William Goldman

William Goldman

Birth : 1931-08-12, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Death : 2018-11-16

History

William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 15, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist, before turning to writing for film. 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), about journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who broke the Watergate scandal of President Richard Nixon for the Washington Post. Both films starred Robert Redford. His other notable works include his thriller novel Marathon Man and comedy-fantasy novel The Princess Bride, both of which Goldman adapted for film. Author Sean Egan has described Goldman as "one of the late twentieth century’s most popular storytellers."

Profile

William Goldman

Movies

The Wrong Man
Fred Cassidy
After the untimely death of her grandmother, an estranged young woman returns to their home to slowly discover the friendly, handsome man caring for her grandfather isn't what he seems to be.
The Phoenix Incident
Dr. Robert Weissman
A number of 'missing person' cases are reported in Phoenix, Arizona when an unexplained light appears in the sky one night in 1997.
Wild Card
Novel
When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play… and it's all or nothing.
Wild Card
Screenplay
When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play… and it's all or nothing.
A Cinematic Life: The Art and Influence of Conrad Hall
Himself
Tales from the Script
Himself
Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon"), John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption"), William Goldman ("The Princess Bride"), Paul Schrader ("Taxi Driver"), and dozens of other Hollywood screenwriters share hilarious anecdotes and penetrating insights in "Tales from the Script," the most comprehensive documentary ever made about screenwriting. By analyzing their triumphs and recalling their failures, the participants explain how successful writers develop the skills necessary for toughing out careers in one of the world's most competitive industries. They also reveal the untold stories behind some of the greatest screenplays ever written, describing their adventures with luminaries including Harrison Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Joel Silver, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. The film was produced in tandem with the upcoming HarperCollins book of the same name.
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
Self
Film Noir burrows into the mind; it's disorienting, intriguing and enthralling. Noir brings us into a gritty underworld of lush morbidity, providing intimate peeks at its tough, scheming dames, mischievous misfits and flawed men - all caught in the wicked web of a twisted fate.
Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat
Self
It was a plot device worthy of any film noir thriller. A shadowy figure, keeper of the secrets to a national crime, reveals snippets of information to the man struggling to crack the case. Meetings in shadowy parking garages... cryptic signals using flower pots on balconies... it was John Le Carre or Alfred Hitchcock at their best... And it was all true. Featuring interviews with Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, Walter Cronkite, Oliver Stone, Watergate prosecutor Richard Ben-Veniste and many others, this documentary examines the methods, motivations and far-reaching legacy of the man known as Deep Throat, now revealed to be W. Mark Felt, Deputy Director of the FBI during the Watergate era.
Telling the Truth About Lies: The Making of
Self
A short documentary on the making of "All the President's Men."
All of What Follows Is True: The Making of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
Self
A retrospective on the 1969 classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," its impact on the careers of the filmmakers and cast, and how the film made a distinct impact on the Western genre.
Dreamcatcher
Screenplay
Four boyhood pals perform a heroic act and are changed by the powers they gain in return. Years later, on a hunting trip in the Maine woods, they're overtaken by a vicious blizzard that harbors an ominous presence. Challenged to stop an alien force, the friends must first prevent the slaughter of innocent civilians by a military vigilante ... and then overcome a threat to the bond that unites the four of them.
Misery Loves Company
Self
A documentary presenting the behind the scenes of Rob Reiner's classic "Misery", with Reiner himself, Kathy Bates, James Caan, Frances Sternhagen, writer William Goldman, Barry Sonnenfeld (the film's cinematographer) presenting their views on the film years later of its release and the impact "Misery" had in their professional lives.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Outlaws Out of Time
Himself
Documentary feature about the real Butch and Sundance, produced with the DVD release of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Miss America
Himself
Tracking the country’s oldest beauty contest—from its inception in 1921 as a local seaside pageant to its heyday as one of the country’s most popular events—Miss America paints a vivid picture of an institution that has come to reveal much about a changing nation. The pageant is about commercialism and sexual politics, about big business and small towns. But beyond the symbolism lies a human story—at once moving, inspiring, infuriating, funny, and poignant. Combining rare archival footage, with a host of intimate interviews with distinguished commentators including Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Isaac Mizrahi, former contestants and behind–the–scenes footage and photographs, the film reveals why some women took part in the fledgling event and why others briefly rejected it - how the pageant became a battle ground and a barometer for the changing position of women in society.
Hearts in Atlantis
Screenplay
A widowed mother and her son change when a mysterious stranger enters their lives.
As You Wish: The Story of 'The Princess Bride'
Self
A "behinds the scenes" documentary about the making of the 1987 film THE PRINCESS BRIDE with original archive footage and new interviews with cast members.
Going the Distance: Remembering 'Marathon Man'
Self
This retrospective documentary offers a first-rate account of the making of 'Marathon Man'. Hoffman, Scheider, Keller and Goldman all share their memories, many of which are remarkably detailed. Even the change in the ending is addressed, and twenty-five years later, Goldman seems to have resigned himself to the rewrite.
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
Self - Screenwriter / Novelist
Hollywood careers are full of make-or-break moments. For Clint Eastwood, one such moment came when studio powers agreed to let him make his directing debut. That story and others comprise this portrait of the famed Hollywood icon. His career is explored via an array of film clips, interviews and more.
The General's Daughter
Screenplay
When the body of Army Capt. Elizabeth Campbell is found on a Georgia military base, two investigators, Warrant Officers Paul Brenner and Sara Sunhill, are ordered to solve her murder. What they uncover is anything but clear-cut. Unseemly details emerge about Campbell's life, leading to allegations of a possible military coverup of her death and the involvement of her father, Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell.
Good Will Hunting
Thanks
When professors discover that an aimless janitor is also a math genius, a therapist helps the young man confront the demons that are holding him back.
Absolute Power
Screenplay
A master thief coincidentally is robbing a house where a murder—in which the President of The United States is involved—occurs in front of his eyes. He is forced to run, while holding evidence that could convict the President.
Fierce Creatures
Screenplay
Ex-policeman Rollo Lee is sent to run Marwood Zoo, the newly acquired business of a New Zealand tycoon. In order to meet high profit targets and keep the zoo open, Rollo enforces a new 'fierce creatures' policy, whereby only the most impressive and dangerous animals are allowed to remain in the zoo. However, the keepers are less enthusiastic about complying with these demands.
The Chamber
Screenplay
Idealistic young attorney Adam Hall takes on the death row clemency case of his racist grandfather, Sam Cayhall, a former Ku Klux Klan member he has never met.
The Ghost and the Darkness
Screenplay
Sir Robert Beaumont is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project's foreman, seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington, who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.
Maverick
Writer
Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional three thousand dollars in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game that begins in a few days, so he joins forces with a woman gambler with a marvellous southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.
Chaplin
Screenplay
An aged Charlie Chaplin narrates his life to his autobiography's editor, including his rise to wealth and comedic fame from poverty, his turbulent personal life and his run-ins with the FBI.
Year of the Comet
Writer
Year of the Comet is a 1992 romantic comedy adventure film about the pursuit of the most valuable bottle of wine in history. The title refers to the year it was bottled, 1811, which was known for the Great Comet of 1811, and also as one of the best years in history for European wine.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Screenplay
After a freak accident, an invisible yuppie runs for his life from a treacherous CIA official while trying to cope with his new life.
Misery
Screenplay
Novelist Paul Sheldon crashes his car on a snowy Colorado road. He is found by Annie Wilkes, the "number one fan" of Paul's heroine Misery Chastaine. Annie is also dangerously unstable, and Paul finds himself crippled, drugged, and at her mercy.
Twins
Script Researcher
Julius and Vincent Benedict are the results of an experiment that would allow for the perfect child. Julius was planned and grows to athletic proportions. Vincent is an accident and is somewhat smaller in stature. Vincent is placed in an orphanage while Julius is taken to a south seas island and raised by philosophers. Vincent becomes the ultimate low life and is about to be killed by loan sharks.
The Princess Bride
Novel
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
The Princess Bride
Screenplay
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
Heat
Novel
Reynolds plays an ex-soldier-of-fortunish character in Vegas, taking "Chaperone" jobs, fighting with the mob, and trying to get enough money together to move to Venice, Italy.
Heat
Screenplay
Reynolds plays an ex-soldier-of-fortunish character in Vegas, taking "Chaperone" jobs, fighting with the mob, and trying to get enough money together to move to Venice, Italy.
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
Producer
Before the adventures that made them legends, they were charming mastermind Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy, and crack-shot outlaw Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, soon to be known as The Sundance Kid. This is the 'prequel' of how they met, their first clumsy robberies, the heroic dangers that abound them together, the secret that nearly tore them apart, and the impossible train heist that made them notorious for life. Saddle up and ride with the showdowns, shootouts, bad guys and good times in the days before the fame when fun was the name of the game.
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
Characters
Before the adventures that made them legends, they were charming mastermind Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy, and crack-shot outlaw Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, soon to be known as The Sundance Kid. This is the 'prequel' of how they met, their first clumsy robberies, the heroic dangers that abound them together, the secret that nearly tore them apart, and the impossible train heist that made them notorious for life. Saddle up and ride with the showdowns, shootouts, bad guys and good times in the days before the fame when fun was the name of the game.
Mr. Horn
Writer
Western saga based on the legend of frontier folk hero Tom Horn, including his role in the trackdown of Geronimo in the 1880s with his mentor and pal, Al Sieber, the fabled Indian scout, his later days as a Pinkerton detective, and the way he was used by both sides in turn-of-the-century cattle wars, leading to his tragic death.
Magic
Screenplay
A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
Magic
Novel
A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
A Bridge Too Far
Screenplay
Operation Market Garden, September 1944. The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines.
Marathon Man
Screenplay
A graduate student and obsessive runner in New York is drawn into a mysterious plot involving his brother, a member of the secretive Division.
Marathon Man
Novel
A graduate student and obsessive runner in New York is drawn into a mysterious plot involving his brother, a member of the secretive Division.
All the President's Men
Screenplay
During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
The Great Waldo Pepper
Writer
A biplane pilot who had missed flying in WWI takes up barnstorming and later a movie career in his quest for the glory he had missed.
The Stepford Wives
Screenplay
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.
The Hot Rock
Screenplay
Dortmunder and his pals plan to steal a huge diamond from a museum. But this turns out to be only the first time they have to steal it...
The Making Of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
Self
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the classic western about the lives of two of America's most famous outlaws. Director George Roy Hill narrates this film, talking about some of the experience, both good and bad, of bringing the film to life.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Screenplay
In late 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy is the affable, clever and talkative leader of the outlaw Hole in the Wall Gang. His closest companion is the laconic dead-shot Sundance Kid. As the west rapidly becomes civilized, the law finally catches up to Butch, Sundance and their gang. Chased doggedly by a special posse, the two decide to make their way to South America in hopes of evading their pursuers once and for all.
No Way to Treat a Lady
Novel
Christopher Gill is a psychotic killer who uses various disguises to trick and strangle his victims. Moe Brummel is a single and harassed New York City police detective who starts to get phone calls from the strangler and builds a strange alliance as a result. Kate Palmer is a swinging, hip tour guide who witnesses the strangler leaving her dead neighbor's apartment and sets her sights on the detective. Moe's live-in mother wishes her son would be a successful Jewish doctor like his big brother.
Harper
Screenplay
Harper is a cynical private eye in the best tradition of Bogart. He even has Bogie's Baby hiring him to find her missing husband, getting involved along the way with an assortment of unsavory characters and an illegal-alien smuggling ring.
Masquerade
Screenplay
The British send an American and a war hero to kidnap and hide an oil-country prince.
Soldier in the Rain
Novel
Maxwell Slaughter is a kind, heavyset guy who has reached the rank of master sergeant in the army. Admired by handsome young Sgt. Eustis Clay, Slaughter forms a close bond with his peer. Clay hopes to convince Slaughter to join him in a business venture outside of the service, but, in the meantime, he introduces the older officer to the beautiful young Bobby Jo Pepperdine, inadvertently creating trouble for both men.
On Location with Gunga Din
Self
A documentary focusing on the production history and legacy of the adventure-comedy phenomenon, Gunga Din.