Paddy Chayefsky

Writing

Paddy Chayefsky

Born January 29, 1923 · The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Died August 1, 1981 · aged 58

Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky was an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for Best Screenplay for "Marty" (1955), "The Hospital" (1971), and "Network" (1976). He is the only person to have won both the Academy Awards for adapted and original screenplays. He was one of the most renowned dramatists of the Golden Age of Televisi…

Known For

NetworkNetwork · 1976
Network
7.81976
MovieDrama
When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink their decision when his fanatical tirade results in a spike in ratings.
Altered StatesAltered States · 1980
Altered States
6.71980
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
A research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of human consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from Native American shamans, he explores these altered states of cognizance and finds that memory, time, and reality itself are states of mind.
The Way We WereThe Way We Were · 1973
The Way We Were
7.01973
MovieDramaRomance
Opposites attract when, during their college days, Katie Morosky, a politically active Jew, meets Hubbell Gardiner, a feckless WASP. Years later, in the wake of World War II, they meet once again and, despite their obvious differences, attempt to make their love for each other work.
Paint Your WagonPaint Your Wagon · 1969
Paint Your Wagon
6.31969
MovieComedyWestern
A Michigan farmer and a prospector form a partnership in the California gold country. Their adventures include buying and sharing a wife, hijacking a stage, kidnapping six prostitutes, and turning their mining camp into a boom town. Along the way there is plenty of drinking, gambling, and singing. They even find time to do some creative gold mining.
MartyMarty · 1955
Marty
7.51955
MovieDramaRomance
Marty, a butcher who lives in the Bronx with his mother, is unmarried at 34. Good-natured but socially awkward, he faces constant badgering from family and friends to get married but has reluctantly resigned himself to bachelorhood. He then meets Clara, an unattractive school teacher. Realising their emotional connection, Marty promises to call, but family and friends try to convince him not to.
The HospitalThe Hospital · 1971
The Hospital
6.61971
MovieComedyDrama
Dr. Bock, the chief of medicine at a Manhattan hospital, is suicidal after the collapse of his personal life. When an intern is found dead in a hospital bed, it appears to Bock to be a case of unforgivable malpractice. Hours later, another doctor, who happens to be responsible for another case of malpractice, is found dead. Despondent, Bock finds himself drawn to Barbara, the daughter of a comatose missionary.
The Catered AffairThe Catered Affair · 1956
The Catered Affair
7.21956
MovieDramaComedy
An Irish cabby in the Bronx watches his wife go overboard planning their daughter's wedding.
The Americanization of EmilyThe Americanization of Emily · 1964
The Americanization of Emily
6.71964
MovieComedyDrama
American sailor Charlie Madison falls for a pretty Englishwoman while trying to avoid a senseless and dangerous D-Day mission concocted by a deranged admiral.

Filmography

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Goodyear Television PlayhouseGoodyear Television Playhouse · 1951
Goodyear Television Playhouse
6.01951
SeriesDrama
The Goodyear Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was telecast live on NBC from 1951 to 1957 during the "Golden Age of Television". Sponsored by Goodyear, Goodyear alternated sponsorship with Philco, and the Philco Television Playhouse was seen on alternate weeks. In 1955, the title was shortened to The Goodyear Playhouse and it aired on alternate weeks with The Alcoa Hour. The three series were essentially the same, with the only real difference being the name of the sponsor. Producer Fred Coe nurtured and encouraged a group of young, mostly unknown writers that included Robert Alan Aurthur, George Baxt, Paddy Chayefsky, Horton Foote, Howard Richardson, Tad Mosel and Gore Vidal. Notable productions included Chayefsky's Marty starring Rod Steiger, Chayefsky's The Bachelor Party, Vidal's Visit to a Small Planet, Richardson's Ark of Safety and Foote's The Trip to Bountiful. From 1957 to 1960, it became a taped, half-hour series titled Goodyear Theater, seen on Mondays at 9:30pm.

Writer