The continuing saga of movie lists presents: The WGA's Top 100 Screenplays of All Time!!

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http://www.wgaeast.org/greatest_screenplays/

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:04 (twenty years ago)

Chinatown robbed. All About Eve raped.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:05 (twenty years ago)

'chinatown' is at number three, son.

― Real Goths Don't Wear Black (Enrique), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:12 (twenty years ago)

is it really possible to judge these screenplays apart from the movies they became? i mean as good as the screenplay to "casablanca" is, i doubt it would've been #1 if it had starred george raft and ann sheridan.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:28 (twenty years ago)

"heathers" was totally robbed. it's the "all about eve" of high school movies!

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:29 (twenty years ago)

well, yeah, but it's the same with 'best actors' and 'best directors' lists. is it meant to be limited to american films?

― Real Goths Don't Wear Black (Enrique), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:31 (twenty years ago)

thank god it is, otherwise "life is beautiful" would be like #15!

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:48 (twenty years ago)

haha

― Real Goths Don't Wear Black (Enrique), Friday, 7 April 2006 08:51 (twenty years ago)

'chinatown' is at number three, son.

What J.D. sed about Casablanca, et al.

I posted this list before even really looking at it. Ben Hecht could've used a couple more slots, surely.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 7 April 2006 12:11 (twenty years ago)

i mean as good as the screenplay to "casablanca" is, i doubt it would've been #1 if it had starred george raft and ann sheridan.

haha, originally i read this as

"i mean as good as the screenplay to "CHINATOWN" is, i doubt it would've been #1 if it had starred george raft and ann sheridan"

and wz like 'no guff, chet'.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Friday, 7 April 2006 12:13 (twenty years ago)

I don't think the Casablanca and Godfather I scripts are remotely great -- both have howlers, along with punchy, memorable lines. And Butch Cassidy and Network being in the top dozen sez it all.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 April 2006 13:18 (twenty years ago)

27 GROUNDHOG DAY

28 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

29 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS

I believe that is the dictionary definition of a 'shit sandwich.'

Lauding stage adaptations like The Philadelphia Story is silly -- it' the play with a few commas moved around, isn't it?

Shawshank #22, and Ben Hecht doesn't show up til #100. Printing out and taking this to the loo...

Writing those self-regarding books sure paid off for William Goldman; do I see FIVE of his?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 April 2006 13:27 (twenty years ago)

Haha, see also:

83. REAR WINDOW

84. THE PRINCESS BRIDE

85. LA GRANDE ILLUSION

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:14 (twenty years ago)

100. MEMENTO
101. NOTORIOUS

Wtf?

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:15 (twenty years ago)

The Sting, Usual Suspects, Sixth Sense ...Apparently writing backwards from a twist (plausible or not) is half the battle.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:20 (twenty years ago)

Star Wars? Best screenplay?!

― darin (darin), Friday, 7 April 2006 17:53 (twenty years ago)

Other Colin, I'll fight you to the death over the honor of "The Princess Bride".

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Friday, 7 April 2006 17:57 (twenty years ago)

Star Wars?

Yeah, along with Raiders, I can't believe the Flash Gordon and Republic serials were dissed so mightily.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Other Colin, I'll fight you to the death over the honor of "The Princess Bride".

I'm sure you'd win! It's been a while since I've seen it and I'm really just being unfair.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Didn't Elaine May, Barry Levinson, and a half-dozen others contribute to Tootsie?

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:22 (twenty years ago)

All John Huston did for The Maltese Falcon was remove two scenes from the book.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:25 (twenty years ago)

No Big Sleep?

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Friday, 7 April 2006 21:36 (twenty years ago)

It looks like the (main) screenwriter has to be American looking at the list of films (The Third Man).

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Friday, 7 April 2006 21:39 (twenty years ago)

Scrub that last post I know Graham Greene is English I was thinking two things at once. Seems the criteria was English language.

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Friday, 7 April 2006 21:43 (twenty years ago)

Actually, no. Nearly all of us (exc Colin) missed that the two non-English reps are #85 and #87. In other words, this list isn't just pointless, it's a philistine jingoist joke.

http://www.cinemarati.org/index.php/archives/listing-to-one-side/

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 10 April 2006 17:14 (twenty years ago)

Lauding stage adaptations like The Philadelphia Story is silly -- it' the play with a few commas moved around, isn't it?

which hecht films did you want in, then? 'the front page'?

― enrique's new pseudonym, Tuesday, 11 April 2006 13:45 (twenty years ago)

How about Hawks' Scarface?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 14:12 (twenty years ago)

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