101 Greatest Screenplays chosen by Writers Guild

Writers Guild crowns 'Casablanca' as greatest script
By Jesse Hiestand

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Casablanca" has topped the list of "101 Greatest Screenplays," a first-ever ranking by members of the Writers Guild of America that was revealed Thursday night at a reception in Beverly Hills.

The screenplay for "Casablanca," by Julius Epstein, Philip Epstein and Howard Koch, was followed, in order, by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather," Robert Towne's "Chinatown," Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" and Joseph Mankiewicz's "All About Eve."

"This list and the films on it are meant to be scrutinized and criticized, dissected and collected, viewed and reviewed," WGA West president Patric Verrone said. "They are the literature of our industry and the legacy of our union."

Added WGA East president Chris Albers: "It's difficult to think of American life without the films on this list. Just reading the titles reminds us of the fantastic journeys they have provided."

The results, sponsored by the unions and Premiere magazine, were revealed at a gala tribute at the Writers Guild Theater.

Members nominated more than 1,400 screenplays. Any produced screenplay was eligible regardless of era or language.

Rounding out the top 10 are Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman's "Annie Hall," Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman Jr.'s "Sunset Blvd.," Paddy Chayefsky's "Network," Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond's "Some Like It Hot" and Coppola and Puzo's "The Godfather Part II."

Three writers -- Allen, Coppola and Wilder -- had four films on the list, while three others had three: William Goldman, John Huston and Charlie Kaufman.

Forty-five were original scripts, while 56 were adaptations; the list also was heavy on dramas (60) as opposed to comedies (26) and comedy/dramas (15).

1 CASABLANCA
Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch . Based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison.
2 THE GODFATHER
Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola . Based on the novel by Mario Puzo.
3 CHINATOWN
Written by Robert Towne
4 CITIZEN KANE
Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
5 ALL ABOUT EVE
Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz . Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr
6 ANNIE HALL
Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
7 SUNSET BLVD.
Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman Jr.
8 NETWORK
Written by Paddy Chayefsky
9 SOME LIKE IT HOT
Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond . Based on "Fanfare of Love," a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
10 THE GODFATHER II
Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo . Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather"
11 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
Written by William Goldman
12 DR. STRANGELOVE
Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern. Based on novel "Red Alert" by Peter George
13 THE GRADUATE
Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb
14 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence
15 THE APARTMENT
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
16 PULP FICTION
Written by Quentin Tarantino. Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary
17 TOOTSIE
Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal. Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
18 ON THE WATERFRONT
Screen Story and Screenplay by Budd Schulberg. Based on "Crime on the Waterfront" articles by Malcolm Johnson
19 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Screenplay by Horton Foote. Based on the novel by Harper Lee.
20 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Screenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett & Frank Capra. Based on short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. Contributions to screenplay Michael Wilson and Jo Swerling
21 NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Written by Ernest Lehman
22 THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King
23 GONE WITH THE WIND
Screenplay by Sidney Howard. Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell
24 ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth.
25 THE WIZARD OF OZ
Screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf. Adaptation by Noel Langley. Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
26 DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain
27 GROUNDHOG DAY
Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis. Story by Danny Rubin.
28 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
29 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
Written by Preston Sturges
30 UNFORGIVEN
Written by David Webb Peoples
31 HIS GIRL FRIDAY
Screenplay by Charles Lederer. Based on the play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
32 FARGO
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
33 THE THIRD MAN
Screenplay by Graham Greene. Story by Graham Greene. Based on the short story by Graham Greene.
34 THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman. From a novelette by Ernest Lehman
35 THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
36 MIDNIGHT COWBOY
Screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy
37 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart. Based on the play by Philip Barry
38 AMERICAN BEAUTY
Written by Alan Ball
39 THE STING
Written by David S. Ward
40 WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
Written by Nora Ephron
41 GOODFELLAS
Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book "Wise Guy" by Nicholas Pileggi.
42 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
43 TAXI DRIVER
Written by Paul Schrader
44 THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood. Based on novel "Glory For Me" by MacKinlay Kantor
45 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
46 THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven
47 THE MALTESE FALCON
Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
48 THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
Screenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle
49 SCHINDLER'S LIST
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
50 THE SIXTH SENSE
Written by M. Night Shyamalan
51 BROADCAST NEWS
Written by James L. Brooks
52 THE LADY EVE
Screenplay by Preston Sturges. Story by Monckton Hoffe
53 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward
54 MANHATTAN
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
55 APOCALYPSE NOW
Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr
56 BACK TO THE FUTURE
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
57 CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Written by Woody Allen
58 ORDINARY PEOPLE
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent. Based on the novel by Judith Guest
59 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Screenplay by Robert Riskin. Based on the story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams
60 L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy
61 THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Screenplay by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris
62 MOONSTRUCK
Written by John Patrick Shanley
63 JAWS
Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
64 TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
Screenplay by James L. Brooks. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
65 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Screen Story and Screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green. Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
66 JERRY MAGUIRE
Written by Cameron Crowe
67 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Written by Melissa Mathison
68 STAR WARS
Written by George Lucas
69 DOG DAY AFTERNOON
Screenplay by Frank Pierson. Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore
70 THE AFRICAN QUEEN
Screenplay by James Agee and John Huston. Based on the novel by C.S. Forester
71 THE LION IN WINTER
Screenplay by James Goldman. Based on the play by James Goldman
72 THELMA & LOUISE
Written by Callie Khouri
73 AMADEUS
Screenplay by Peter Shaffer. Based on his play.
74 BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
Written by Charlie Kaufman
75 HIGH NOON
Screenplay by Carl Foreman. Based on short story "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham
76 RAGING BULL
Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage
77 ADAPTATION
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean
78 ROCKY
Written by Sylvester Stallone
79 THE PRODUCERS
Written by Mel Brooks
80 WITNESS
Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace
81 BEING THERE
Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski. Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski
82 COOL HAND LUKE
Screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce.
83 REAR WINDOW
Screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich
84 THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on his novel.
85 LA GRANDE ILLUSION
Written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak
86 HAROLD & MAUDE
Written by Colin Higgins
87 8 1/2
Screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rondi. Story by Fellini, Flaiano.
88 FIELD OF DREAMS
Screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson. Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella
89 FORREST GUMP
Screenplay by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom
90 SIDEWAYS
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett
91 THE VERDICT
Screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed
92 PSYCHO
Screenplay by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch
93 DO THE RIGHT THING
Written by Spike Lee
94 PATTON
Screen Story and Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North. Based on "A Soldier's Story" by Omar H. Bradley and "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" by Ladislas Farago
95 HANNAH AND HER SISTERS
Written by Woody Allen
96 THE HUSTLER
Screenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Walter Tevis
97 THE SEARCHERS
Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May
98 THE GRAPES OF WRATH
Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
99 THE WILD BUNCH
Screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah. Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner
100 MEMENTO
Screenplay by Christopher Nolan. Based on the short story "Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan
101 NOTORIOUS
Written by Ben Hecht