Bo Goldman was a screenwriter who won Academy Awards for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Melvin and Howard.”
- Died: July 25, 2023 (Who else died on July 25?)
- Details of death: Died in Helendale, California, at the age of 90.
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Bo Goldman’s legacy
Goldman got his start in Hollywood after attending Princeton University and serving in the U.S. Army for three years during the 1950s. He worked as a Broadway lyricist and wrote for television before penning the script that would make his reputation. Goldman was hired by director Milos Forman (1932–2018) to adapt the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” for the screen, and the result was a resounding success that would become a great classic. The film won five of the top Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Goldman. He would win again for his original screenplay for the 1980 film “Melvin and Howard.”
Goldman followed his early success with such screenplays as “The Rose,” “Shoot the Moon” and “Little Nikita,” as well as contributing rewrites to the scripts of “Ragtime,” “The Flamingo Kid,” and “Dick Tracy.” In 1992, his screenplay for “Scent of a Woman” was nominated for another Oscar. His final full screenplay was 1998’s “Meet Joe Black,” though he also provided a rewrite for 2000’s “The Perfect Storm.” In 1998, Goldman was honored with the Writers Guild of America’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement.
Notable quote
“Honey, they didn’t burn down Rome in one day – you got to keep pluggin’.” —from “Melvin and Howard”
Tributes to Bo Goldman
Full obituary: The New York Times
