Kurt Luedtke

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Kurt Luedtke
Born(1939-09-28)September 28, 1939
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 2020(2020-08-09) (aged 80)
Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater Brown University
Medill School of Journalism
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • Screenwriter

Kurt Luedtke ( /ˈluːtki/ ; [1] September 28, 1939 –August 9, 2020) was an American screenwriter and executive editor of the Detroit Free Press . He wrote Out of Africa (1985), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also wrote Absence of Malice (1981), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as Random Hearts (1999). All three films were directed by Sydney Pollack.

Contents

Early life

Luedtke was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan [2] on September 28, 1939. [3] His father, Herman, worked as a lumber broker; his mother was named Virginia. He obtained a bachelor's degree from Brown University, then joined the fast-track summer law program at the University of Michigan Law School. However, he switched career paths after traveling to the Southern United States to observe the unfolding civil rights movement and penned several articles on the subject as a freelancer. He then studied at the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University. [2]

Career

Luedtke became a newspaper reporter, first in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and then at the Miami Herald. [4] Luedtke moved to the Detroit Free Press in 1965. He started off as general assignment reporter, then rose to executive editor at age 33. [5] [4]

Luedtke left the Free Press and quit journalism altogether in 1978. [2] He moved to Hollywood to break into the film business, where his only entry was as a screenwriter. [4] His intention was to write a book, but his idea for a book about reporting came to the attention of Orion Pictures, which optioned it before it was written for $20,000 and pitched it to director George Roy Hill, who liked it but was unavailable to help on the screenplay. [4] Luedtke offered to write the screenplay for free providing that he could have his idea back if Orion didn't proceed with the movie. [4] Ultimately, Sydney Pollack was available to direct the movie, which became Absence of Malice , beginning the working relationship between the two men. [4] Luedtke received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, a rare accomplishment for a first-time screenwriter. He again collaborated with Pollack in Out of Africa (1985). [2] The film won seven Oscars (from 11 nominations), [6] including Luedtke's award for Best Adapted Screenplay. [2] His final partnership with Pollack came in Random Hearts , released in 1999. [7] [8]

Personal life

Luedtke was married to Eleanor for 55 years until his death. The two met while they were working at the Miami Herald. He recovered from cancer on two occasions. [2]

On August 9, 2020, Luedtke died from multiple organ failure at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, at the age of 80. [2] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Jay Lerner</span> American lyricist and librettist (1918–1986)

Alan Jay Lerner was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre both for the stage and on film. Lerner won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards, among other honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang Petersen</span> German film director (1941–2022)

Wolfgang Petersen was a German film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for the World War II submarine warfare film Das Boot (1981). His other films include The NeverEnding Story (1984), Enemy Mine (1985), In the Line of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1995), Air Force One (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000), Troy (2004), and Poseidon (2006).

<i>Absence of Malice</i> 1981 film by Sydney Pollack

Absence of Malice is a 1981 American drama neo noir thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Wilford Brimley, Melinda Dillon and Bob Balaban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darryl Ponicsan</span> American writer

Darryl Ponicsan is an American writer. He is best known as the author of the 1970 novel The Last Detail, which was adapted into a 1973 film starring Jack Nicholson. A sequel, Last Flag Flying, based on his 2005 novel of the same name, was released in 2017 and he also co-wrote the screenplay with Richard Linklater. He also wrote the 1973 novel and screenplay Cinderella Liberty, starring James Caan. Ponicsan writes mystery novels under the pen name Anne Argula.

<i>Detroit Free Press</i> American newspaper

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep. It primarily serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Linklater</span> American film director, producer and screenwriter (b. 1960)

Richard Stuart Linklater is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies Slacker (1990) and Dazed and Confused (1993); the Before trilogy of romance films, Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013); the music-themed comedy School of Rock (2003); the adult animated films Waking Life (2001), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (2022); the coming-of-age drama Boyhood (2014); and the comedy film Everybody Wants Some!! (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vidhu Vinod Chopra</span> Indian film director and producer

Vidhu Vinod Chopra is an Indian film director, producer, editor, screenwriter, lyricist and actor. His well-known films as director are Parinda (1988), 1942: A Love Story (1994). He is also known for producing Munna Bhai film series, 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014), Sanju (2018) under his banner Vinod Chopra Films.

William Xavier Kienzle was an American priest and later writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Haneke</span> Austrian film director

Michael Haneke is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, German, and English and has worked in television and theatre, as well as cinema. He also teaches film direction at the Film Academy Vienna.

A. Scott Frank is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Frank has received two Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for Out of Sight (1998) and Logan (2017). His film work, credited and uncredited, extends to dozens of films. In recent years, he has worked for Netflix on television miniseries, most prominently co-creating The Queen's Gambit with Allan Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippe Falardeau</span> French-Canadian film director and screenwriter

Philippe Falardeau is a Canadian film director and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Morgan</span> British film writer and playwright

Peter Julian Robin Morgan, is a British screenwriter and playwright. He is the playwright behind The Audience and Frost/Nixon and the screenwriter of The Queen (2006), Frost/Nixon (2008), The Damned United (2009), and Rush (2013). Morgan wrote the television films The Deal (2003), Longford (2006), and The Special Relationship (2010). He serves as creator and showrunner of the Netflix series The Crown (2016–present).

Leonard Schrader was an American screenwriter and director, most notable for his ability to write Japanese-language films and for his many collaborations with his brother, Paul Schrader. He earned an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay he wrote for the film Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Robert Clifford Jones was an American film editor, screenwriter, and educator. He received an Academy Award for the screenplay of the film Coming Home (1978). As an editor, Jones had notable collaborations with the directors Arthur Hiller and Hal Ashby. Jones was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), and Bound for Glory (1976).

David Rayfiel was an American screenwriter and frequent collaborator of director Sydney Pollack.

Taylor Sheridan is an American filmmaker and actor. Sheridan first reached prominence for portraying David Hale in the FX television series Sons of Anarchy and Danny Boyd in Veronica Mars (2005–2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1961 in Michigan</span> Calendar year

Events from the year 1961 in Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xavier Tillman Sr.</span> American basketball player

Xavier Justis Tillman Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan State Spartans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 in Michigan</span> Calendar year

Events from the year 2020 in Michigan.

References

  1. ↑ "Say How: L". National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kiska, Tim (August 9, 2020). "Kurt Luedtke, former Free Press editor and Oscar-winning screenwriter, dies at 80". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  3. ↑ Kiska, Tim (1989). Detroit's Powers & Personalities. Momentum Books. p. 135. ISBN   9780961872618.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Haithman, Diane (December 22, 1985). "Dream Wasn't Impossible for Screenwriter Luedtke". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  5. ↑ Kamer, Foster. "New York Times Top Brass Trolled by Former Editor Armed with Embarrassing Anecdote". Observer.com. The New York Observer. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Out of Africa (1985)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Kurt Luedtke". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Random Hearts (1999)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  9. ↑ Seelye, Katharine Q. (August 13, 2020). "Kurt Luedtke, Newspaperman Turned Screenwriter, Dies at 80". The New York Times . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.