John Briley
Richard John Briley | |
---|---|
Born | Richard John Briley June 25, 1925 Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | December 14, 2019 Sarasota, Florida, U.S. | (aged 94)
Alma mater | University of Michigan (BA), (MA) PhD ) |
Occupation | Screenwriter |
Richard John Briley[1][2] (June 25, 1925[1][2][3] – December 14, 2019) was an American writer best known for screenplays of biographical films. He won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar at the 55th Academy Awards for Gandhi (1982).[1][4] As well as film scripts, he wrote for television and theatre, and published several novels.[1]
Biography
Briley was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan,[1][2][3] and served in the United States Army Air Forces, 1943–46, reaching the rank of captain.[1] At the University of Michigan, he gained a BA in 1950 and an MA in English 1951.[1] He married Dorothy Louise Reichart in 1950, and they had four children.[2] He worked in public relations for General Motors before rejoining the air force in 1955.[1] He was posted to RAF Northolt airbase at South Ruislip near London, where he was director of orientation activities and started writing.[1]
In 1960, he earned a PhD in
Gandhi
Briley's script for
Later life
In 1985, Briley began developing a musical about Martin Luther King Jr.,[10][11] writing the book and lyrics[10] and acting as co-producer, originally for American Playhouse.[11] He left the project in February 1989 after contract negotiations broke down.[11] A different version opened in London in 1990. Briley attempted to obtain an injunction, claiming he had paid the King family $200,000 in personality rights.[11]
In 1987, Briley again teamed up with Attenborough for
In 1993, Briley switched
Unproduced scripts
Unproduced scripts on which Briley worked include: adaptations of Henderson the Rain King,[2][16] Mister God, This Is Anna,[2] White Fang,[2] and his own novel How Sleep the Brave;[2] biopics of Franz Kafka,[16] Genghis Khan – to have been directed by Shin Sang-ok,[16] Tina Modotti (A Fragile Life),[2][17] Beryl Markham (West with the Night), and Pope John Paul II;[18] The Cross and the Crescent,[1] about Francis of Assisi and the Crusades;[19] and a miniseries about the Italian Renaissance.[20] Briley's adaptation of Arthur Miller's play The Crucible was dropped when Miller's son Robert secured production rights; Arthur Miller himself wrote the screenplay for the 1996 film.[21]
Works
Film
Title | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|
The Populist[2] | 1999 | about Ernst Hanfstaengl; based on his memoirs Hitler: the missing years[22][23] |
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien[1][6] | 1999 | about |
Christopher Columbus: The Discovery[1][2][3][6] | 1992 | about |
The Warriors of the Rainbow[6] | 1992 | about Greenpeace; based on Warriors of the Rainbow: A Chronicle of the Greenpeace Movement by Robert Hunter.[25] |
Sandino[1][2][3][6] | 1990 | about Augusto César Sandino, inspiration for the Sandinistas |
Cry Freedom[1][2][3][6] | 1987 | about Steve Biko, from the books Asking for Trouble and Biko by Donald Woods. Briley was also co-producer[1][6] |
Tai-Pan[2][3][6] | 1986 | with Stanley Mann; based on the novel Tai-Pan by James Clavell |
Marie[1][2][3][6] | 1985 | about Marie Ragghianti; based on the book by Peter Maas |
Enigma[1][2][3][6] | 1982 | based on the novel by Michael Barak |
Gandhi[1][2][3][6] | 1982 | about |
Eagle's Wing[1][2][3][6] | 1979 | Western; story by Michael Syson |
The Medusa Touch[1][2][3][6] | 1978 | based on the novel The Medusa Touch by Peter Van Greenaway |
That Lucky Touch[1][2][3][6] | 1975 | comedy; written with Monja Danischewsky and Moss Hart |
Pope Joan[1][2][3][6] | 1972 | about associate producer.[6]
|
Hammerhead[2] | 1968 | story by James Mayo; adaptation by Briley; screenplay by William Bast and Herbert Baker |
Children of the Damned[1][2][3][6] | 1963 | horror sequel to Village of the Damned |
Postman's Knock[2][3][6] | 1962 | comedy; written with Jack Trevor Story |
Invasion Quartet[2][3][6] | 1961 | based on the novel by Norman Collins; written with Jack Trevor Story |
Other
Name | Year | Type | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
The History of Sex[3] | 1999 | television | History Channel documentary
|
The First Stone[2] | 1997 | novel | A |
Mary Sidney – a 20th Century Reappraisal[27] | 1985 | book chapter | In a festschrift for Willem Schrickx |
The Last Dance[2] | 1978 | novel | A rogue scientist tries to force global disarmament by threatening a nuclear holocaust.[28][29] |
So Who Needs Men![2] | 1976 | theatre | bedroom farce set in university lodgings; Briley also directed.[30] |
The Traitors[2] | 1969 | novel | In the Saturday Review of Literature urged, "Read it for his explosive accounts of jungle warfare and his moral passion." Described by Peter S. Prescott as "a sermon masquerading as a novel".[33] UK edition (1971) titled How Sleep the Brave[2][34]
|
The Airbase[2][6] | 1965 | television | BBC sitcom ; based on his own experiences[1] |
Seven Bob a Buck,[2] subtitled How to Survive as a Tourist in the USA[35] |
1964 | theatre | "a short-lived, intimate BBC2 as See America First on November 28, 1964.
|
Hits and Misses[2] | 1962 | television | BBC teleplay |
A biography of William Herbert, third earl of Pembroke, 1580–1630 | 1961 | dissertation | PhD dissertation[38]
|
Edward Alleyn and Henslowe's Will[39] | 1958 | journal article | in Shakespeare Quarterly |
Of Stake and Stage[40] | 1955 | book chapter | in Shakespeare Survey |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac "John Briley". hollywood.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "John Briley Biography (1925–)". filmreference.com. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s
"John Briley > Filmography". allmovie. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c Clarke, Gerald; Kane, Joseph J.; Simpson, Janice C. (April 25, 1983). "History Crunches Popcorn". Time. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ Gilbey, Ryajn (December 20, 2019). "John Briley obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
John Briley (I) at IMDb
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Malanowski, Jamie (March 18, 2001). "Shaping Words into an Oscar: Six Writers Who Did". The New York Times. p. 15, Sec.2. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^
Rustici, Craig M. (2006). The afterlife of Pope Joan: deploying the Popess legend in early modern England. ISBN 0-472-11544-8.
- ^ a b c d e Woods, Donald (November 22, 1987). "Filming with Attenborough". The Observer. pp. 19–20.
- ^ a b
"American Playhouse slates 'King' musical for next year". ISSN 0021-5996.
- ^ a b c d Cassidy, Suzanne (April 23, 1990). "After Struggle, Musical on Dr. King Is Opening". The New York Times. pp. C11. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
- ^
"Short Takes". Daily Variety. October 21, 1993.
- ^ Mariani, Dominic (June 21, 1998). "The View From Bridgeport: A City as a Backdrop In a Fledgling Film Plan". The New York Times. p. 2, section 14CN. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ IMDb
- ^ Gilbey, Ryan (December 20, 2019). "John Briley obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c Ptacek, Greg (May 24, 1991). "'Gandhi' writer Briley pens 'Khan'". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^
Archerd, Army (November 14, 1996). "Just for Variety". Daily Variety.
- ^
"Pope pic plans Prague scouting". Daily Variety. March 1, 2002.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (June 6, 2000). "Eagle Pictures takes flight with widened slate". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (April 13, 2000). "Eagle Pics flies in face of indie player status: Italian outfit wields $300 mil war chest". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^
Meyers, Jeffrey (2001). Privileged Moments: Encounters With Writers. ISBN 0-299-16944-8.
- ^ "Kotcheff draws bead on Hitler in 'Populist'". The Hollywood Reporter. November 22, 1996.
- ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (August 9, 1996). "Panoptica's slate aims at Canadian, Euro co-prod'n". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "1992 Razzies". razzies.com. Golden Raspberry Award Foundation and John Wilson. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^
"Trans Atlantic ends Todd-AO co-venture". Daily Variety. November 8, 1994.
- ^
Briley, John (1997). The First Stone: A Novel. W. Morrow and Co. OCLC 35822504.
- ^
Briley, John (1985). "Mary Sidney – a 20th Century Reappraisal". In J.P. Vander Motten (ed.). Elizabethan and Modern Studies, presented to Professor Willem Schrickx on the Occasion of his Retirement. OCLC 18879080.
- ^
Briley, John (1978). The last dance. London: OCLC 59236063.
- ^ Brians, Paul. "Chapter Two The Causes of Nuclear War". Nuclear Holocausts: Atomic War in Fiction. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ Lewsen, Charles (October 8, 1976). "Reviews: So Who Needs Men? New London". The Times. p. 11, col F; Issue 59829.
- ^
Briley, John (1969). The traitors; a novel. New York City: OCLC 33480.
- ^ New York Times, September 7, 1969
- ^
Prescott, Peter S. (2005). "A Genuinely Dreadful Novel". Encounters with American Culture Volume 1: (1963–1972). introduction by Anne L. Prescott. ISBN 1-4128-0496-5.
- ^
Briley, John (1971). How sleep the brave. London: OCLC 16213201.
- ^
Stephens, Frances (1965). Theatre world annual 1966 : a full pictorial review of the 1964–65 London season (16 ed.). Rockliff. pp. 21, 29, 30. OCLC 221674302.
- ^ Benedick, Adam (May 2, 1996). "Obituary: David Kelsey". The Independent. Retrieved May 24, 2009.
- ^ Gascoigne, Bamber (July 12, 1964). "All the riches of the Incas". The Observer. p. 24.
- OCLC 34765036
- ^
Briley, John (Summer 1958). "Edward Alleyn and Henslowe's Will". JSTOR 2867333.
- ^
Briley, John (1955). "Of Stake and Stage". In Allardyce Nicoll (ed.). The Comedies. Shakespeare Survey. Vol. 8. ISBN 9781139052887.
External links
- John Briley at IMDb