Norman Wexler
Norman Wexler | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 16, 1926 |
| Died | August 23, 1999(aged 73) Washington, D.C.,U.S. |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
Norman Wexler(August 16, 1926 – August 23, 1999) was an American screenwriter whose work included films such asSaturday Night Fever,SerpicoandJoe.ANew Bedford, Massachusettsnative and 1944Central High Schoolgraduate in Detroit, Wexler attendedHarvard Universitybefore moving to New York in 1951.[1]
Career
[edit]Wexler wrote the screenplays for several hit films, most notablyJoe,Serpico,MandingoandSaturday Night Fever.He received Oscar nominations forJoeandSerpico.According toBob Zmuda,Saturday Night Fevermade Wexler a wealthy man. He was a much sought-afterscript doctor,reworking the scripts forLipstickandThe Fan.
Wexler also was a serious and accomplished playwright. Several of his plays were produced off-Broadway and in regional theaters. His playThe Ropewas produced at Cafe La MaMa on New York,Red's My Color, What's Yours?won the Cleveland Playhouse Award, and his most recent workForgive Me, Forgive Me Notwas staged in Los Angeles in 1996, winning theJulie Harris Playwright Award,three years before his death.[2]
Health, personal life, and character inspirations
[edit]He was reported to have suffered from severemental illness,reportedlybipolar disorder,and was arrested in 1972 for threatening to shoot PresidentRichard Nixon.[3]
In the bookAndy Kaufman Revealed,Bob Zmuda,Kaufman's friend and writer, relates his experiences working as an assistant for an extremely eccentric, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, prone to pulling stunts that ranged from the bizarre to the profane. Zmuda refers to the man by the alias Mr X. Mr X's wild antics and boorish behavior are said to have been a major influence in creating Andy Kaufman's iconic alter-ego, the obnoxious lounge lizardTony Clifton.Zmuda does not confirm Mr. X's identity in the book. However, on theWTF with Marc Maronpodcast, he confirmed the long-standing rumor that it was Wexler.[4]
His last manic episode, from November 1998 to February 1999, took a toll on his health. Early in the morning of August 23, 1999, Wexler died of a heart attack at age 73.[5]
Screenplays
[edit]- Joe(1970)
- Serpico(withWaldo Salt) (1973)
- Mandingo(1975)
- Drum(1976)
- Saturday Night Fever(1977)
- Staying Alive(withSylvester Stallone) (1983)
- Raw Deal(withGary DeVore) (1986)
References
[edit]- ^Vallance, Tom (August 27, 1999)."Obituary: Norman Wexler".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2022.RetrievedMay 19,2019.
- ^Obituary,Los Angeles Times.Accessed November 6, 2022.
- ^"Screenwriter Jailed For a Threat to Nixon".The New York Times.December 16, 1972.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJuly 4,2024.
- ^Marc Maron(April 26, 2012)."Episode 274 – Bob Zmuda"(Podcast). Event occurs at 0:38:00.RetrievedApril 26,2012.
- ^Williams, Andrew (July 31, 2012)."Erica Wexler: I dealt with my dad's manic depression with music".Metro.RetrievedJuly 4,2024.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1926 births
- 1999 deaths
- American male screenwriters
- Harvard University alumni
- People with bipolar disorder
- People from New Bedford, Massachusetts
- Screenwriters from Massachusetts
- 20th-century American male writers
- 20th-century American screenwriters
- Central High School (Detroit) alumni
- Writers Guild of America Award winners