Warren Skaaren

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Warren Skaaren
Born(1946-03-09)March 9, 1946
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
DiedDecember 28, 1990(1990-12-28) (aged 44)
Austin, Texas, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materRice University
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, film producer

Warren Skaaren (March 9, 1946 – December 28, 1990) was an American screenwriter and film producer.[1]

Career

Skaaren was appointed by Governor Preston Smith as executive director of the newly formed Texas Film Commission on December 9, 1970.[2] His first success was getting the film The Getaway (1972) shot in Texas. Skaaren later formed FPS Inc., a television and film productions services company in Dallas. The company handled location shooting for the television series Dallas and worked on the film Tender Mercies (1983).[3] Meanwhile, he was pivotal behind the distribution of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), to which he claimed credit for crafting the film's title.[2] The success of the film enabled Skaaren to leave the Film Commission and begin his career in the film industry.[4]

In 1983, Skaaren was approached by a Texas businessman to write a script about the

associate producer having compiled the last ten drafts.[6] Among his revisions were changing Kelly McGillis's character from being a gymnast into a military instructor.[2]

Skaaren later wrote Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beetlejuice (1988), and Batman (1989). At the time of his death, he had completed a script titled Beetlejuice in Love.[3]

Personal life

Skaaren was a native of

Houston, Texas in 1969.[2] He served as the Student Association President from 1968–1969 and was a member of Hanszen College. He moved to Austin, Texas and began working at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.[6]

He married Helen Griffin on March 7, 1969. He and his wife fostered seven children,[6] and he helped found the Travis County Foster Parents Association. He also served on the board of directors of the Deborah Hay Dance Company. In 1986, he established a private charitable trust, the Laurel Foundation, and was involved with the East West Center, a macrobiotic dietary provider.[7]

He died of

bone cancer on December 28, 1990. He was 44 years old.[8]

Legacy

Skaaren's archive resides at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.[7]

In 2021, it was reported that Rochester Community and Technical College (of which Skaaren was an alumnus) had received a $75,000 gift from Skaaren's trust fund, which funded scholarships for students in need of financial aid.[9]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "Obituary: Warren Skaaren". Variety. January 7, 1991.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hollywood's Mr. Fix-It". Chicago Tribune. March 6, 1990. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Warren Skaaren, 44, Screenwriter". The Seattle Times. December 31, 1990. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  4. ^ Alison Macor. Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids 30 Years of Filmmaking in Austin, Texas University of Texas Press: Austin, 2010.
  5. ^ Oliver, Myrna (January 3, 1991). "Warren Skaaren; Reworked 'Batman,' 'Top Gun' Scripts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  6. ^
    Post Bulletin
    . July 19, 1989. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Warren Skaaren: An Inventory of His Papers at the Harry Ransom Center". University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Warren Skaaren, 44; Fixed Movie Scripts". The New York Times. December 31, 1990. p. 24. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  9. ^ Stolle, Matthew (May 10, 2021). "Hollywood scriptwriter's trust gives $75,000 to RCTC". Post-Bulletin. Retrieved August 3, 2023.

Further reading

  • Macor, Alison (2017). Rewrite Man: The Life and Career of Screenwriter Warren Skaaren.
    JSTOR 10.7560/2759459
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Warren_Skaaren&oldid=1215409777"