Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words
Paddy Chayefsky is the only person in history to have won three Oscars for solo screenwriting efforts, yet today his name goes largely unrecognized. Chayefsky’s oeuvre explores the lives of thunderously dramatic, socially alienated characters—characters who are “mad as hell,” to borrow the words immortalized in his masterpiece Network. The anger and loneliness at the heart of his screenplays were channeled from his life: his experiences as the child of Russian-Jewish immigrants, and the injuries he suffered in WWII. While many of his peers wrote invisibly, merely advancing stories from set piece to set piece, Chayefsky penned bold polemics that were the centerpieces of their films. Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words features an all-star lineup of writers (Aaron Sorkin, Merrill Markoe), actors (Bryan Cranston, Larry David), and directors (Mel Brooks, Judd Apatow), each revealing the mark that Chayefsky’s writing made on them. Those admirers often tear up while quoting his scripts, and their reverence makes it abundantly clear that Chayefsky’s impressive collection of words is well worth revisiting. —David Cohn
Award-Winning Screenplays
Marty (1955): Chayefsky won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for this film, which was based on his own television play.
The Hospital (1971): He also won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for this film about the chaos within a hospital.
Network (1976): His final Oscar win was for the screenplay of this satirical look at the television industry.
Other Notable Films
The Americanization of Emily (1964): A romantic comedy-drama (condemnation of war) that Chayefsky adapted from a novel.
Paint Your Wagon (1969): A musical adaptation, though Chayefsky’s contribution was primarily as an adapter of the existing work.
Altered States (1980): Chayefsky wrote the screenplay for this science fiction horror film, which was based on his own novel.
Middle of the Night (1959): A drama adapted from his stage play, which began as a television play.
The Goddess (1958): Another film based on one of his original stories and screenplays.
The Bachelor Party (1957): Based on his own story and screenplay.
10:17 am on September 20, 2025
