Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Screenwriter William Goldman, 87, Dies, Oracle of Hollywood, Oscar Winner for “Butch Cassidy”

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William Goldman, oracle of Hollywood, Oscar winner for writing “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men,” has died at age 87. His death is a big deal, and a tragedy that will be observed all weekend no doubt in memoriams by his many friends and writers whom he mentored.

Goldman’s other credits included “The Princess Bride,” “Papillon,” “Heat,” Marathon Man” and many other classic films of our era. He was also a huge influence on the screenplay for “Good Will Hunting,” an unseen hand that guided Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to their Oscar.

Goldman’s 1983 memoir, Adventures in the Screen Trade, is considered the holy grail of Hollywood remembrances.

 

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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