“parallel creativity,” defined, 180
Parker, Alan, 276–277
Parker, Dorothy, 39
Parker, Ian, 10, 153
Parker, Trey, 114
Parrish, Robert, 275
parties, 43
partnerships, 106
Patton, 128
payment. See also money
importance of, 57
for nothing, 60
producers, 259
timeliness in, 61
Peck, Gregory, 277
Peckinpah, Sam, 198, 232, 247, 248, 329
pedestrians, 24
Peerce, Larry, 236
Pelecanos, George, 89, 145, 179
Pellicano, Anthony, 363, 364
“penis extension,” defined, 311
Penn, Sean, 100, 198, 302, 322
perception, characters, 164
perfection, 58, 170
Perkins, Anthony, 304
Perkins, Maxwell, 16
perks, 11, 27, 58, 73, 75, 82, 83, 99, 101, 109, 132, 365, 368–369
Perot, Ross, 60, 95
Perry, Eleanor, 274
persistence, writers, 54–55, 366–369
personality, 10
Pesci, Joe, 333
Peters, Jon, 276
pet projects, 67
Petrie, Daniel, Jr., 235
Pfeiffer, Michelle, 334
Phelan, Anna Hamilton, 153, 154, 191
Phillips, Scott, 9
photography, 248, 276
Picker, David, 286
Pierson, Frank, 64, 71, 287
pigeonholing, 57–58
Pinter, Harold, 63, 74, 210, 324, 330
“pisher,” defined, 269
“pissing on your leg,” defined, 223
pitch meetings, 119–124
Pitt, Brad, 139, 329
plagiarism, 124, 125–126, 180, 230
plastic surgery, 316, 330, 359–360
Platt, Polly, 233
Pleskow, Eric, 19
plot, writing process, 162
Podhoretz, John, 104
point of view, writing process, 159
Polanski, Roman, 66, 241, 246, 326
politeness, 55
political correctness, 138–146, 165, 355
Pollack, Sydney, 198, 212, 240
Polonsky, Abraham, 245–246
Ponicsan, Darryl, 241
“popcorn movie,” defined, 346
pornography, 144, 332, 358
Potelle, Efram, 236–237, 250–251
“POWs,” defined, 138
premiere screenings, 222
Preminger, Ingo, 112
Preminger, Otto, 112, 125, 217, 266
Presley, Elvis, 24, 102
Price, Frank, 355
Price, Hank, 129
Price, Ray, 129
Princess Bride, 47
producers. See also specific producers
actors and, 271
agents and, 270
credits, 260
directors and, 231
findings of, 211
payment, 259
studio executives and, 258–259
writers and, 89–90, 257–279
“production fuck,” defined, 218
profligacy, 37, 47
Project Greenlight (HBO), 251–252
promotion and sales, 13. See also agents
aggressiveness in, 70
importance of, 62, 76
myths in, 82–83
Pryor, Richard, 142, 191
publicity, 68
Hollywood Women’s Press Association, 107
rewrites, 84
trade magazines, 84
public relations, 318
Puck, Wolfgang, 109
“pukehead,” defined, 123
Purdy shotguns, 99
“pussy hair away,” defined, 203
“putting your dick on the table,” defined, 291
Pyne, Dan, 216, 290
Quaid, Dennis, 328
“a quality of availability,” defined, 333
“a quality of eruptibility,” defined, 332
Quine, Richard, 35
racism, 331
Rafelson, Bob, 232, 233, 290, 295
Rafelson, Toby, 233
“rainmaker,” defined, 189
Rankin, Kyle, 236, 251–252
Ransohoff, Marty, 273
ratings system, 143, 144
Rayfiel, David, 240
reading
importance of, 52
of script, 158
stage plays, 74, 117
studio executives, 127, 201, 272
Red, Eric, 64
Redding, Otis, 57–58, 67, 136, 152, 354
Redding, Zelma, 136, 152
“redeeming social values,” defined, 141
Redford, Robert, 194, 267–268, 271, 302, 303, 312
Redgrave, Vanessa, 113
Reed, Rex, 345
Reeve, Christopher, 233
Reeves, George, 233
Reeves, Keanu, 311–312
Reilly, John C., 310
Reitman, Ivan, 82, 238
Reliable Sources, 132
religion, 46, 152
remakes, of movie failures, 225
Renoir, Jean, 241
repetition, writing process, 172
rereading, of script, 158
respect, 56
reviews, 337–348, 352–353
revisions (rewrites by original author). See also rewrites (by different author)
directors, 214–215
literature, 172
openness to, 212–217
timing in, 153
writer’s block solution, 162
rewards to self, 157
rewrites (by different author), 84, 94, 95, 111–112, 128, 261–262. See also revisions (rewrites by original author)
credits, 135
directors, 214–215
Reynolds, Burt, 63–64, 191, 334
Rice, Anne, 92
Richmond, Ray, 339
Riefenstahl, Leni, 109, 293
Rifkin, Arnold, 110, 286
rights, 134
Riordan, Richard, 10
rip-offs. See thefts
Rivera, José, 240
Rivers, Joan, 304
Rizzo, Jilly, 245
Robbins, Tim, 313, 324, 332
Robert, Julia, 333
Roberts, Jason, 158
Robinson, Sugar Ray, 37, 202
Roddenberry, Gene, 213
Rogers, Mimi, 334
Rogers, Will, 114
role models, 71, 106
Rolling Stone (magazine), 203, 212
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 9–10, 12, 13
Rose, Judd, 352
Rose Café, 24
Ross, Tom, 129–130
Roth, Joe, 297
rough cuts, 218
“round conversation,” defined, 296
Rourke, Mickey, 142
Rowe, Kenneth, xiii
Rubirosa, Porfirio, 365
Rudin, Scott, 70, 206, 277
Rudner, Rita, 155
Rudnick, Paul, 41
Russell, Jane, 250
Russell, Ken, 134, 230
Russo, Richard, 9
Ryan, James, 121, 122, 290, 318
Ryan, Meg, 101
Ryder, Winona, 317
Sachs, Oliver, 139
Sackheim, William, 266
Sacred Cows (Media Mogul), 373–379
sadism, directors, 244
The Saint, 285
Salles, Walter, 240, 249, 268
Salt, Waldo, 74
Sanders, George, 28, 175, 365
Sargent, Alvin, 162
Saroyan, William, 205–206, 316
Saunders, Dan, 10
Saunders, John Monk, 71
Sayles, John, 357
Sayre, Joel, 135
scenery, 237
scene structure, writing process, 160
Schary, Dore, 22
schedules, 97, 151, 153, 154, 155, 158
&n
bsp; Scheider, Roy, 330
Schell, Maximilian, 308
Schenck, Joe, 273
Schisgal, Murray, 331
Schneider, Bert, 20, 51, 268
“schnorrer,” defined, 260
Schrader, Paul, 9, 70, 340
Schroeder, Barbet, 237, 239
Schulberg, Budd, 3–4, 6, 275, 287
Schwarzenegger, Arnold, 56, 72, 128–129, 238, 295, 314, 318
Scientology, 27, 77–78, 186
Scorsese, Martin, 67, 69, 238, 241, 246
Scott, A. O., 340
Scott, George C., 307, 331
Scott, Ridley, 234
screen adaptations, credit for novelist, 94
screenings, tips on, 220–222
script girls, 63
script jackets, 147
script length, 160, 171–172
script meetings. See studio executive meetings
script notes, 214, 216–217
“script stalker,” defined, 187
scriptwriters. See writers
scriptwriting time, 203–204
Seberg, Jean, 71
Sebold, Alice, 9
second act, writing process, 167, 168
self-deception, 64
self-rewards, 157
Sellers, Peter, 191
Selznick, David O., 8, 22, 37, 42, 51–52, 118, 168, 192, 235, 260, 262, 269, 271, 272, 273, 277, 302, 358
Selznick, Lewis J., 8
Selznick, Myron, 269
Semel, Terry, 25
“send me some pages,” defined, 294
sense memory (Method school), 315
sentimentality, 157
sequels, 102
sets, writers at, 217
sex scenes, 142–145
sexuality, 43, 44–45. See also affairs; bisexuality
agents, 183–184
bisexuality, 139, 140
directors, 250
homophobia, 36
homosexuality, 71, 138–140, 144, 195
interracial, 142
masturbation, 155, 170, 174, 250
political correctness, 355
“production fuck,” 218
villains, 141–142
Wilder, Billy, 82
writers, 71–72, 75
Shalit, Gene, 345
Shandling, Garry, 314
Shapiro, George, 197
Sharif, Omar, 264
sharing of script, 160
Shatzberg, Jerry, 248
Shaw, George Bernard, 189, 258
Shaw, Irwin, 75, 197–198, 263, 264
Shaw, Marion, 264
Shawn, Dick, 337
Shelton, Ron, 140, 145, 148, 152, 185, 366
Shepard, Jim, 9
Shore, Dinah, 198
Showgirls, 105–106, 125, 145, 152, 173, 174, 179, 261–262, 290, 293, 314, 324, 352, 355
“showman,” defined, 267
Shriver, Maria, 72
Shulgasser, Barbara, 340
“Side-Al” nudity, defined, 143
Silver, Joel, 76, 109, 146, 262, 272
simplicity, writing process, 160
Simpson, Don, 42, 81, 102, 196, 233, 250, 258, 265, 267, 268, 271
Simpson, O. J., 34
Sinatra, Frank, 106, 191, 245
Slade, Bernard, 177
Sliver, 105, 145, 173, 310, 316, 327, 355
Smith, Roy, 11
smoking, 156
social life, writers, 52, 80
Solt, Andrew, 334
Somebody Up There Likes Me, 305
Some Kind of Hero, 142
The Sound and the Fury (Faulkner), 204
Spacey, Kevin, 67
spec scripts, 119–120
speed. See writing speed
Spiegel, Sam, 61, 62, 63, 168, 210, 211, 218, 244, 258, 260, 261, 263–266, 269, 273, 275, 278, 319, 329–330, 369
“Spiegelese,” defined, 62
Spielberg, Steven, 26, 27, 58, 81, 113, 187–188, 211–212, 231, 234, 253, 329, 355, 374–375, 378
Spillane, Mickey, 54
“spitballing,” defined, 292
stage plays, reading of, 74, 117
Stahr, Monroe, 90
Stallone, Sylvester, 7–8, 38, 64, 77, 109, 140, 211, 234, 245, 292, 323, 334, 364
Stanley, Alessandra, 236–237
Stanwyck, Barbara, 51
Stark, Ray, 16, 47, 70, 86
Stec, Bob, 12
Steel, Dawn, 233
Stein, Julius Caesar, 197, 198
“stereotypes,” defined, 293
Stern, Howard, 107
Stewart, Donald, 96
Stone, Oliver, 67, 102, 224, 293
Stone, Sharon, 39, 41, 43, 44, 47, 72, 78, 80–81, 102, 103, 104, 105, 109, 142, 145, 159, 166, 169, 172, 179, 191, 211, 220, 305–306, 310, 316, 322, 323, 325, 327
story meetings, 209–210, 288. See also studio executive meetings
Streisand, Barbra, 333
structure, writing process, 160
studio executive meetings
clothing for, 208–209
preparation for, 207–208
story meetings, 209–210, 288
tips on, 209–211, 213–214, 291, 292
studio executives
agents and, 192–194
background information on, 207
committee syndrome, 283, 284–285
producers and, 258–259
reading, 127, 201, 272
telephoning of, 83
writers and, 89–92, 95, 224–225, 283–297
studio offices, 67
studio reader, role of, 201–202
Sturges, Preston, 63, 110–111, 207
subject matter, 123, 126, 127, 128–130, 132, 133, 134, 137, 138–146, 151
success
corruption, 16–17, 88
friendships and, 35
“suckfish,” defined, 289
suicide, 61, 62, 352, 355, 361
suicide notes, 28
“suicide years,” defined, 307
sunglasses, 26, 27
Sunset Boulevard, 305, 353
supernatural, 67
Swedlin, Rosalie, 235
swimming pools, 28
swimming pool scenes, 142
Tanenbaum, Robert, 10
tape recordings, dialogue, 175–176
Tapp, Tom, 44
Tartikoff, Brandon, 207, 313
Taylor, Elizabeth, 331
teeth, 58
telephone calls, 66, 83
television, 108, 156
television writing, 357, 358, 359
Telling Lies in America, 126
Temple, Shirley, 314
“tender love story,” defined, 133
The Terminator, 129
Tewksbury, Joan, 344
Thalberg, Irving, 274
“that doesn’t work,” defined, 295
thefts, 124
of memorabilia, 218
prevention of, 179–180
titles, 177
“theory of creative conflict,” defined, 218
Theron, Charlize, 142
The Third Man, 249
“this is the best draft I’ve ever read,” defined, 297
Thomas, Betty, 377–378
Thomas, Jim, 60
Thomas, Sandy Charlebois, 88
Thompson, Hunter S., 74–75, 83, 101, 156, 302
Thomson, David, 83–84, 102
Thornton, Billy Bob, 9, 14, 64, 91, 379
Thorp, Roderick, 147
“three beat,” defined, 175
“three Cs,” defined, 38
“three-piss picture,” defined, 289
Thunder Road, 74–75
Tidyman, Ernest, 363
tightening, writing process, 172
timeliness, in payment, 61
time of day, 154
Titanic, 353
titles, selection of, 176–177
Toback, James, 343–344
Today show, 68, 293
Todd, Mike, 265, 363
“to do a Belushi,�
� defined, 81
“to do a Burt Weisbourd,” defined, 271
“to do a Cimino,” defined, 231
“to do a Garry Shandling,” defined, 314
“to do a Hughie,” defined, 85
“to do a Jennifer Grey,” defined, 316
“to do a Pee-wee,” defined, 308
To Have and Have Not, 95
Tolkin, Michael, 171
tone, writing process, 167
“too ethnic,” defined, 141
Toole, F. X., 234
Toole, John Kennedy, 355
Top Gun, 133
“to Spiegel,” defined, 62
“to sweat dollars,” defined, 286
“total fucking disaster,” defined, 290
“to Wirtschafter,” defined, 192
Towne, Robert, 25, 51, 84, 95, 98, 99, 124, 125, 160, 194, 239, 252, 276, 278, 319
Tracy, Lee, 301
Tracy, Spencer, 63
trade magazines, publicity, 84
Tramell, Catherine, 102, 203, 306
Trammell, Alan, 172
Traube, Lenny, 342
Travolta, John, 211, 322
trends, 64
Trevor, William, 358
“trophy girls,” defined, 139
“truffle nose,” defined, 274
Trumbo, Dalton, 13, 17, 36, 61, 74, 83, 98, 111–112, 155, 156, 217, 356, 367
Truscott, Lucian, 95
Tubb, Ernest, 129
“tumeling,” defined, 191
“tweaking your script,” defined, 296
Twins, 238
Tyler, Liv, 324
Tyler, Steve, 324
typewriter, 154, 368–369
Tyson, Mike, 161
“ubermenschen of Hollywood,” defined, 190
“unelectric,” defined, 46
“unemployable,” defined, 73
“unfuckable,” defined, 269
urine rising, 58–59
Vail, Tom, 172–173
Valenti, Jack, 107, 293, 296
Van Damme, Jean Claude, 220
Van Sant, Gus, 248
Van Susteren, Greta, 33
“velvet octopus,” defined, 278
Verhoeven, Paul, 58–59, 81, 103, 104, 106, 125, 156, 169, 179, 215, 231, 234, 242, 248, 251, 324, 347
Viagra, 174
Victor, Ed, 197
Vidal, Gore, 50, 95, 138, 204, 260, 351, 353
video games, 63
videotapes, of dailies, 217
Vidor, King, 277
Viertel, Peter, 65, 71
Vilanch, Bruce, 231, 311–312
villains, 141–142
Vinton, Bobby, 59
violence, 145–146, 314, 329
virgins, 141–142
voice-over, avoidance of, 158
von Sternberg, Joseph, 220, 239, 320
Wachowski, Andy, 109
Wachowski, Larry, 109
Wald, Jerry, 6, 78
Walden, Phil, 136
Walken, Christopher, 111, 315
Walker, Andrew Kevin, 185
Walker, Robert, Sr., 25
Walker, Robert, Jr. (“Bob”), 25
Walter, Richard, 34
Warner, Jack, 184, 287, 289
War Zone, Los Angeles, California, 52
Washington, Denzel, 139, 142
Wasserman, Edie, 294–295
Wasserman, Lew, 70, 287, 288, 290, 294–295
Wayne, John, 140
The Devil’s Guide To Hollywood Page 39