Casablanca Tops Best Screenplays Ever

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Story - http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18755,00.html?fdnews

Usenet · Accepted Answer

Good article over on the Hollywood Elsewhere site about this

04/ 8/2006 2:20 AMI felt a bit deflated, frankly, after Thursday night's "101 Greatest Screenplays" tribute at the Writers Guild theatre in Beverly Hills. It was nice to be there, and the WGA staffers were gracious, and I spoke to some good people during the pre- and after-parties (screenwriters mostly...Larry Karaszewski, Holly Sorenson, L.M. Kit Carson, Brian Herzlinger). But the the film clips were all AFI-level mainstream groaners. (I'm going to lose it if I see a clip of Marlon Brando's Terry Malloy lamenting his squandered boxing career one more time.) And the "101 Greatest" list is basically the same oppressive "best films of all time" list we've all been beaten over the head with for decades.

It's not that these screenplays aren't crackerjack...of course they are...but there's something oppressive about the same movies being toasted again and again, decade after decade. Who wouldn't agree that Casablanca is a beautifully written work, but screenwriting instructor Robert McKee pounded this into my head 20 years ago (and probably a lot of other people's heads) and I'm sensing a knee-jerk consensus. That and typically lazy choice-making. Paddy Chayefsky's script of The Hospital is a distinctly finer script than Network...less grandiose, funnier, more down-to- earth, a better ending...but Network has the money lines and has gotten much more hype over the years, so naturally it wins out.

And like I said in yesterday's lead piece about Zodiac, the bypassing of Andrew Kevin Walker's Se7en the greatest cop-hunt movie of the last 15 years, and a major groundbreaker in that genre wasn't right. Why wasn't Walter Newman, Lesser Samuels and Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole on the list? It's nice that the WGA membership saluted the relatively recent Sideways , Memento, Adaptation and Being John Malkovich... ahhh, forget it. I'm sweating this too much.

Usenet · Answer

Here's the list so you don't have to look it up.
1. CASABLANCAScreenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison

2. THE GODFATHERScreenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo

3. CHINATOWNWritten by Robert Towne

4. CITIZEN KANEWritten by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles

5. ALL ABOUT EVEScreenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr

6. ANNIE HALLWritten by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman

7. SUNSET BLVD.Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr.
8. NETWORKWritten by Paddy Chayefsky

9. SOME LIKE IT HOTScreenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond. Based on "Fanfare of Love," a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
10. THE GODFATHER IIScreenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather"

11. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KIDWritten by William Goldman

12. DR. STRANGELOVEScreenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern. Based on novel "Red Alert" by Peter George

13. THE GRADUATEScreenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb

14. LAWRENCE OF ARABIAScreenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence

15. THE APARTMENTWritten by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond

16. PULP FICTIONWritten by Quentin Tarantino. Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary

17. TOOTSIEScreenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal. Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart

18. ON THE WATERFRONTScreen Story and Screenplay by Budd Schulberg. Based on "Crime on the Waterfront" articles by Malcolm Johnson

19. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRDScreenplay by Horton Foote. Based on the novel by Harper Lee
20. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFEScreenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett & Frank Capra. Based on short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. Contributions to screenplay Michael Wilson and Jo Swerling
21. NORTH BY NORTHWESTWritten by Ernest Lehman

22. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTIONScreenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King

23. GONE WITH THE WINDScreenplay by Sidney Howard. Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell
24. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MINDScreenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth

25. THE WIZARD OF OZScreenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf Adaptation by Noel Langley. Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
26. DOUBLE INDEMNITYScreenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain

27. GROUNDHOG DAYScreenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis. Story by Danny Rubin
28. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVEWritten by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard

29. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELSWritten by Preston Sturges

30. UNFORGIVENWritten by David Webb Peoples

31. HIS GIRL FRIDAYScreenplay by Charles Lederer. Based on the play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur

32. FARGOWritten by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

33. THE THIRD MANScreenplay by Graham Greene. Story by Graham Greene. Based on the short story by Graham Greene

34. THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESSScreenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman. From a novelette by Ernest Lehman

35. THE USUAL SUSPECTSWritten by Christopher McQuarrie

36. MIDNIGHT COWBOYScreenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy
37. THE PHILADELPHIA STORYScreenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart. Based on the play by Philip Barry
38. AMERICAN BEAUTYWritten by Alan Ball

39. THE STINGWritten by David S. Ward

40. WHEN HARRY MET SALLYWritten by Nora Ephron

41. GOODFELLASScreenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book "Wise Guy" by Nicholas Pileggi

42. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARKScreenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman

43. TAXI DRIVERWritten by Paul Schrader

44. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVESScreenplay by Robert E. Sherwood. Based on novel "Glory For Me" by MacKinley Kantor

45. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NESTScreenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey

46. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADREScreenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven
47. THE MALTESE FALCONScreenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
48. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAIScreenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle

49. SCHINDLER'S LISTScreenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
50. THE SIXTH SENSEWritten by M. Night Shyamalan

51. BROADCAST NEWSWritten by James L. Brooks

52. THE LADY EVEScreenplay by Preston Sturges. Story by Monckton Hoffe
53. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MENScreenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward

54. MANHATTANWritten by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman

55. APOCALYPSE NOWWritten by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr
56. BACK TO THE FUTUREWritten by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale

57. CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORSWritten by Woody Allen

58. ORDINARY PEOPLEScreenplay by Alvin Sargent. Based on the novel by Judith Guest
59. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHTScreenplay by Robert Riskin. Based on the story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams

60. L.A. CONFIDENTIALScreenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy

61. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBSScreenplay by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris
62. MOONSTRUCKWritten by John Patrick Shanley

63. JAWSScreenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley

64. TERMS OF ENDEARMENTScreenplay by James L. Brooks. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
65. SINGIN' IN THE RAINScreen Story and Screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green. Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown

66. JERRY MAGUIREWritten by Cameron Crowe

67. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIALWritten by Melissa Mathison

68. STAR WARSWritten by George Lucasn

69. DOG DAY AFTERNOONScreenplay by Frank Pierson. Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore

70. THE AFRICAN QUEENScreenplay by James Agee and John Huston. Based on the novel by C.S. Forester

71. THE LION IN WINTERScreenplay by James Goldman. Based on the play by James Goldman
72. THELMA & LOUISEWritten by Callie Khouri

73. AMADEUSScreenplay by Peter Shaffer. Based on his play

74. BEING JOHN MALKOVICHWritten by Charlie Kaufman

75. HIGH NOONScreenplay by Carl Foreman. Based on short story "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham

76. RAGING BULLScreenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage

77. ADAPTATIONScreenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean

78. ROCKYWritten by Sylvester Stallone

79. THE PRODUCERSWritten by Mel Brooks

80. WITNESSScreenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace

81. BEING THEREScreenplay by Jerzy Kosinski. Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski
82. COOL HAND LUKEScreenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce

83. REAR WINDOWScreenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich

84. THE PRINCESS BRIDEScreenplay by William Goldman. Based on his novel

85. LA GRANDE ILLUSIONWritten by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak

86. HAROLD & MAUDEWritten by Colin Higgins

87. 8 1/2Screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rond. Story by Fellini, Flaiano

88. FIELD OF DREAMSScreenplay by Phil Alden Robinson. Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella
89. FORREST GUMPScreenplay by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom
90. SIDEWAYSScreenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett

91. THE VERDICTScreenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed
92. PSYCHOScreenplay by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch
93. DO THE RIGHT THINGWritten by Spike Lee

94. PATTONScreen Story and Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North. Based on "A Soldier's Story" by Omar H. Bradley and "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" by Ladislas Farago

95. HANNAH AND HER SISTERSWritten by Woody Allen

96. THE HUSTLERScreenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Walter Tevis

97. THE SEARCHERSScreenplay by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May
98. THE GRAPES OF WRATHScreenplay by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
99. THE WILD BUNCHScreenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah. Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner

100. MEMENTOScreenplay by Christopher Nolan. Based on the short story "Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan

101. NOTORIOUSWritten by Ben Hecht

Dena Jo
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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Seven? One of the greatest scripts of all time? On what possible grounds? It was a mediocre cop show blown ... and Sideways and Adaptation on the list of all-time greats? Were they that desperate to stick something recent on there?[/nq]
I couldn't agree with you more.
The lowering of standards marches ever onward.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It occurs to me that some of my most favorite films only sorta follow the "Put 'im up a tree, ... or two? One of the reasons, I think, that "Chinatown" is revered is that it doesn't have a happy ending.[/nq]
But it still has a resolution.
I think maybe the reason some people object to the three-act structure is that their definition of "acts" is too narrow.
Exposition, complication, resolution. It's all pretty much along those lines. No conflict, no audience involvement. No resolution, no audience satisfaction (be the resolution a happy ending or not).
jaybee

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Yay, Alan! Aristotle had it right: Beginning, middle, end. That's ... starts and stops as long as it's a good story.[/nq]
[nq:1]If that were really true, then no first acts would feel too long yet many of them do.[/nq]
Failing to end the first act according to the timetable, however, is not necessarily the culprit.
[nq:2]Anything beyond those intentionally vague perameters comes from others well after the original writer has moved on.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not for this writer, not for the professional writers I know, and not for the struggling screenwriters with whom I've worked. How could that be true? How do you keep your story from sagging on either side of the midpoint without some structure work?[/nq]
Well... there's ruthless editing... there's inspiration... and it always helps a lot to have a strong sense of humor. That's three ways... one could easily come up with more.

alt.flame Special Forces
"In Band of Outsiders there is a scene in which Franz, the intellectual hero named (naturally) after Kafka, says, 'Since nobody has anything to say, we could perhaps have a minute of silence.' And, promptly, there is a minute of silence & immobility. The idea is excellent: Since Godard's films have nothing to say, we could perhaps have ninety minutes of silence instead of each of them." John Simon, "Godard & the Godardians"

Casablanca Tops Best Screenplays Ever

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