WRITERS GUILD CROWNS "CASABLANCA" SCRIPT

Bottom of Form

The Writers Guild of America chose the script for CASABLANCA as the "top dog" of the "101 Greatest Screenplays" last night in Beverly Hills. The screenplay by Julius Epstein, Philip Epstein and Howard Koch was followed by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola's THE GODFATHER; Robert Towne's CHINATOWN; Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE; Joseph Mankiewicz's ALL ABOUT EVE; Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman's ANNIE HALL; Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman Jr.'s SUNSET BLVD.; Paddy Chayefsky's NEWORK; Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond's SOME LIKE IT HOT; with Coppola and Puzo's THE GODFATHER PART II rounding out the top 10.

Three writers -- Allen, Coppola and Wilder -- have four films on the list, while three others have three: William Goldman, John Huston and Charlie Kaufman. Forty-five are original scripts, while 56 are adaptations. The list is also heavy on dramas (60), as opposed to comedies (26) and comedy/dramas (15).

Full credits and the complete list may be found at www.wga.org. Now, all you aspiring screenwriters, get busy reading them!