William Goldman, the prolific author and screenwriter that brought joy to generations withThe Princess Bride, died at his Manhattan home on Friday, his daughter Jenny Goldman confirmed to theWashington Post. He was 87.Though Goldman was originally a novelist, he made a splash in the movie industry with his screenplay for the Paul Newman 1966 movieHarper. He later worked with Newman again in 1969’sButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,cementing his status as one of the businesses’s best screenwriter.He went on to win his first Oscar for the western, and later earned his second for his Watergate-scandal movieAll the President’s Men.Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images/GettyBut Goldman won over the hearts of audiences everywhere with his novel-turned-movie-turned-cult-hitThe Princess Bride.The writer toldEWback in 2011 about the origin of the story, which came from his two daughters: Jenny and Susanna.“I had two little daughters, I think they were 7 and 4 at the time, and I said, ‘I’ll write you a story. What do you want it to be about?’ ” he recalled. “One of them said ‘a princess’ and the other one said ‘a bride.’ I said, ‘That’ll be the title.’ ”Paddy Chayefsky and William Goldman at the 1977 Oscars.PENDERGRASS/AP/REX/Shutterstock20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/ShutterstockThe 1973 novel was made into the 1987 movie that is still often quoted today, starring heavyweights like Robin Wright and Mandy Patinkin. Goldman reflected on the movie’s enduring success in theEWinterview and admitted that it was one of his favorite things he’d done in his long career.“The movie was not a phenomenal success. It did okay. But it found this life as time went on,” he said. “I don’t like my writing. I only like two movies I’ve ever written:Butch Cassidy and The Sundance KidandThe Princess Bride.”
William Goldman, the prolific author and screenwriter that brought joy to generations withThe Princess Bride, died at his Manhattan home on Friday, his daughter Jenny Goldman confirmed to theWashington Post. He was 87.
Though Goldman was originally a novelist, he made a splash in the movie industry with his screenplay for the Paul Newman 1966 movieHarper. He later worked with Newman again in 1969’sButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,cementing his status as one of the businesses’s best screenwriter.
He went on to win his first Oscar for the western, and later earned his second for his Watergate-scandal movieAll the President’s Men.
Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images/Getty
But Goldman won over the hearts of audiences everywhere with his novel-turned-movie-turned-cult-hitThe Princess Bride.The writer toldEWback in 2011 about the origin of the story, which came from his two daughters: Jenny and Susanna.
“I had two little daughters, I think they were 7 and 4 at the time, and I said, ‘I’ll write you a story. What do you want it to be about?’ ” he recalled. “One of them said ‘a princess’ and the other one said ‘a bride.’ I said, ‘That’ll be the title.’ ”
Paddy Chayefsky and William Goldman at the 1977 Oscars.PENDERGRASS/AP/REX/Shutterstock
20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
The 1973 novel was made into the 1987 movie that is still often quoted today, starring heavyweights like Robin Wright and Mandy Patinkin. Goldman reflected on the movie’s enduring success in theEWinterview and admitted that it was one of his favorite things he’d done in his long career.
“The movie was not a phenomenal success. It did okay. But it found this life as time went on,” he said. “I don’t like my writing. I only like two movies I’ve ever written:Butch Cassidy and The Sundance KidandThe Princess Bride.”
source: people.com
