5 More Screenwriters You Might Not Have Heard Of
January 23, 2025
In the article “5 Screenwriters You Might Not Have Heard Of,” we spotlighted a handful of important screenwriters who had written popular or critically-acclaimed films, yet are not widely known today.
Screenplay writers don’t always get the recognition they deserve. It’s important to know the names and stories of these artists who contributed to movie history and the craft of screenwriting, and explore how their writing might influence your own script writing journey.
In that spirit, here are 5 More Screenwriters You Might Not Have Heard Of.
1. Waldo Salt
Legendary among veteran screenwriters and cinephiles, Waldo Salt was an Academy Award-winning screenwriter who wrote two seminal films reflecting the zeitgeist of the 1960s and the aftermath of this turbulent period: Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Coming Home (1978).
After graduating from Stanford University, Salt went on to become one of the most prolific screenwriters of the 1930s (writing and co-writing 19 films from 1934 to 1937). Even during the 1950s, during which he was blacklisted for his political beliefs, Salt continued to work under a pseudonym for a British television series. Eventually the blacklist collapsed, but Salt was at a crossroads as a writer.
In the documentary Waldo Salt: a Screenwriter’s Journey (essential viewing for serious screenwriters), it’s revealed that after working for the studio system and writing for television, Salt made a conscious effort to become a better writer and more artistically-driven than financially. Salt’s change in priorities would result in a fruitful comeback for the then middle-aged writer. His screenplays for films like Midnight Cowboy, Serpico and Coming Home not only garnered him critical acclaim and awards, but this unexpected third act in his career proved it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
2. Dennis Paoli
One of the most prolific and respected screenwriters in the horror community, Dennis Paoli has proven himself to not only be a screenwriter with a distinct voice and worldview, but arguably the greatest adapter of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.
Paoli’s screenwriting journey began in Chicago where he worked for director Stuart Gordon and his Organic Theater Company in the 1970s and early 1980s. This creative relationship would result in Paoli writing the screenplay for Gordon’s cult classic and the first of numerous Lovecraft adaptations: Re-Animator (1985). Paoli would follow this up by writing two other Gordon cult classic/Lovecraft adaptations, From Beyond (1986) and Castle Freak (1995).
In addition to his Stuart Gordon collaborations, Paolo wrote the screenplays for other cult-loved horror films like Ghoulies II (1988) and The Dentist (1996). Four decades into his screenwriting career, Paoli wrote another Lovecraft adaptation in 2023, Suitable Flesh, which once again paired him with Re-Animator and From Beyond star Barbara Crampton. Also on display in the film is Paoli’s trademark dark humor and willingness to push the envelope, proving getting older doesn’t mean losing your edge. To find out more about Dennis Paoli, listen to our Write On podcast episode where he discusses Suitable Flesh.
3. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Founded by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory, Merchant Ivory Productions dominated the Academy Awards for two decades with their critically acclaimed and popular adaptations of English literary classics. In fact, Merchant Ivory had such an impact on this film genre, it has become a shorthand for a specific aesthetic (e.g. stately, aristocratic, respectable, etc).
The heyday of Merchant Ivory was the 1980s and 1990s with several of their films being international hits and lauded during award season, the most noteworthy being A Room with a View (1986), Howards End (1993) and The Remains of the Day (1994). All of these films were written by one woman: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Even more impressive, Jhabvala wrote 23 scripts for Ivory Merchant Productions. It’s more than just that she’s referred to as “one part of the ‘three-headed god’ that made up Merchant Ivory.”
Jhabvala was also an acclaimed novelist and short story writer. In the early 1960s, she adapted her own novel, The Householder, which not only launched her screenwriting career but her numerous collaborations with Merchant Ivory. She’s the only person to have the distinction of winning a Booker Prize (for her 1974 novel Heat and Dust) and two Oscars (for A Room with a View and Howards End). An impressive feat from an extremely impressive human being. As an Indian woman during a time of male dominance in the film industry, Jhabvala was able to sustain a long-term career in which she balanced quantity and quality like a true master of the craft.
4. Larry Cohen
Primarily known as a director of cult-loved genre films, Larry Cohen was first and foremost a writer. Cohen began his long and auspicious career in the 1950s as a TV writer. He continued writing for television into the 1960s, knocking out teleplays for shows like The Fugitive and The Defenders. In addition, he created several of his own series: The Invaders, Blue Light and Branded. Cohen proved to be proficient at writing everything from crime dramas to sci-fi to westerns (his eclecticism and range reflected in the above series).
In 1967, he made the transition into screenwriting with Return of the Seven (a sequel to the classic western The Magnificent Seven). In the early 1970s, Cohen continued to write for TV (including a few episodes of Columbo) as he also worked on film scripts. Eventually, he made the jump to writer-director with Bone (1972). The gritty satire about the complexity of class division and race relations established Cohen as a filmmaker with a unique voice and sharp wit, and as an artist willing to go places where others wouldn’t.
Bone would lead to Cohen writing and directing the “blaxploitation” classic Black Caesar and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem (both in 1973) and further establishing himself as a maverick filmmaker who balanced high entertainment factor with a satirical edge. In the mid 1970s and 1980s, Cohen — always being an eclectic writer — shifted to the Horror/Thriller genre, resulting in the following cult classics: It’s Alive (1974), Q — The Winged Serpent (1982), The Stuff (1985) and A Return to Salem’s Lot (1987).
Always having a flair for high concepts, memorable characters and punchy dialogue, Cohen also remained sought-after solely as a screenwriter. From the Maniac Cop films to more mainstream thrillers like Best Seller (1987), Guilty as Sin (1993) and Phone Booth (2002), Cohen never stopped working or selling scripts. The very definition of a consummate professional, Cohen’s career is detailed in the documentary King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen (another must-watch for screenwriters).
5. Joan Didion & John Gregory Dunne
Being two of the most significant writers of the 20th century, there’s a chance you’ve already heard of Joan Didion and her journalist husband, John Gregory Dunne. However, what you might not know is that Didion and Dunne were also a screenwriting team who worked for three decades in the film business.
Didion and Dunne’s foray into screenwriting began when Dunne’s brother and producer, Dominick Dunne, acquired the film rights to the James Mills’ novel The Panic in Needle Park. With them both being skilled and professional writers, Dominick Dunne felt confident handing the material over to his brother and sister-in-law to adapt. This would result in Didion and Dunne’s first screenplay, and a 1971 film starring Al Pacino in his first lead role.
Didion and Dunne would later adapt Didion’s own 1970 novel, Play It As It Lays, a classic work capturing the malaise of Los Angeles and Hollywood culture. Didion and Dunne would go on to write the screenplays for A Star Is Born (1976), True Confessions (1981) and Up Close & Personal (1996). Their screenwriting career — among their many other accomplishments — are given detail in another recommended documentary, Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold.
