Hollywood Screenwriters

Hollywood Screenwriters Sept 13, 2017 20:03:15 GMT Salzmank, spiderwort, and 1 more like this

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Post by Richard Kimble on Sept 13, 2017 20:03:15 GMT

Sept 13, 2017 15:51:00 GMT Salzmank said:

The story behind the screenplay for The Birds is a bit of a mess--the story behind Marnie's screenplay, also involving McBain, even more so. The Birds is certainly the best screenplay he ever wrote, though.

In terms of writers who wrote for Hitchcock, I find Ernest Lehman was one of the best; North by Northwest has one of the greatest scripts I know, and Lehman's other work is often excellent. (For example, if I'm remembering correctly, he also wrote the novella on which Sweet Smell of Success is based and the movie's first draft.)

I believe John Michael Hayes wrote four scripts for AH, and after they had a falling out (AH wanted him to work on the Wrong Man script for free) Hitch was never quite able to replace him. Hayes had a gift for repartee, which you can hear not only in Rear Window but also in something as tawdry as The Carpetbaggers.

Even in the TV movie of Nevada Smith with Lorne Greene and Adam West, pilot for a series that didn't sell, there are several amusing exchanges that would be considered classics if they were in a better-known film.