'Casablanca' voted greatest screenplay ever

The Writers Guild of America have compiled a list of the 101 Greatest Screenplays.

Apr 10 2006

Too often (and somewhat ironically) screenwriters are written out of Hollywood history, with plaudits going to directors and stars while the scribes are all but forgotten and ignored.

A new survey from The Writers Guild of America looks to redress the balance this week however, as they announce the 101 Greatest Screenplays of all time.

Last summer, the WGA sent ballots to all 9,500 of its members, asking them to list their ten favourite produced screenplays.

In somewhat predictable fashion, 'Casablanca' was voted number one, while 'The Godfather' and 'Chinatown' came in at numbers two and three respectively.

Looking down the chart, modern gems accepted classics rub shoulders, with 'The Shawshank Redeption' appearing between 'Gone With the Wind' and 'North By Northwest' and 'The Usual Suspects' finding themselves sandwiched between 'Midnight Cowboy' and 'The Sweet Smell of Success'.

Woody Allen has four films on the list – 'Annie Hall', 'Manhattan', 'Crimes and Misdemeanours' and 'Hannah and Her Sisters', while new kid on the block Charlie Kaufman appears three times, with 'Being John Malkovich', 'Adaptation.' and 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'.

As with all lists of this sort, there are some strange choices, from 'Forrest Gump' to 'Tootsie' to 'Ordinary People', and much as I'm a fan of the original 'Star Wars', George Lucas's creaky script and stunted dialogue doesn't deserve a place on any such countdown.

There are also very few international scripts on the list, considering the contest was open to 'any film, past or present, English-language or otherwise'.

That said, it's good to see screenplays like 'Harold and Maude', 'Raging Bull', 'Sullivan's Travels' and (my personal favourite) 'Back to the Future' getting the credit they deserve.

To see the full list, head to the WGA site here, and if you disagree with any of the entries, feel free to comment below.

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