Andrew Bergman: Movies & Box Office

Andrew Bergman is an American screenwriter, film director, novelist, and playwright whose career has spanned more than five decades. Born on February 20, 1945, in New York City, he grew up in a Jewish family and demonstrated an early fascination with storytelling, eventually earning a BA from Binghamton University in 1965 and a PhD in American history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1970. His dissertation, a study of Depression‑era Hollywood, was published as We’re in the Money: Depression America and Its Films, establishing his scholarly credibility before he turned to Hollywood.  Bergman’s break into the film industry came when he wrote the original screenplay titled Tex X, which formed the foundation for Mel Brooks’s classic comedy Blazing Saddles (1974). He contributed to the final script and quickly became known for his witty, fast‑paced humor.  The success of The In‑Laws (1979), which he both wrote and directed, cemented his reputation and allowed him to helm projects such as So Fine (1981) and the cult favorite The Freshman (1990), starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick.  Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Bergman wrote or rewrote a string of hits including Fletch (1985), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), and Striptease (1996), the latter earning him a Golden Raspberry Award for worst director among other dubious honors.  In addition to film, he authored four hard‑boiled noir novels featuring the private‑eye Jack LeVine and penned the Broadway comedy Social Security (1986).  His contributions were recognized with the 2007 Ian McLellan Hunter Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers Guild of America, while his academic legacy lives on through the Andrew Bergman History Writing Prize at the University of Wisconsin.  Today Bergman resides in New York City with his wife and two adult sons, continuing to influence both cinema and literature.