Classic American Films: Conversations with the Screenwriters

295 Pages·2007·1.67 MB·English

by  William Baer

Classic American
Films

Classic American
Films
Conversations with the
Screenwriters
William Baer
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Baer,William,1948–
ClassicAmericanfilms:conversationswiththescreenwriters/WilliamBaer.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–313–34898–3(alk.paper)
1.Screenwriters—UnitedStates—Interviews.I.Title.
PN1998.2.B346 2008
808.203—dc22 2007038556
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright(cid:2)C 2008byWilliamBaer
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:2007038556
ISBN:978–0–313–34898–3
Firstpublishedin2008
PraegerPublishers,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.praeger.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my family andfriends
(especially Joey)

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1 Singin’intheRain(1952):AConversationwith
BettyComdenandAdolphGreen 1
Chapter 2 OntheWaterfront(1954):AConversationwith
BuddSchulberg 18
Chapter 3 RebelWithoutaCause(1955):AConversation
withStewartStern 38
Chapter 4 NorthbyNorthwest(1959):AConversationwith
ErnestLehman 60
Chapter 5 Psycho(1960):AConversationwithJosephStefano 79
Chapter 6 Hud(1963):AConversationwithIrvingRavetch
andHarrietFrank,Jr. 95
Chapter 7 TheSoundofMusic(1965):AConversationwith
ErnestLehman 110
Chapter 8 TheWildBunch(1969):AConversationwith
WalonGreen 128
Chapter 9 AmericanGraffiti(1973):AConversationwith
GloriaKatzandWillardHuyck 145
Chapter 10 TheSting(1973):AConversationwith
DavidS.Ward 163
viii CONTENTS
Chapter 11 TheExorcist(1973):AConversationwith
WilliamPeterBlatty 179
Chapter 12 Jaws(1975):AConversationwithCarlGottlieb 196
Chapter 13 Rocky(1976):AConversationwith
SylvesterStallone 215
Chapter 14 TenderMercies(1983):AConversationwith
HortonFoote 234
Appendix:BasicFilmCredits 249
Index 253
Acknowledgments
Some of the interviews in this book, often in shortened formats, were first
published inthe following journals:
CreativeScreenwriting—
‘‘Psycho:AConversationwithJosephStefano’’
‘‘AmericanGraffiti:AConversationwithGloriaKatzandWillardHuyck’’
‘‘NorthbyNorthwest:AConversationwithErnestLehman’’
‘‘Jaws:AConversationwithCarlGottlieb’’
‘‘TheWildBunch:AConversationwithWalonGreen’’
‘‘Rocky:AConversationwithSylvesterStallone’’
‘‘TheExorcist:AConversationwithWilliamPeterBlatty’’
MichiganQuarterlyReview—
‘‘Singin’ in the Rain: A Conversation with Betty Comden and Adolph
Green’’
‘‘RebelWithoutaCause:AConversationwithStewartStern’’
‘‘Hud:AConversationwithIrvingRavetchandHarrietFrank,Jr.’’
TheSouthCarolinaReview—
‘‘TenderMercies:AConversationwithHortonFoote’’
‘‘OntheWaterfront:AConversationwithBuddSchulberg’’
Screentalk—
‘‘TheSting:AConversationwithDavidS.Ward’’
‘‘TheSoundofMusic:AConversationwithErnestLehman’’