Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Discuss your favorite actors, directors or screenwriters
Moribunny
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Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by Moribunny »

Writing is that most basic, most essential element of narrative filmmaking that everyone loves to ignore, and since the "Filmmaker List" section of Criticker shows you your highest averages for screenwriters as well, it seemed about time that we did a topic on that.
Obviously, there will be a considerable overlap between your favorite writers and directors. It should still be interesting as not every high-scoring director would necessarily make the writers list, but because writing directors already tend to show up on directors lists, I decided to purify and exclude writer-directors. There were a few tough calls (In my list I exclude ones such as Scola and Sturges, who started out just writing but became full-time directors; and include Brickman who directed 2-3 works, but is much better known as a writer) but it's manageable.

So, I'm arbitrarily setting my cutoff at 5 films minimum, and here are my top 10 screenwriters who aren't (usually) directors:
(Following ShogunRua's example, I'm adding a few words of introduction for each)

#. Writer................. Avg (films ranked)

1. Ennio Flaiano......... 84.22 (9) ...mostly stuff he wrote for Fellini.
2. Tullio Pinelli.......... 83.13 (8) ...mostly stuff he wrote for Fellini.
3. Suso Cecchi d'Amico. 82.09 (11) ...wrote for Visconti, Monicelli and others.
4. Furio Scarpelli........ 81.00 (6) ...often with Incrocci, for Monicelli, Scola, and many others.
5. Agenore Incrocci..... 78.78 (9) ...often with Scarpelli, for Monicelli, Scola, and many others.
6. Marshall Brickman... 76.20 (5) ...wrote early Woody Allens.
7. Cesare Zavattini..... 75.20 (5) ...mostly of Vittorio de Sica fame.
8. Terence Rattigan.... 74.00 (6) ...Playwright and screenwriter, mostly for Anthony Asquith.
9. John Cleese........... 73.33 (6) ...Monty Python (nudge nudge, say no more).
10. Samson Raphaelson 70.80 (5) ...Wrote for Lubitsch.

Honorable mentions: Graham Chapman, William Goldman, Leonardo Benvenuti, Emeric Pressburger, Michael Wilson, Tonino Guerra, Paul Schrader, Shinobu Hashimoto, Lorenzo Semple Jr. (4), Gyula Hernádi (4), Ruggero Maccari (4), Jean-Claude Grumberg (4)
Last edited by Moribunny on Fri Dec 13, 2013 9:57 am, edited 2 times in total.

ShogunRua
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by ShogunRua »

Interesting idea. I was wondering whether to include Jim Abrahams, though; he was mostly a writer, but co-directed with Zucker on a couple of comedies.

1. Goseki Kojima, 91.80 (5)
2. Kazuko Koike, 89.71 (7) (Manga GOD; he wrote the original "Lonewolf and Cub", and him and Kojima adapted it to the live-action films)
3. Jackie Chan, 72.00 (6)
4. Edward Tang, 71.30 (10) (Wrote a bunch of Jackie Chan films)
5. William Goldman, 68.43 (7)
6. Stephen King, 68.07 (15)
7. Peter Fischer, 67.60 (5) (Columbo television movies)
8. Richard Levinson, 66.00 (16) (Far more Columbo television movies!)
9. Eddie Murphy, 65.60 (5) (Thankfully, I never watched either Norbit, Boomerang, or Harlem Nights, or he wouldn't crack this list)
10. Herschel Weingrod, 65.00 (6) (Damn impressive, considering I gave Space Jam an 11, one of my lowest ratings ever. Incidentally, that was also the last film he wrote)

djross
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by djross »

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Last edited by djross on Thu Jul 20, 2023 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

snallygaster
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by snallygaster »

It takes a bit of work to separate actual screenwriters from plain old writers (ie of source material). Setting my cutoff at 4 films.

1. Kôgo Noda 9.29 / 7 films (all for Ozu)
2. Ryuzo Kikushima 8.17 / 6 films (top film is by Naruse; other 5 all Kurosawa)
3. Shinobu Hashimoto 7.86 / 7 films (mostly Kurosawa)
4/5. Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli 7.75 / 4 films (same 4 films, all Fellini)
6. Ben Hecht 7.5 / 4 films (Hitchcock x 2, Hawks, De Palma)
7. Hideo Oguni 7.4 / 4 films (all Kurosawa again)
8. Bob Baker 7.25 / 4 films (Wallace & Gromit :lol: )
9. Tonino Guerra 6.5 / 4 films (mostly Antonioni)
10 Dan O'Bannon 5.75 /4 films ("Alien" movies + Total Recall)


Honourable mention to William Shakespeare (9.00 / 4 films but obviously not writing for film).

gogolit
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by gogolit »

Sorry but how are you making these lists?

martryn
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by martryn »

Fuck it, I love these things.

1. Fran Walsh, 6 films, 83.33 (Peter Jackson substitute)
2. J.R.R. Tolkien, 6 films, 82.67 (fuck it, I'm a nerd)
3. Philippa Boyens, 5 films, 82.2 (another PJ)
4. John Logan, 5 films, 80.6
6. Steve Kloves, 8 films, 80.25 (the guy that wrote the Harry Potter films)
6. J.K. Rowling, 8 films, 80.25 (*shrug*)
7. Michael Maltese, 5 "films", 79.4 (Looney Tunes shorts)
8. Steve Zaillian, 5 films, 76.6
9. Lem Dobbs, 5 films, 75.6
10. Edward Tang, 5 films, 74.8 (works with Jackie Chan)

Sorry I don't have any classy screenwriters that worked with a bunch of foreign dead dudes. I'm a man of the people.

Moribunny
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by Moribunny »

2014 Update

#. Writer................. Avg (films ranked)

1. Ennio Flaiano......... 84.22 (9) ...mostly for Fellini.
2. Tullio Pinelli.......... 80.62 (13) ...mostly for Fellini.
3. Suso Cecchi d'Amico. 80.50 (12) ...for Visconti, Monicelli, Antonioni and others.
4. Furio Scarpelli........ 79.50 (8) ...often with Incrocci, for Monicelli, Scola, Risi and others.
5. Agenore Incrocci..... 78.09 (11) ...often with Scarpelli, for Monicelli, Scola, Risi and others.
6. Marshall Brickman... 76.20 (5) ...wrote early Woody Allens.
7. Ruggero Maccari..... 75.50 (6) ...for Pietrangeli, Risi, Scola and others.
~8. Jean Aurenche....... 75.20 (5) ...for Clément, Autant-Lara, Tavernier and others.
~8. Cesare Zavattini..... 75.20 (5) ...mostly of Vittorio de Sica fame.
10. Lorenzo Semple Jr... 74.20 (5) ...for "Papillon", and a bunch of great thrillers.

Honorable mentions: Terence Rattigan, John Cleese, Jacques Prévert, Gyula Hernádi, Mardik Martin (4), Frank Pierson (4), Jean-Claude Grumberg (4), Harriet Frank Jr. (4), Calder Willingham (4)

Moribunny
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by Moribunny »

2016 Update


I'm forced to exclude great writers like Scola, Frank Pierson, David Leland, and Campanile, who became full-time directors at some point in their careers.

#. Writer................. Avg (films ranked)

1. Ennio Flaiano......... 81.80 (10) ...mostly for Fellini.
2. Suso Cecchi d'Amico. 79.36 (14) ...for Visconti, Monicelli, Antonioni, De Sica and Rosi.
3. Tullio Pinelli.......... 79.14 (14) ...mostly for Fellini.
4. Rodolfo Sonego....... 78.60 (5) ...for Risi, Zampa, Monicelli, De Sica and Comencini.
5. Marshall Brickman.... 76.20 (5) ...wrote early Woody Allens.
6. Bernardino Zapponi.. 75.67 (6) ...for Fellini, Monicelli, Comencini, Argento...
7. Jean Aurenche........ 75.57 (7) ...for Clément, Autant-Lara, Tavernier and Carné.
8. Agenore Incrocci..... 75.18 (17) ...often with Scarpelli, for Monicelli, Scola, Risi and others.
9. Lorenzo Semple Jr.... 74.20 (5) ...for "Papillon", and a bunch of great thrillers.
10. Terence Rattigan..... 74.00 (6) ...playwright, mostly adapted by Anthony Asquith.
11. Gyula Hernádi....... 73.83 (6) ...mostly for Miklós Jancsó.
12. Cesare Zavattini..... 72.67 (6) ...mostly De Sica plus Visconti's "Bellissima".
13. Jacques Prévert...... 72.60 (5) ...mostly Carné.
14. Furio Scarpelli........ 72.53 (15) ...often with Incrocci, for Monicelli, Scola, Risi and others.
15. Graham Chapman.... 72.14 (7) ...Monty Python.
16. Ruggero Maccari..... 71.92 (12) ...for Pietrangeli, Risi, Scola and others.
=17. Irving Ravetch....... 70.80 (5) ...mostly Martin Ritt.
=17. Samson Raphaelson. 70.80 (5) ...for Ernst Lubitsch.
19. Mario Puzo............ 70.20 (5) ...Godfather, Superman.
20. Michael Wilson....... 69.60 (5) ... for Lean, Schaffner, Capra and George Stevens.

Honorable mentions: Eric Idle (82.75/4), Monica Mcgowan Johnson (76.5/4), Arlette Langmann (75.25/4), Jean-Claude Grumberg (74/4), Calder Willingham (72.5/4), Brunello Rondi (71.5/4)

Mardik Martin was very close to making it on my list, when I saw "The Cut". Harriet Frank Jr. was foiled by "Silver River".
Last edited by Moribunny on Tue May 10, 2016 10:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

snallygaster
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by snallygaster »

Well, alright. Update, again with a 4-film minimum, and again strictly counting only screenwriters (not novelists, etc):

1. Kôgo Noda 9.33 / 9 films (all for Ozu)
2. Zenzô Matsuyama 9.00 / 4 films* (Human Condition Trilogy + 1 Naruse)
3. Yoshikata Yoda 8.00 / 8 films (all Mizoguchi)
4/5/6. Lawrence Kasdan 8.00 / 4 films (Star Wars 5/6/7 + Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli 8 / 4 films (same 4 films, all Fellini)
7. Shinobu Hashimoto 7.86 / 7 films (mostly Kurosawa)
8. Ryuzo Kikushima 7.80 / 5 films (top film is by Naruse; other 4 all Kurosawa. Somehow he lost a credit sometime since 2013)
9. Matsutarô Kawaguchi 7.75 / 4 films (all Mizoguchi)
10. Hideo Oguni 7.71 / 7 films (all Kurosawa)

metalhank
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Re: Top 10 avgs for screenwriters who aren't directors

Post by metalhank »

using a 4 film minimum and followinig the criteria

1.Fran Walsh 84.00(7)...peter jackson films
2.Philippa Boyens 83.33(6)...peter jackson films
3.Dan O'Bannon 81.00(4)...alien series and zombie movies
4.John Logan 77.25(4)...wide variety
5.Robert Mark Kamen 76.75(4)...luc besson films
6.Richard Maibaum 75.25(4)...james bond films
7.Simon Kinberg 74.00(4)...sci-fi/action films
8.Adam Herz 72.50(4)...american pie movies
9.David S. Goyer 70.88(8)...blade and batman films
10.Ted Elliott 70.50(4)...wide variety

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