In 2005, the Writer’s Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writer’s Guild of America, East (WGAWE) conducted a poll of its members to come up with the top 101 screenplays of all-time. Professional movie and television writers were asked to pick their top ten screenplays from any era of filmmaking. The votes were tallied and used to create the top 101 screenplays ever produced. Here are the top ten.
Some notes on screenplay credits: the “written by” credit indicates that the screenwriter also came up with the original story (usually the screenplay itself). If two or more writers share a credit, the use of an ampersand (&) usually indicates that the writers wrote the script together. If the names are joined by the word “and” instead of the ampersand, this usually indicates that the first writer wrote the screenplay and the additional writer was brought in for rewrites or to work on revising a new draft.
10. The Godfather Part II (1974) Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo
This film was the sequel to The Godfather. The movie won six Oscars, with Copoola taking home three gold statues that night – one for Best Director, one for Best Picture and one for Best Screenplay adapted from other material. Many contemporary critics considered this sequel superior to the original.
9. Some Like It Hot (1959) Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond.
One of the funniest, if not the funniest, movie ever made, Some Like it Hot was based on a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan called Fanfare of Love. Wilder and Diamond would often write on weekends while making a film to take advantage of any ideas that might arise during shooting. Wilder felt it was a mistake to have a finished script before shooting began. Wilder and Diamond were nominated for Best Screenplay, but did not win the Oscar.
8. Network (1976) Written by Paddy Chayefsky
As one of television’s earliest and most influential writers, Chayefsky had a wealth of material to draw on to write Network. Although he left television writing in 1956, these insights were a critical part of the writing of Network. The film took home four Oscars, including Best Screenplay written directly for the screen. Notable quote: “I’m mad as hell…!”
7. Sunset Boulevard (1950) Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marchman, Jr.
One of cinema’s all-time classics, Sunset Boulevard marked the last collaboration between Brackett and Wilder. The film offers a potent insight into Hollywood of the 1950s, in particular, the lowly screenwriter. The story originated with Brackett wanting to explore a silent movie star’s comeback. Marshman added the relationship between a faded movie star and a young man. Notable quote: “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”
6. Annie Hall (1977) Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
The original title for the film was Anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure); however, United Artists didn’t like the title, so Allen changed it. The new title, Annie Hall, was based on Diane Keaton’s real name – Diane Hall, and that her nickname was Annie.
The screenplay won Oscars for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay written directly for the screen.
5. All About Eve (1951) Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
The screenplay was based on a short story, “The Wisdom of Eve” written by Mary Orr that appeared in Cosmopolitan in May, 1946. Fox studios bought the story rights for $3500. Mankiewicz combined the story with another story he’d been developing about an actress recalling her life as she receives an award. Bette Davis credited this film for resurrecting her career. It won six Oscars, including Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay.
4. Citizen Kane (1941) Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles.
Herman Mankiewicz was the older brother of Joseph Mankiewicz, writer and director of All About Eve. Mankiewicz is generally credited with basing the story on William Randolph Hearst. Welles had written an unproduced play in school entitled Marching Song. In it, the life of a public figure is explored through the reminiscing of the people in his life. The “Rosebud” line was rumored to have enraged Hearst because it was supposedly his nickname for his mistress Marion Davies’ private parts. The screen play won as Oscar – the only one that Citizen Kane received.
3. Chinatown (1974) Written by Robert Towne
Originally the film contained no scenes set in Chinatown itself. Just before shooting, a scene was added to accommodate this. The character of Jake Gittes was named after a friend of Jack Nicholson, Harry Gittes. The film was nominated for a host of Academy Awards, but only won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The Godfather Part II (number ten on the list) won the same year but for best adapted screenplay.
2. The Godfather (1972) Written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola.
The Godfather was the highest grossing film in history when it was released. The rights to Mario Puzo’s novel were bought by Paramount while the story was only a 20-page outline. The movie won Best Picture and Best Screenplay based on material from another medium, in addition to Best Actor for Marlon Brando.
1. Casablanca (1942) Screenplay by Julius J. & Phillip G. Epstein and Howard Koch.
The screenplay was based on a play by Murray Burnett and Joan Allison entitled, Everybody Comes to Rick’s. The play was never produced, but it does arrive in the Warner Brothers’ story department the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Koch and the Epstein brothers were never in the same room while working on the script, which would become one of the most memorable in movie history.
Ironically, in the 1980s the script for Casablanca was sent to professional readers at several major studios under the title Everybody Comes to Rick’s. Although some readers recognized the script, most did not. Most of the readers indicated that the Oscar-winning script wasn’t good enough to be made into a movie.
To view the list of top 101 screenplays in it’s entirity, click HERE.
Source: WGAW
