Altered States
Network (1976)
The Hospital (1971)
Paint Your Wagon (1969)
The Americanization of Emily (1964)
The Goddess (1958)
The Bachelor Party (1957)
Marty (1955)

Playwright/scenarist Paddy Chayefsky originally harbored dreams of becoming a comedian, but turned to writing while convalescing from a war wound. He began writing for television in the early 1950s. For a time, Chayefsky was pigeonholed early on as a specialist in "kitchen sink" drama, but was eventually best-known for his TV drama, "Marty", which took off as a TV drama in 1953 that it was expanded by Chayefsky into a 1955 film. He made the transition to film with his dark 1971 farce "The Hospital", which won him another Oscar. Five years later, he skewered the world of TV journalism with his screenplay for "Network" (1976), introducing the now-legendary mantra "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more." Chayefsky's last screenplay was the 1980 adaptation of his own novel "Altered States". So unhappy was he with finished film that he had his name removed from the screen credits. Chayefsky died shortly afterward.

Published on: 2004-05-27 (4974 reads)