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Birthday:
08-12-1931
Deathday:
11-16-2018 (87 years)
Birthplace:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Biography
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."
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."
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Their works
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Misery Loves Company
Act like Self
event2003 star_border 7
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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.
Tales from the Script
Act like Self
event2009 star_border 6.7
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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.
Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat
Act like Self
event2006 star_border 6
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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.
All of What Follows Is True: The Making of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
Act like Self
event2006 star_border 4.6
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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.
Hello Actors Studio
Act like Self
event1988 star_border 6
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After Lee Strasberg’s death in 1982, the most prestigious talents from the Actors Studio assumed the leadership of this exceptional organization. For the first time ever, filmmakers have been allowed to film their work.
On Location with Gunga Din
Act like Self
event2004
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A documentary focusing on the production history and legacy of the adventure-comedy phenomenon, Gunga Din.
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
Act like Self - Screenwriter / Novelist
event2000 star_border 7.1
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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.
Telling the Truth About Lies: The Making of "All the President's Men"
Act like Self
event2006 star_border 5.2
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A short documentary on the making of "All the President's Men."
The Wild Bunch: The True Tale of Butch and Sundance
Act like Self
event2006
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Comparisons between what is known from the real lives of Robert Leroy 'Butch Cassidy' Parker and Harry 'Sundance Kid' Longabaugh, and their lives as told in the film 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'.
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
Act like Self
event2006 star_border 7.1
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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.
As You Wish: The Story of 'The Princess Bride'
Act like Self
event2001 star_border 7.3
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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'
Act like Self
event2001 star_border 6.5
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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.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Outlaws Out of Time
Act like Self
event2002 star_border 6
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Documentary feature about the real Butch and Sundance, produced with the DVD release of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Miss America
Act like Self
event2002
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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.
The Making Of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
Act like Self
event1970 star_border 4.7
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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.
American Masters
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1986 star_border 7
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American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1998 star_border 8.1
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To commemorate the first century of American filmmaking, the American Film Institute embarked on a celebration of America's greatest movies from the first 100 years of American cinema — 1896-1996.
Inside the Actors Studio
Act like Self (1 ep.)
event1994 star_border 7.4
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James Lipton sits down with some of the world's most accomplished actors and directors for penetrating, fascinating interviews.
Absolute Power
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1997 star_border 6.6
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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.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1969 star_border 7.6
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As the west rapidly becomes civilized, a pair of outlaws in 1890s Wyoming find themselves pursued by a posse and decide to flee to South America in hopes of evading the law.
Misery
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1990 star_border 7.8
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After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
The Princess Bride
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1987 star_border 7.7
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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.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1992 star_border 5.9
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After a freak accident, an invisible yuppie runs for his life from a treacherous CIA official while trying to cope with his new life.
All the President's Men
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1976 star_border 7.7
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During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
Chaplin
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1992 star_border 7.4
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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.
Masquerade
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1965 star_border 5
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The British send an American and a war hero to kidnap and hide an oil-country prince.
Marathon Man
Novel (1 ep.)
event1976 star_border 7.2
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A graduate student and obsessive runner in New York is drawn into a mysterious plot involving his brother, a member of the secretive Division.
The Ghost and the Darkness
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1996 star_border 6.8
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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.
Hearts in Atlantis
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event2001 star_border 6.7
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A widowed mother and her son change when a mysterious stranger enters their lives.
A Bridge Too Far
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1977 star_border 7.2
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The story of Operation Market Garden—a failed attempt by the allies in the latter stages of WWII to end the war quickly by securing three bridges in Holland allowing access over the Rhine into Germany. A combination of poor allied intelligence and the presence of two crack German panzer divisions meant that the final part of this operation (the bridge in Arnhem over the Rhine) was doomed to failure.
The Chamber
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1996 star_border 6
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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.
Dreamcatcher
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event2003 star_border 5.6
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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.
Harper
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1966 star_border 6.7
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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.
The Stepford Wives
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1975 star_border 6.7
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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.
Magic
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1978 star_border 6.8
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A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
Maverick
Writer (1 ep.)
event1994 star_border 6.9
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Bret Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional $3k in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game beginning in a few days. He joins forces with a woman with a marvelous Southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.
Heat
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1986 star_border 5.8
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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.
No Way to Treat a Lady
Novel (1 ep.)
event1968 star_border 6.6
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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.
The Hot Rock
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1972 star_border 6.5
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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...
Year of the Comet
Writer (1 ep.)
event1992 star_border 5.6
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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.
Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
Characters (1 ep.)
event1979 star_border 4.8
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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.
Soldier in the Rain
Novel (1 ep.)
event1963 star_border 6.3
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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.
Wild Card
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event2015 star_border 5.7
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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.
The General's Daughter
Screenplay (1 ep.)
event1999 star_border 6.4
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When the body of Army Capt. Elisabeth 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.
Mr. Horn
Writer (1 ep.)
event1979 star_border 6
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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.
Good Will Hunting
Thanks (1 ep.)
event1997 star_border 8.2
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Headstrong yet aimless, Will Hunting has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he secretly solves highly difficult graduate-level math problems, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential. When Will is arrested for attacking a police officer, Professor Lambeau makes a deal to get leniency for him if he gets court-ordered therapy. Eventually, therapist Dr. Sean Maguire helps Will confront the demons that are holding him back.
The Great Waldo Pepper
Writer (1 ep.)
event1975 star_border 6.4
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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.
Twins
Script Researcher (1 ep.)
event1988 star_border 6
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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.
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
Novel (10 ep.)
event2020 star_border 7.5
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Serialized remake of 'The Princess Bride' told in short chapters featuring celebrities at home during quarantine.
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