The Script Doc Is Out

William Goldman died at 87. He was one of the greatest screenwriters from 1960s to the millennium. He wrote novels that he often adapted to movies as well as other authors. He helped mentor other screenwriters like Aaron Sorkin and wrote a memoir on his screenwriting days called Adventures in the Screen Trade where he proclaimed the famous line, ”Nobody knows anything”. He also came up with other memorable lines that are part of the lexicon like “Follow the money”, “As you wish”, and “Is it safe?” His films included Magic, The Princess Bride, Marathon Man, The Stepford Wives, A Bridge Too Far, and Misery.

He won two Oscars for screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men and two Edgars (for best mystery writer)as well.  He was a top script doctor who rescued or consulted on screenplays for films like Indecent Proposal, A Few Good Men, and Good Will Hunting. He was at one point the highest paid script writer in Hollywood. And just to show he was human, his unproduced adaptations included Papillion and The Right Stuff.