'Casablanca' named greatest movie script

[Sirrich3]

Round up the usual suspects: The Writers Guild of America has named "Casablanca" as No. 1 on its first list of the "101 Greatest Screenplays."

The screenplay for the wartime tale of courage and cynicism starring Humphrey Bogart was written by Howard Koch and brothers Julius and Philip Epstein.

It was followed on the list by the screenplay for "The Godfather," written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola; "Chinatown," written by Robert Towne; "Citizen Kane," by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles; and "All About Eve" by Joseph Mankiewicz.

Rounding out the top 10 were 'Annie Hall," by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman; "Sunset Boulevard" by the writing team of Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman Jr.; Paddy Chayefsky's "Network"; Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond's "Some Like It Hot"; and Coppola and Puzo's "The Godfather Part II"

http://www.yahoo.com/s/289672

[MJordanash]

The Godfather...who doesn't own a copy. Then again for those who watch MTV Cribs, apparently you arent cool unless you do have the dvd.

[redcolours]

back then, movies (or should i say "films") were made with a certain respect - unlike today where there is a formula and mostly all screenplays go thru some pattern.
which makes it all prdictable.
back then, every sentence was created with care.

the more recent films have followed such respect, thats why theyre in that illustrious list.

[Ladogaboy]

Yes, most movie scripts are formulaic; however, most of the scripts listed either followed established formulae or were seminal works that reflected them. I think that many older scripts are given the nod more because of romanitcism and an affinity for the past than because of their actual merits. Don't get me wrong, I do feel that there has been an overall drop-off in the quality of scripts, but I think that has more to do with number of scripts that are being produced today versus then. I think there are still many good script writers today, but most will never achieve that level of greatness in their lifetimes.

[Houdini]

I agree. Casablanca rocks. I know Citizen Kane is the "world's greatest," but it's awfully boring. Rosebud. But Casablanca has great moments, great lines, and great acting. And at the end, every popular movie quote just happens one-after-the-other. Bam-Bam-Bam. "Here's looking at you, kid," "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow...," etc.

Funny thing - Bogey never says, "Play it again, Sam," though that's the most famouse quote.

[Bires]

plus ... it has Nazis. Always fun to pull one over on a Nazi.

[redcolours]

I agree. Casablanca rocks. I know Citizen Kane is the "world's greatest," but it's awfully boring. Rosebud. But Casablanca has great moments, great lines, and great acting. And at the end, every popular movie quote just happens one-after-the-other. Bam-Bam-Bam. "Here's looking at you, kid," "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow...," etc.

Funny thing - Bogey never says, "Play it again, Sam," though that's the most famouse quote.

heh, funny you mentioned that - on an off-topic note: The words " Beam me up, Scotty" were NEVER uttered by ANY member of the original Star Trek Series.