Film story contributor

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poem, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those...

David Harold Franzoni (b. 4 March 1947) is an American screenwriter. His most well known movie scripts include: King Arthur, Gladiator, Amistad, and Jumpin' Jack Flash. Franzoni, DavidFranzoni, DavidFranzoni, DavidFranzoni has close connections with both DreamWorks Pictures and Steven Spielberg. When he graduated from the University of Vermont in the 1970's he took a motorcycle trip across the world, going from New York, to Europe to the MIddle East, South Asia, Australia, and South America....

Charles Bernard Nordhoff (February 1, 1887 - April 11, 1947) was an English-born American novelist and traveler. He often collaborated with James Norman Hall.'''He was the author with Hall of the Bounty trilogy, The Mutiny on the Bounty, Men Against the Sea and Pitcairn's Island, among others. The Nordhoff-Hall book was the source for the 1935 movie of the same name as well as two later versions. Subsequent authors have published a different, well-researched view of the actual events of the...

Maurine Dallas Watkins (July 27, 1896 - August 10, 1969) was an American journalist and playwright. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky and attended Crawfordsville High School, followed by several colleges, including Hamilton College, Transylvania University, and Radcliffe College. After college, she took a job as a reporter with the Chicago Tribune. She covered two 1924 murders and the subsequent trials of Belva Gaertner, a twice-divorced cabaret singer, and Beulah Sheriff Annan. Watkins...

Clive Eric Cussler (born July 15, 1931 in Aurora, Illinois) is an American adventure novel and marine archaeologist. Clive Cussler was born in Aurora, Illinois and grew up in Alhambra, California. He was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout when he was 14. He attended Pasadena City College for two years and then enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. During his service in the Air Force he was promoted to Sergeant and worked as an aircraft mechanic and flight engineer for the...

Jules Gabriel Verne (February 8 1828 – March 24 1905) was a French author who pioneered the science-fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Journey to the Center of the Earth (written in 1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (written in 1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (written in 1873). Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before navigable aircraft and practical submarine were invented, and before any means of space travel had been devised. He is the...

Mrs. Ellen Wood (née Price) (January 17, 1814 – February 10, 1887), was an English novelist, better known as "Mrs. Henry Wood". She was born at Worcester. She wrote over 30 novels, many of which (especially East Lynne), enjoyed remarkable popularity. Among the best known of her stories are Danesbury House, Oswald Cray, Mrs. Halliburton's Troubles, The Channings, Lord Oakburn's Daughters and The Shadow of Ashlydyat. For many years, she worked as the proprietor and editor of the Argosy. These...

Benjamin Franklin Norris, Jr. (March 5 1870 – October 25 1902) was an American novelist, during the Progressive Era, writing predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include McTeague (1899), The Octopus: A California Story (1901), and The Pit (1903). Although he did not openly support socialism as a political system, his work nevertheless evinces a socialist mentality and influenced socialist/progressive writers such as Upton Sinclair. Like many of his contemporaries, he was...

Gordy Hoffman (c. 1965) is a US writer and director. Gordy is the older brother of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the son of Marilyn O'Connor, a judge in Rochester, New York. He wrote the film Love Liza, in which his brother starred. Gordy Hoffman is the founder of the BlueCat Screenplay Competition -- widely considered one of the best screenplay competitions for finding and fostering undiscovered writing talent. The winning screenplay from the 2005 competition was purchased by...

Bruce Feirstein (b. 1956) is a screenwriter and humorist best known for his contributions to the James Bond series, and his best selling humor books, including Real Men Don't Eat Quiche, and Nice Guys Sleep Alone. Real Men Don't Eat Quiche was on the New York Times best seller list for 53 weeks. Feirstein was born in Maplewood, New Jersey. He attended Boston University where he served as the editor for the student newspaper, The Daily Free Press. After graduation, he worked as an advertising...

Frank Wilber "Spig" Wead (October 24, 1895 in Illinois - November 15, 1947) U.S. Navy aviator turned screenwriter who helped promote United States Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. A 1917 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Frank "Spig" Wead began to promote Naval Aviation after World War I through air racing and speed competitions. This competition, mainly against the United States Army (and its leader Jimmy Doolittle), helped push U.S. military aviation...

Thomas Lennon III (9 August, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Lennon is a native of Oak Park, Illinois, U.S., and a 1988 graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School. Lennon is married to actress Jenny Robertson. Lennon originally met Kerri Kenney, fellow member of The State and Reno 911!, at age sixteen in theater camp. After graduation, Lennon attended New York University (NYU). Thereafter he joined a sketch comedy group called The New Group, the core members of which were...