Marshall Brickman

Marshall Brickman
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Name	Marshall Brickman
Birth date	25 August 1939
Birth place	Queens, New York
Occupation	Screenwriter; television writer; director
Years active	1960s–2010s
Notable works	Annie Hall, Manhattan, Sleeper
Awards	Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay; New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Marshall Brickman is an American screenwriter, director, and former television writer known for his collaborations in film comedy and romantic drama. He contributed to landmark projects that intersect with the careers of prominent figures in American cinema and television, and he has been recognized with major industry awards. Brickman's work spans collaborations with writers, directors, actors, and producers across stage, screen, and broadcast media.

Early life and education

Brickman was born in Queens, New York and grew up in the New York City area during the postwar period. He attended Brooklyn College and later studied at the University of Iowa's Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he developed interests in writing that would lead him toward television and film. During his formative years he intersected with figures associated with American theater and television networks based in New York City, shaping his early exposure to professional writing.

Career

Brickman began his professional life as a writer for television, contributing to programs associated with NBC and CBS during the 1960s. He wrote for variety shows and comedy programs linked to performers like Jack Paar, Mike Nichols, Elaine May, and others connected to the American comedy scene. Moving into film, he transitioned to screenwriting and directing, collaborating with filmmakers and studios such as United Artists, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros. His directing credits include features that employed actors from the New Hollywood movement and performers affiliated with comedy troupes and improv groups of the era.

Notable collaborations and screenwriting

Brickman is best known for his writing partnerships and collaborations with several high-profile creative figures. He co-wrote screenplays with Woody Allen on multiple films that explored urban relationships, philosophy, and humor, intersecting with the careers of actors such as Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow, Diane Keaton's frequent collaborators, and ensembles including Michael Murphy and Mariel Hemingway. He worked with directors and producers like Martin Scorsese-adjacent contemporaries, and with screenwriters and playwrights linked to Broadway and Off-Broadway circles. Brickman's film work also connected him to performers from Saturday Night Live-adjacent talent pools and to composers and cinematographers associated with major studio productions.

Filmography

Selected credits include screenplays and direction for feature films and television specials produced by major studios and broadcasters. Notable films in his filmography are: - Sleeper (screenplay collaboration) — a science fiction comedy project featuring talents from the American comedy milieu. - Annie Hall (co-writer) — a seminal romantic comedy associated with independent production companies and distributed through major studio channels. - Manhattan (co-writer) — a film noted for its depiction of New York City life and collaborations with cinematographers and composers active in the 1970s film scene. - Other projects spanning genres that linked Brickman to producers, actors, and technicians who worked across Hollywood and independent film circles.

Awards and recognition

Brickman received industry recognition for screenwriting, including the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for work on a film that also earned accolades from critics' organizations such as the New York Film Critics Circle and nominations from bodies like the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA. His awards connect him to ceremonies and institutions based in Los Angeles and London, and to peers honored in the same years from studios and festivals.

Personal life and legacy

Brickman's personal life intersected with the New York cultural scene and with collaborators who were prominent in American film and television. His legacy is tied to influential films that shaped late 20th-century screenwriting practices and to mentorship and influence within writer circles associated with screenwriters' guilds and film academies. His contributions remain referenced in discussions of screenwriting craft, film comedy, and portrayals of urban life in cinema.

Category:American screenwriters Category:1939 births Category:People from Queens, New York