Career William Goldman

1 career

1.1 novelist
1.2 theatre work
1.3 screenwriter
1.4 butch cassidy , sundance kid
1.5 princess bride
1.6 president s men
1.7 adventures in screen trade , leper period
1.8 return hollywood
1.9 later career
1.10 memoirist
1.11 autobiographical fiction
1.12 critical reception
1.13 self-appraisal
1.14 awards

career
novelist

according memoir, adventures in screen trade (1983), goldman began writing when took creative-writing course in college. grades in class horrible . editor of oberlin s literary magazine, submit short stories magazine anonymously; recalls other editors, upon reading submissions, remarked can t possibly publish shit. did not intend become screenwriter. main interests poetry, short stories, , novels. in 1956 completed ma thesis @ columbia university on comedy of manners in america.

his brother, james goldman, died in 1998, playwright , screenwriter. shared apartment in new york friend john kander (also oberlin , columbia ma) , helped out kander, composer, writing libretto dissertation. 3 later won separate academy awards (kander composer of cabaret, chicago, , dozen other famous musicals).

on 25 june 1956 goldman started writing became first novel, temple of gold. written in less 3 weeks. sent novel agent, joe mccrindle, agreed represent goldman; mccrindle submitted novel knopf, agreed publish once goldman doubled novel in length. sold enough in paperback launch goldman on career.

after 50-week break, goldman wrote second novel, turn curtsy, turn bow (1958), in little on week. followed soldier in rain (1960), based on goldman s time in military; sold in paperback , turned film (goldman had no involvement in screenplay).

theatre work

goldman began writing long novel, became boys , girls together. found during writing suffered writer s block.

he , brother received grant accompany production of musical tenderloin (1960), on did rewriting. goldman , brother collaborated on original play, blood, sweat , stanley poole (1961), , musical (written john kaner), family affair (1962). both had short runs.

his writer s block on boys , girls continued, goldman had idea novel, no way treat lady (1964). wrote in 2 weeks, , published under pseudonym, harry longbaugh (a variant spelling of sundance kid s real name). later made movie. goldman finished boys , girls together, became best seller.

screenwriter

an draft of no way treat lady read cliff robertson, hired goldman adapt short story, flowers algernon, movies. before goldman had finished script, robertson recommended him rewriting on spy spoof robertson starring in, masquerade (1965). goldman did that, finished algernon script. however, robertson disliked , hired stirling silliphant instead work on became charly (1968).

film rights boys , girls had been optioned producer elliot kastner. while discussing novel, goldman suggested kastner make film of lew archer novels of ross macdonald, , offered adaptation. kastner agreed, saying option whatever of novels goldman suggested; goldman chose first, moving target. result, harper (1966) big hit , established goldman screenwriter. goldman wrote sequel, chill, never filmed.

butch cassidy , sundance kid

goldman returned novels, writing thing of is... (1967). went teach @ princeton, , wanted write not come idea novel. decided write first original screenplay, butch cassidy , sundance kid, had been researching 8 years. sold $400,000, highest price ever paid original screenplay. resulting movie massive critical , commercial success , earned goldman oscar best original screenplay.

the money enabled goldman take time off , research non-fiction book on broadway, season: candid @ broadway (1969).

he adapted book, in spring war ended, screenplay not filmed. neither scripts did of thing of , papillon. returned novels father s day (1971), sequel thing of is... wrote screenplay hot rock (1972).

the princess bride

goldman s next novel princess bride (1973) became perhaps beloved work. goldman wrote screenplay took many years before film made.

in 1973, goldman contracted rare strain of pneumonia resulted in being hospitalized , affected health months. inspired him burst of creativity, including several novels , screenplays. says novel writing moved in more commercial direction following death of editor hiram haydn in late 1973. included children s book, wigger (1974); thriller, marathon man (1974), became best seller; magic (1976), thriller; screenplays films of marathon man (1976) , magic (1978); screenplays stepford wives (1975), great waldo pepper (1975), president s men (1976) , bridge far (1977). of work extremely lucrative – paid $1 million screen rights , screenplay fees magic , $500,000 marathon man. wrote promotional book story of bridge far (1977).

goldman (left) , james caan while shooting bridge far in 1976


all president s men

goldman wrote famous line follow money screenplay of president s men; while line attributed deep throat, not found in bob woodward s notes nor in woodward , carl bernstein s book or articles. however, book have far less-quotable line woodward senator sam ervin, begin own investigation: key secret campaign cash, , should traced...

goldman unhappy movie; guardian says changes subject when asked movie, suggests displeasure may because pressured add romantic interest film. in memoir, goldman says of film if live life over, have written same screenplays, wouldn t have come near president s men. said has never written many versions of screenplay did movie. speaking of choice write script, said many movies made not long on art , long on commerce. project seemed might both. don t many , can t turn them down.

in michael feeney callan s book robert redford: biography redford stated goldman did not write filming screenplay movie, story excerpted in vanity fair. written magazine conducted thorough investigation of screenplay s many drafts , concluded, goldman sole author of president s men. period.

he wrote novel hollywood, tinsel (1979), sold well. had enjoyed working joseph e. levine on bridge , magic , signed three-picture deal him; 2 scripts resulted, sea kings , year of comet. script tom horn, mr. horn (1979), filmed tv.

goldman original screenwriter film version of tom wolfe s novel right stuff; director philip kaufman wrote own screenplay without using goldman s material, because kaufman wanted include chuck yeager character; goldman did not.

he wrote number of other unfilmed screenplays around time, including ski bum; musical adaptation of grand hotel; , rescue, story of rescue of electronic data systems employees during iranian revolution.

adventures in screen trade , leper period

after several of screenplays not filmed, goldman found himself in less demand screenwriter. published memoir professional life in hollywood, adventures in screen trade (1983) famously summed entertainment industry in opening sentence of book, nobody knows anything. (the title pun on title adventures in skin trade, collection of stories dylan thomas.)

he focused on novels: control (1982), silent gondoliers (1983), color of light (1984), heat (1985) , brothers (1986). latter, sequel marathon man, remains goldman s last published novel.

return hollywood

goldman attributes return hollywood signing michael ovitz @ caa. went work on memoirs of invisible man, although left project relatively early.

hollywood s interest in goldman re-awakened: wrote scripts film versions of heat (1986) , princess bride (1987). latter directed rob reiner @ castle rock hired goldman write screenplay rob reiner s 1990 adaptation of stephen king s novel misery, considered 1 of [king s] least adaptable novels . movie performed critics , @ box office, , earned kathy bates academy award.

goldman continued write non-fiction regularly. published collection of sports writing, wait till next year (1988) , account of time judge @ cannes film festival, hype , glory (1990).

goldman began work steadily script doctor , doing uncredited work on films such twins (1988), few men (1992), indecent proposal (1993), last action hero (1993), malice (1994), dolores clairborne (1995), , extreme measures. of these movies made @ castle rock.

he credited on several other movies: year of comet (1992) filmed, castle rock, not success; biopic chaplin (1992), reuniting him richard attenborough; maverick (1994), popular hit; chamber (1996), novel john grisham; ghost , darkness (1996), original script based on true story; absolute power (1997) clint eastwood; , general s daughter (1999) novel nelson de mille.

later career

goldman wrote volume of memoirs, lie did tell? (2000) , following year saw publication of collection of essays big picture: killed hollywood? , other essays.

his later screenplay credits include hearts in atlantis (2001) , dreamcatcher (2003), both novels stephen king. adapted misery stage play performed on broadway.

his script heat filmed again wild card (2015).

memoirist
autobiographical fiction

simon morgenstern both pseudonym , narrative device invented goldman add layer novel princess bride. presents novel abridged version of work fictional morgenstern, author equally fictional country of florin. name may reference johann carl simon morgenstern, coined term bildungsroman.

the details of goldman s life given in introduction , commentary princess bride largely fictional. instance, claims wife helen psychiatrist , inspired abridge morgenstern s princess bride child, son. (the princess bride originated bedtime story goldman s 2 daughters, , wife s name ilene.) not treats morgenstern , countries of florin , guilder real, claims own father florinese , had immigrated america. @ 1 point in princess bride, goldman s commentary indicates had wanted add passage elaborating scene morgenstern skipped over. explains editors not allow him take such liberties original text, , encourages readers write publisher request copy of scene. both original publisher , successor have responded such requests letters describing supposed legal problems morgenstern estate.

in 15th , 25th anniversary editions of princess bride, goldman claimed wanted adapt morgenstern s sequel, buttercup s baby, unable because morgenstern s estate wanted stephen king abridgment instead. continued fictional details of own life, claiming psychiatrist wife had divorced him, , son had grown have son of own.

goldman wrote silent gondoliers under morgenstern pseudonym.

critical reception

in feature on goldman, ign said s testament how great william goldman @ best had think hard select must-see cinematic work . site described script president s men model of storytelling clarity... , artful manipulation .

art kleiner, writing in 1987, said, william goldman, skilled storyteller, wrote several of well-known films of past 18 years—including marathon man, part of president s men, , butch cassidy , sundance kid.

three of goldman s scripts have been voted writers guild of america hall-of-fame s 101 greatest screenplays list.

in book evaluating goldman s work, william goldman: reluctant storyteller (2014), sean egan said goldman s achievements made without ever lunging lowest common denominator. although body of work has been consumed millions, has never let populism overwhelm glittering intelligence , penchant upending expectation.

self-appraisal

in 2000, goldman said of writing:

someone pointed out me sympathetic characters in books died miserably. didn t consciously know doing that. didn t. mean, didn t wake each morning , think, today think ll make terrific guy can kill him. worked out way. haven t written novel in on decade... , wise suggested might have stopped writing novels because rage gone. s possible. doesn t mean helluva lot, except there reason guy gave babe on szell in safe? scene , guy put westley machine. think have way pain. when come kind of sequence have confidence can make play. because come such dark corner.

goldman has said of work: [don’t] writing. wrote movie called butch cassidy , sundance kid , wrote novel called princess bride , 2 things i’ve ever written, not i’m proud of, can @ without humiliation.

awards

he has won 2 academy awards: award best original screenplay butch cassidy , sundance kid, , award best adapted screenplay president s men. has won 2 edgar awards, mystery writers of america, best motion picture screenplay: harper in 1967, , magic (adapted 1976 novel) in 1979. in 1985, received laurel award screenwriting achievement writers guild of america.