Writing

Michael Elias

Born September 20, 1940 · Woodburn, New York, USA (age 86)

No biography available.

Known For

The JerkThe Jerk · 1979
The Jerk
★ 6.91979
MovieComedy
After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.
Young Doctors in LoveYoung Doctors in Love · 1982
Young Doctors in Love
★ 5.31982
MovieComedy
An 'Airplane!'-style spoof of hospital soap operas—a brilliant young trainee can't stand the sight of blood; a doctor romances the head nurse in order to get the key to the drugs cabinet; and there's a mafioso on the loose disguised as a woman.
BeachesBeaches · 1988
Beaches
★ 6.71988
MovieComedyDrama
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.
The Frisco KidThe Frisco Kid · 1979
The Frisco Kid
★ 6.11979
MovieAdventureComedy
Rabbi Avram arrives in Philadelphia from Poland en route to San Francisco where he will be a congregation's new rabbi. An innocent and inexperienced traveller, he is tricked by con men to pay for the trip to go west, then they leave him and his belongings scattered along a deserted road. He is befriended by a stranger, Tommy, who is a bank robber and have many adventures during their journey.
SerialSerial · 1980
Serial
★ 5.61980
MovieComedyRomance
A man resists the California fads that his wife, friends and wealthy Marin County neighbors embrace.
Lush LifeLush Life · 1993
Lush Life
★ 7.21993
MovieDramaTV Movie
Jeff Goldblum and Forest Whitaker star as New York jazz musicians, forced to confront a life beyond their hedonistic existence when a personal crisis strikes.
Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not PrettySteve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty · 1980
Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty
★ 7.01980
MovieComedyTV Movie
Steve Martin's second NBC special was made up entirely of sketches. Highlights include: Marty Robbins' "El Paso" with monkeys; "The Death Of Socrates"; and "Bizarre Oddities Of The World."
The BrigThe Brig · 1964
The Brig
★ 6.81964
MovieWarDrama
Jonas Mekas’s film captures The Living Theatre’s stage production of The Brig, an unflinching portrait of life inside a U.S. Marine Corps jail in Japan in 1957. Over the course of a single day, prisoners endure relentless drills, abuse, and dehumanization, exposing the brutality of military discipline with stark immediacy.

Filmography

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Black BartBlack Bart · 1975
Black Bart
★ 3.81975
MovieWesternComedy
A television series titled Black Bart was produced for CBS based on Andrew Bergman's original story for Blazing Saddles (Black Bart was the movie's original title). It featured Lou Gossett, Jr. as Bart and Steve Landesberg as his drunkard sidekick, a former Confederate officer named "Reb Jordan". The Humour was much more toned down than it's feature film predecessor Other cast members included Millie Slavin and Noble Willingham. Bergman is listed as the sole creator. CBS aired the pilot once on April 4, 1975 as a CBS Special Presentation. The pilot featured guest appearances by Gerrit Graham and Brooke Adams and was written by Michael Elias and Rich Eustis. Elias and Eutis later created and executive produced the ABC sitcom Head of the Class (1986-1991).

Writer

Children of the DustChildren of the Dust · 1995
Children of the Dust
★ 7.11995
SeriesWesternDrama
Gypsy Smith, is a gunfighter and a bounty hunter. When he leads the US army into a Cheyenne camp to capture a suspected Indian renegade, a long train of events begins that finally lead to that 'good day to die'. White Wolf, only a child, is one of the few survivors of the massacre of his tribe that day, and Gypsy brings him to live with the Maxwell family, where he grows up not fully Indian and not really white but a bit too close to Rachel, the Maxwell daughter. Gypsy now reappears, leading a group of Black settlers from the post-Civil War South to start a new life in a town of their own - Freedom in the Oklahoma Territory, its first black settlement. White Wolf (or Corby as a 'white' name') is now with his people, but all of these parts come back together in conflict, violence, loss, and Pyrric triumph.

Reporter