David Seltzer

David Seltzer
Seltzer during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike
Born	(1940-02-12) February 12, 1940 (age 84) Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.
Occupations	Screenwriter producer director
Years active	1966–2011

David Seltzer (born February 12, 1940) is an American screenwriter, producer and director, perhaps best known for writing the screenplays for The Omen (1976) ^[1] and Bird on a Wire (1990). As writer-director, Seltzer's credits include the 1986 teen tragi-comedy Lucas starring Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder, ^[2] the 1988 comedy Punchline starring Sally Field and Tom Hanks, and 1992's Shining Through starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Douglas.

Early life

David Seltzer was born to a Jewish family in Highland Park, Illinois in 1940. ^[3]

Career

He was uncredited for his contributions to the screenplay of the 1971 musical film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory . The author of the original book, Roald Dahl, is credited as the sole screenwriter; however, it has been revealed that Seltzer rewrote 30 percent of Dahl's script, adding such elements as the "Slugworth subplot", music other than the original Oompa Loompa compositions (including Pure Imagination and The Candy Man ), and the ending dialogue for the film. ^[4]

Seltzer's writing credits include the screenplays for The Omen , Prophecy , Six Weeks , My Giant , Dragonfly and Bird on a Wire , starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. He wrote and directed Lucas (1986), Punchline (1988), Shining Through (1992), and Nobody's Baby (2001).

In 2002, Seltzer was reported to be writing a UK remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, from the novel by Patricia Highsmith. ^[5] In 2008, he was reported to be writing an "Untitled Earthquake Project" for Hollywood director and producer J. J. Abrams, the plot of which was closely guarded, though it was confirmed that the film was not a remake of the 1974 disaster film Earthquake. ^[6]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer
1971	Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory	No	Uncredited	No
	The Hellstrom Chronicle	No	Yes	No
1972	One Is a Lonely Number	No	Yes	No
1975	The Other Side of the Mountain	No	Yes	No
1976	The Omen	No	Yes	No
1979	Prophecy	No	Yes	No
1982	Six Weeks	No	Yes	No
1983	Table for Five	No	Yes	No
1986	Lucas	Yes	Yes	No
1988	Punchline	Yes	Yes	No
1990	Bird on a Wire	No	Yes	No
1992	Shining Through	Yes	Yes	Yes
1997	The Eighteenth Angel	No	Yes	No
1998	My Giant	No	Yes	No
2001	Nobody's Baby	Yes	Yes	No
2002	Dragonfly	No	Yes	No
2006	The Omen	No	Credit only	No

TV movies

Year	Title	Writer	Producer
1974	Larry	Yes	No
1977	Green Eyes	Yes	Yes
1985	Private Sessions	Yes	No
2011	Cinema Verite	Yes	No

References

1. The New York Times: "The Omen (1976) - The Screen: 'Omen' Is Nobody's Baby" by RICHARD EDER June 26, 1976
2. Goodman, Walter (March 28, 1986). "FILM: 'LUCAS,' TEEN-AGE ROMANCE". The New York Times.
3. Erens, Patricia (August 1988). The Jew in American Cinema . Indiana University Press. p.  392. ISBN   978-0-253-20493-6.
4. Pure Imagination: The Story of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Two Dog Productions Inc. 2001.
5. Knowles, Harry (February 20, 2002). "Remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train". Ain't It Cool News . Retrieved April 5, 2010.
6. Kit, Borys (December 8, 2008). "J. J. Abrams in for Earthquake Film". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved April 5, 2010.

External links

• The Dialogue: Learn from the Masters Interview
• David Seltzer at IMDb