William Goldman
Born August 12, 1931
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
William gouldman
Died November 16, 2018 (aged 87)
New York City, U.S.
Pen name S. Morgenstern, Harry Longbaugh
Occupation Non-fiction author, novelist, playwright, screenwriter
Alma mater Oberlin College
Columbia University
Genre Drama, fiction, literature, thriller
William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist, before turning to screenwriting. He won two Academy Awards for his screenplays, first for the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and again for All the President’s Men (1976). Both films starred Robert Redford.
His other works include his thriller novel Marathon Man and comedy-fantasy novel The Princess Bride, both of which Goldman adapted for the film versions.
Author Sean Egan has described Goldman as “one of the late twentieth century’s most popular storytellers.”
Goldman was born in Chicago and grew up in a Jewish family in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois, the son of Marion (née Weil) and Maurice Clarence Goldman.
Goldman’s father initially was a successful businessman, working in Chicago and then in partnership, but his alcoholism eventually sank his business. He “came home to live and he was in his pajamas for the last five years of his life,” according to Goldman. Maurice Goldman killed himself while his son was still in high school. Marion Goldman’s deafness increased the stress in the home.
According to his memoir, Adventures in the Screen Trade (1983), Goldman began writing when he took a creative-writing course in college. His grades in the class were “horrible”. An editor of Oberlin’s literary magazine, he would submit short stories to the magazine anonymously; he recalls that the other editors, upon reading his submissions, remarked “We can’t possibly publish this shit.” He did not originally intend to become a screenwriter. His main interests were poetry, short stories, and novels. In 1956 he completed an MA thesis at Columbia University on the comedy of manners in America.
His brother, James Goldman, who died in 1998, was a playwright and screenwriter. They shared an apartment in New York with their friend John Kander (also Oberlin and Columbia MA) and helped out Kander, a composer, by writing the libretto for his dissertation. All three later won separate Academy Awards (Kander was the composer of Cabaret, Chicago, and a dozen other famous musicals).
On 25 June 1956 Goldman started writing what became his first novel, The Temple of Gold. It was written in less than three weeks.[10] He sent the novel to an agent, Joe McCrindle, who agreed to represent Goldman; McCrindle submitted the novel to Knopf, who agreed to publish once Goldman doubled the novel in length. It sold well enough in paperback to launch Goldman on his career.
After a 50-week break, Goldman wrote his second novel, Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow (1958), in a little over a week. It was followed by Soldier in the Rain (1960), based on Goldman’s time in the military; it sold well in paperback and was turned into a film (Goldman had no involvement in the screenplay).
Goldman began writing a long novel, which became Boys and Girls Together. He found during writing that he suffered writer’s block.
He and his brother received a grant to accompany a production of the musical Tenderloin (1960), on which they did some rewriting. Goldman and his brother then collaborated on an original play, Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole (1961), and a musical (written with John Kander), A Family Affair (1962). Both had only short runs.
His writer’s block on Boys and Girls Together continued, but Goldman then had an idea for another novel, No Way to Treat a Lady (1964). He wrote it in two weeks, and it was published under a pseudonym, Harry Longbaugh (a variant spelling of the Sundance Kid’s real name). It was later made into a movie. Goldman then finished Boys and Girls Together, which became a best seller.
An early draft of No Way to Treat a Lady was read by Cliff Robertson, who hired Goldman to adapt a short story, Flowers for Algernon, for the movies. Before Goldman had even finished the script, Robertson recommended him to do some rewriting on a spy spoof Robertson was starring in, Masquerade (1965). Goldman did that, then finished the Algernon script. However, Robertson disliked it and hired Stirling Silliphant instead to work on what became Charly (1968).
Film rights to Boys and Girls Together had been optioned by the producer Elliot Kastner. While they were discussing the novel, Goldman suggested Kastner make a film of the Lew Archer novels of Ross Macdonald, and offered to do an adaptation. Kastner agreed, saying he would option whatever of the novels Goldman suggested; Goldman chose the first, The Moving Target. The result, Harper (1966) was a big hit and established Goldman as a screenwriter. Goldman wrote a sequel, The Chill, which was never filmed.
He was married to Ilene Jones from 1961 until their divorce in 1991; the couple had two daughters, Jenny Rebecca and Susanna. Ilene, a native of Texas, modeled for Neiman Marcus; Ilene’s brother was actor Allen Case.
In an Internet chat hosted by CNN, Goldman said that his favorite writers were Miguel de Cervantes, Anton Chekhov, Somerset Maugham, Irwin Shaw, and Leo Tolstoy.
He was well known in sports circles as a die-hard fan of the New York Knicks, having held season tickets at Madison Square Garden for over 40 years. He contributed a writing section to Bill Simmons’s bestselling book about the history of the NBA, where he discussed the career of Dave DeBusschere.
Goldman died in New York City on November 16, 2018, due to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia, according to his daughter Jenny.
Screenplays (produced)
Masquerade (with Michael Relph; 1965)
Harper (1966; Edgar Award) – based on the novel by Ross Macdonald
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969; Academy Award)
The Hot Rock (1972) – based on the novel by Donald E. Westlake
The Stepford Wives (1975) – based on the novel by Ira Levin
The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)
Marathon Man (1976) – based on his novel
All the President’s Men (1976; Academy Award) – based on the book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
A Bridge Too Far (1977) – based on the book by Cornelius Ryan
Magic (1978; Edgar Award) – based on his novel
Heat (1986) – based on his novel
The Princess Bride (1987) – based on his novel
Twins (1988; uncredited)
Misery (1990) – based on the novel by Stephen King
A Few Good Men (1992; consultant) – based on the play by Aaron Sorkin
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Year of the Comet (1992)
Chaplin (1992)
Indecent Proposal (1993; uncredited)
Last Action Hero (1993; uncredited)
Malice (1993; consultant)
Maverick (1994) – based on the TV series
Dolores Claiborne (1995; consultant) – based on the novel by Stephen King
The Chamber (1996) – based on the novel by John Grisham
Extreme Measures (1996; consultant)
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) – based on The Man-Eaters of Tsavo
Fierce Creatures (1997; uncredited)
Good Will Hunting (1997; consultant)
Absolute Power (1997)
The General’s Daughter (1999)
Hearts in Atlantis (2001) – based on the novel by Stephen King
Dreamcatcher (2003) – based on the novel by Stephen King
Wild Card (2015) – based on his nove
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