Cool News
A Six-time Oscar Nominee Has Died...
Father Geek here with some sad news... Ernest Lehman screenwriter of NORTH BY NORTHWEST, WESTSIDE STORY, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC among other great films has died at the age of 89.
Lehman established his astounding archives at the University of Texas here in Austin where I attended film school. I have spent hours pouring over those files in the Ransom Center and as a result had met and spoke with Ernest a couple of times to boot. I've seen his original manuscripts to THE KING AND I and the three films mentioned above as well as photo exhibits that relate to his personal and professional life... the life of one of the absolutely best screenwriters in the history of film... a career that gave us a host of astonishing screenplays... motion pictures like FROM THE TERRACE, FAMILY PLOT, SABRINA, THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINA WOOLF, THE PRIZE, SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME, and others. He was a producer of note also, fulfilling those duties on "Virginia Woolf" and HELLO DOLLY. In 1972 he served as Writer-Director-Producer on PORTNOY'S COMPLAINT.
Ernest Lehman led a long creative, productive, inspiring life, and thanks to his foresight in establishing the Lehman Collection at the University of Texas he will continue to guide and inspire future filmmakers for generations to come. Thank You Ernset Lehman... thanks for the gift of words and films, for a life well spent writing important, meaningful cinema... we'll miss you, buuuut never your work.
Ernest Lehman led a long creative, productive, inspiring life, and thanks to his foresight in establishing the Lehman Collection at the University of Texas he will continue to guide and inspire future filmmakers for generations to come. Thank You Ernset Lehman... thanks for the gift of words and films, for a life well spent writing important, meaningful cinema... we'll miss you, buuuut never your work.
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He will be missed, my thoughts go out to his friends and family.
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Some pretty great stuff he wrote. Will we honor any modern screenwriters one day? I doubt it, Charlie Kaufmann.
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What an impressive career. North by Northwest is still one of the greatest mysteries/suspense films of all time.
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Man, what films, no filler in this portfolio. I always loved his Terrorist-Action Drama BLACK SUNDAY with Robert Shaw, that was one tight script, no lapses of logic in that one, right out of today's headlines. A Dios from Mexico City Ernesto, loved your stuff.
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'Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself "slightly" killed'
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Ages ago I had to do a paper for a film criticism class I was taking and I chose to do an anlysis of "North By Northwest". As part of my research I got ahold of a copy of the script and read it. I couldn't put it down. I was enjoying reading the screenplay as much or more so than actually seeing the film. The witty dialogue, the brilliant story and the taut pacing that I had admired so much in the film came to life for me all over again as I read the script. It was like discovering the film again for the first time. I have been in awe of Mr. Lehman ever since. Writers of Mr. Lehman's caliber are long gone in Hollywood and we are all the poorer for it. God bless you Mr. Lehman and thanks for the wonderful legacy you have bequeathed us.
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( bloody return key) Guy was cranking out gold since the 1930s ( as a writer, later screenwriter)all the way up to the 90s. For a writer, that's a helluva shelf life. Sabrina, Black Sunday (my fav), Portny's Complaint, Hello Dolly, Virginia Woolf, Sound of Music, West Side Story, The Prize, North by Northwest, Somebody up There Likes Me, The King & I, The Comedian ( for Playhouse 90 & Rod Sterling, no less)...Jesus, what an incredible legacy. There are people out there who would have died happy having written ( or produced) just one of the preceding, let alone all of them. Thanks for everything, Ern. We're already missing you.
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Considering the number of nominations he received, it seems indicitive of how far the academys head is seated up its ass that the only one Ern ever took home was an honorary oscar ( 1st for a screenwriter). This is how Hollywood treats its giants? Thank Crom that the WGA had far better taste & sense. How do you not win for North by Northwest? How? When you stare in stupified amazement at the hacks, particularly in the supporting actor/actress categories, that have taken the Golden Enema home, Oscars are officially not worth a pile of room temperature cat shit. You deserved better than that, Ernie.
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one of the greats is right but I don't approve of the 48 hour bashing crap. I mean Jesus Christ guys are these people supposed to have microphones in every morgue in the country. Lets see any of you freaks of nature do any better. I
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So long, Ernie, you were a hell of a wordsmith. Goodbye also to another superb scribe we just lost, Evan Hunter (who also wrote as Ed McBain but was born Salvatore Lombino) who just passed away from cancer. Hunter will be remembered for "Blackboard Jungle" and Hitchcock's "The Birds" as well as his many 87th precinct novels. Goodnight to two legendary writers and true gentlemen. Word.
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IMDB the name. Awesome guy.
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There should be a federal law forcing all aspiring screenwriters to sit down and watch "Sweet Smell of Success" before they get to sign with an agent. Then maybe we'd get the occasional gem from Hollywood instead of a slew of cookie cutter movies-by-committee. And they wonder why box office receipts are plummeting. Rest in peace, Mr. Lehman.
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his craftmanship was like no other. as a writer, i could continually learn from his dialogue pacing/timing alone.
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Jul 07, 2005 5:43:29 PM CDT
NORTH BY NORTHWESTis easily one of the top five best screenplays
by cash bailey
R.I.P. to a true legend of film.
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RIP to both Lehman and Hunter. Sweet Smell... and The Birds are absolutely two of my favorite flicks.
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As much as I love West Side Story, King and I, and most of the other films on his filmography, it's North by Northwest that played on loop in my VCR when I was growing up. Even before I knew what a script was, I used to stare at the cornfield scene wondering how in the hell anyone could come up with something like that. Undoubtedly one of the greats.
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Jul 07, 2005 9:44:34 PM CDT
Cubby Broccoli always said that NXNW was the template for the Ja
by frankdrebin
A smooth, articulate villain, a chase from city to city, glamourous women, luxury hotels, bizarre deathtraps, nefarious henchmen, double entendres, and a hero who makes jokes in the face of danger. Lehman also added some social commentary about the immoral advertising industry, and the amoral intelligence agencies.
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and anyone who calls The Pink Panthers (at least the first four Sellers Panthers) "insipid shit" has spun wildly off his axis. And Edwards was an Oscar nominee for writing Victor/Victoria. Say what you will about the mediocrity of Sunset, Switch, Fine Mess, late period Panthers - anyone who starts making small, personal autobiographical movies in the 1980s of all decades deserves some credit - especially after helming epic star vehicle slapstick for the better part of 20 years. Victor/Victoria, 10, SOB, Skin Deep, Micki and Maud, That's Life - hell, even Blind Date all hold up. Days of Wine and Roses and Experiment in Terror both still work, and for my money I enjoy the Great Race more than any other 60s madcap farce, including Mad, Mad World. Sad to hear about Lehman - I often wonder why a lot of the older guys stop getting assingments when it's clear from interviews that they've still got a full deck of ideas. If I were producing a picture I would hire an old school screenwriter in a heartbeat.
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One of the greatest screenwriters of the past century.
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NXNW is one of my favorite movies ever. That is all.
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Lehman was at the top of the game. NBNW is one of my all-time favorites.
One of the old Hollywood guard and will be forever missed in cinema. Who can write like that today? Noone. -
...except maybe Alf Causen.
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