Waldo Salt
Writer | Midnight Cowboy
Waldo Salt was one of the many people blacklisted in Hollywood during the Red Scare, but unlike others, Salt recovered triumphantly. He wrote his first scripts in the late 1930s (MGM contract writer, 1936-42) and also served as a civilian consultant to the Office of War Information from 1942- 1945 ...
60. James Goldman
Writer | The Lion in Winter
James Goldman was born on June 30, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for The Lion in Winter (1968), Robin and Marian (1976) and Cyber Bandits (1995). He was married to Barbara Goldman and Maria McKeon. He died on October 28, 1998 in New York City, New York, USA.
61. Stirling Silliphant
Writer | In the Heat of the Night
Detroit-born Stirling Silliphant (born Sterling Dale Silliphant) was the son of a Canadian immigrant. The family moved to California when he was about two. He grew up in Glendale and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1938. During World War II he was an army lieutenant, and ...
62. Robert Bolt
Writer | Lawrence of Arabia
Son of a small shopkeeper, he attended Manchester Grammar School. He later said that he made poor uses of his opportunities there. He went to work in an insurance office, but later entered Manchester University, taking a degree in History. A post-graduate year at Exeter University led to a ...
63. Robert Bolt
Writer | Lawrence of Arabia
Son of a small shopkeeper, he attended Manchester Grammar School. He later said that he made poor uses of his opportunities there. He went to work in an insurance office, but later entered Manchester University, taking a degree in History. A post-graduate year at Exeter University led to a ...
64. Edward Anhalt
Writer | Jeremiah Johnson
A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, Edward Anhalt started his career in early television before turning to writing and producing films, often in collaboration with his wife Edna Anhalt. A prolific screenwriter, Anhalt and his wife won an Academy Award for Panic in the Streets (1950). He...
For Becket (1964)
65. John Osborne
Writer | Tom Jones
The Oscar-winning screenwriter John Osborne, better known as one of the most important British playwrights of the 1950s generation that revolutionized English-speaking theater, was born on December 12, 1929 in London, England. His father, Thomas Godfrey Osborne, a native of Newport, Monmouthshire, ...
For Tom Jones (1963)
66. Horton Foote
Writer | To Kill a Mockingbird
Horton Foote, the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist and Oscar-winning screenwriter, was born on March 14, 1916, in Wharton, Texas. He says at the age of ten, he had a "calling" to become an actor, and when he was 16 he convinced his parents to allow him to go to acting school. With their blessing he...
67. Abby Mann
Writer | Judgment at Nuremberg
Abby Mann was born on December 1, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Skag (1980) and Kojak (1973). He was married to Myra Mann. He died on March 25, 2008 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
68. Richard Brooks
Writer | In Cold Blood
Richard Brooks was an Academy Award-winning film writer who also earned six Oscar nominations and achieved success as a film director and producer.
He was born Reuben Sax on May 18, 1912, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants. He graduated from West Philadelphia ...
69. Neil Paterson
Writer | Room at the Top
Neil Paterson was born on December 31, 1916 in Greenock, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was a writer, known for Room at the Top (1958), The Woman for Joe (1955) and Man on a Tightrope (1953). He died on April 19, 1995.
70. Alan Jay Lerner
Writer | An American in Paris
Playwright/lyricist Alan Jay Lerner was born into a wealthy New York City retailing family. His professional association with Frederick Loewe started in 1942 when they teamed up to write "Life of the Party". Their first Broadway success was the 1947 musical fantasy "Brigadoon." Lerner adapted work ...
For Gigi (1958)
71. Pierre Boulle
Writer | The Bridge on the River Kwai
Pierre Boulle was a French novelist best known for two works, The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952) and Planet of the Apes (1963), that were both made into award-winning films.
He was an engineer serving as a secret agent with the Free French in Singapore, when he was captured and subjected to two ...
For The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); shared with Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson
72. Carl Foreman
Writer | The Guns of Navarone
Carl Foreman was born on July 23, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Guns of Navarone (1961), High Noon (1952) and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). He was married to Estelle Barr and Evelyn Smith. He died on June 26, 1984 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, ...
For The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); shared with Pierre Boulle and Michael Wilson
73. Michael Wilson
Writer | Lawrence of Arabia
Michael Wilson was born on July 1, 1914 in McAlester, Oklahoma, USA. He was a writer, known for Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and 5 Fingers (1952). He was married to Zelma Wilson. He died on April 9, 1978 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
For The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); shared with Pierre Boulle and Carl Foreman
74. John Farrow
Writer | Around the World in Eighty Days
John Farrow wrote short stories and plays during his four-year career in the navy. In the late 1920s he came to Hollywood as a technical advisor for a film about Marines and stayed as a screenwriter, from A Sailor's Sweetheart (1927) through Tarzan Escapes (1936). He married Tarzan's Jane, Maureen ...
For Around the World in Eighty Days (1956); shared with S.J. Perelman and James Poe
75. S.J. Perelman
Writer | Around the World in Eighty Days
Oscar-winning screenwriter S. J. Perelman was one of the great American humorists, a master at short fiction involving word play and satire who influenced countless American humorists, including Woody Allen. He was born Simeon Joseph Perleman (though known as Sidney or Sydney to family and friends)...
For Around the World in Eighty Days (1956); shared with John Farrow and James Poe
76. James Poe
Writer | Around the World in Eighty Days
James Poe was born on October 4, 1921 in Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Lilies of the Field (1963). He was married to Barbara Steele. He died on January 24, 1980 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
For Around the World in Eighty Days (1956); shared with John Farrow and S.J. Perelman
77. Paddy Chayefsky
Writer | Marty
Author, producer, and composer who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from CCNY, then a Purple Heart during World War II while serving in the US Army. Joining ASCAP in 1955, his chief musical collaborators included George Bassman and Harry Warren. His popular-song compositions include "Marty" and ...
For Marty (1955)
78. George Seaton
Writer | Miracle on 34th Street
Working his way up from general factotum and gag writer to highly versatile writer/director, George Seaton was involved in many aspects of the entertainment industry along the way.
He was born George Stenius of Swedish parentage (his family hailed from Stockholm) in South Bend, IN, and grew up in ...
79. Daniel Taradash
Writer | From Here to Eternity
Daniel Taradash was born on January 29, 1913 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He was a writer and director, known for From Here to Eternity (1953), Picnic (1955) and Storm Center (1956). He was married to Madeleine Forbes. He died on February 22, 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
80. Charles Schnee
Writer | Red River
Charles Schnee was born on August 6, 1916 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Red River (1948), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and The Crowded Sky (1960). He was married to Mary Zavian. He died on November 29, 1962 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, ...
81. Harry Brown
Writer | A Place in the Sun
Harry Brown was born on April 30, 1917 in Portland, Maine, USA. He was a writer, known for A Place in the Sun (1951), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and Ocean's Eleven (1960). He was married to Marguerite Lamkin and June. He died on November 2, 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
For A Place in the Sun (1951); shared with Michael Wilson
82. Michael Wilson
Writer | Lawrence of Arabia
Michael Wilson was born on July 1, 1914 in McAlester, Oklahoma, USA. He was a writer, known for Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and 5 Fingers (1952). He was married to Zelma Wilson. He died on April 9, 1978 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
For A Place in the Sun (1951); shared with Harry Brown
83. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writer | All About Eve
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on February 11, 1909, Joseph Leo Mankiewicz first worked for the movies as a translator of intertitles, employed by Paramount in Berlin, the UFA's American distributor at the time (1928). He became a dialoguist, then a screenwriter on numerous Paramount ...
84. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writer | All About Eve
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on February 11, 1909, Joseph Leo Mankiewicz first worked for the movies as a translator of intertitles, employed by Paramount in Berlin, the UFA's American distributor at the time (1928). He became a dialoguist, then a screenwriter on numerous Paramount ...
85. John Huston
Director | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
An eccentric rebel of epic proportions, this Hollywood titan reigned supreme as director, screenwriter and character actor in a career that endured over five decades. The ten-time Oscar-nominated legend was born John Marcellus Huston in Nevada, Missouri, on August 5, 1906. His ancestry was English,...
86. George Seaton
Writer | Miracle on 34th Street
Working his way up from general factotum and gag writer to highly versatile writer/director, George Seaton was involved in many aspects of the entertainment industry along the way.
He was born George Stenius of Swedish parentage (his family hailed from Stockholm) in South Bend, IN, and grew up in ...
87. Robert E. Sherwood
Writer | The Best Years of Our Lives
Robert E. Sherwood, a brilliant multifaceted writer, was born to Arthur Murray and Rosina Emmet Sherwood, educated at the Milton Academy (Massachusetts) and Harvard, and was wounded while serving with the Canadian Black Watch in WWI. His literary career started with jobs as movie critic at Vanity ...
88. Charles Brackett
Writer | Sunset Blvd.
Charles Brackett, born in Saratoga Springs, New York, of Scottish ancestry, followed in his attorney-father's footsteps and graduated with a law degree from Harvard University in 1920. He practised law for several years, before commencing work as drama critic for The New Yorker (1925-29), in ...
For The Lost Weekend (1945); shared with Billy Wilder
89. Billy Wilder
Writer | The Apartment
Originally planning to become a lawyer, Billy Wilder abandoned that career in favor of working as a reporter for a Viennese newspaper, using this experience to move to Berlin, where he worked for the city's largest tabloid. He broke into films as a screenwriter in 1929 and wrote scripts for many ...
For The Lost Weekend (1945); shared with Charles Brackett
90. Frank Butler
Writer | Going My Way
Frank Butler was born on December 28, 1890 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Going My Way (1944), Wake Island (1942) and Whispering Smith (1948). He was married to Ethel Virginia Chapman. He died on June 10, 1967 in Oceanside, Long Island, New York, USA.
For Going My Way (1944); shared with Frank Cavett
91. Frank Cavett
Writer | Going My Way
Frank Cavett was born on December 27, 1905 in Jackson, Ohio, USA. He was a writer and assistant director, known for Going My Way (1944), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947). He was married to Mary Oakes. He died on March 25, 1973 in Santa Monica, California, ...
For Going My Way (1944); shared with Frank Butler
92. Philip G. Epstein
Writer | Casablanca
Philip G. Epstein was born on August 22, 1909 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Casablanca (1942), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and Mr. Skeffington (1944). He was married to Lillian Targan. He died on February 7, 1952 in Hollywood, California, USA.
For Casablanca (1942); shared with Julius J. Epstein and Howard Koch
93. Julius J. Epstein
Writer | Casablanca
Julius J. Epstein was born on August 22, 1909 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Casablanca (1942), Reuben, Reuben (1983) and Pete 'n' Tillie (1972). He was married to Frances Sage and Ann Margot Laszlo. He died on December 30, 2000 in Los Angeles, California, ...
For Casablanca (1942); shared with Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch
94. Howard Koch
Writer | Casablanca
Playwright and author of sophisticated screenplays, a graduate of Bard College and Columbia University Law School. Howard Koch started out as a practicing lawyer in Hartsdale, New Jersey, but soon found himself dissatisfied with his career choice and began to write plays on the side. His first two ...
For Casablanca (1942); shared with Philip G. Epstein and Julius J. Epstein
95. George Froeschel
Writer | Mrs. Miniver
George Froeschel was born on March 9, 1891 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a writer, known for Mrs. Miniver (1942), Command Decision (1948) and Me and the Colonel (1958). He died on November 22, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
For Mrs. Miniver (1942); shared with James Hilton, Claudine West, and Arthur Wimperis
96. James Hilton
Writer | Mrs. Miniver
British novelist James Hilton was born in Leigh, Lancashire, England, in 1900. His father was a schoolmaster. Hilton graduated from Cambridge University in 1921, having already written his first novel, "Catherine Herself" (written in 1918, it wasn't published until 1920). After graduation he wrote ...
For Mrs. Miniver (1942); shared with George Froeschel, Claudine West, and Arthur Wimperis
97. Claudine West
Writer | Mrs. Miniver
Claudine West was born on January 16, 1890 in Nottingham, England, UK. She was a writer, known for Mrs. Miniver (1942), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) and Random Harvest (1942). She died on April 11, 1943 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.
For Mrs. Miniver (1942); shared with George Froeschel, James Hilton, and Arthur Wimperis
98. Arthur Wimperis
Writer | Mrs. Miniver
Arthur Wimperis was born on December 3, 1874 in London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Mrs. Miniver (1942), Random Harvest (1942) and Knight Without Armor (1937). He died on October 14, 1953 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK.
For Mrs. Miniver (1942); shared with George Froeschel, James Hilton, and Claudine West
99. Sidney Buchman
Writer | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
The son of a Russian émigré clothing merchant, Sidney Buchman was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on March 27 1902. He initially attended the University of Minnesota. After his family moved to New York, he continued his studies at Columbia University, graduating in 1923. The following year, he travelled...
For Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941); shared with Seton I. Miller
100. Seton I. Miller
Writer | The Adventures of Robin Hood
Seton I. Miller was one of Hollywood's most accomplished writers of action and adventure films in the 1930's and 40's. A graduate of Yale University, he initially entered the film industry with MGM as an actor and 'technical advisor' on Brown of Harvard (1926), a collegiate romance first filmed at ...
For Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941); shared with Sidney Buchman
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