101 Greatest Screenplays

According to the Writers Guild of America West

CASABLANCA - Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison
THE GODFATHER - Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
CHINATOWN - Written by Robert Towne
CITIZEN KANE - Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
ALL ABOUT EVE - Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on “The Wisdom of Eve,” a short story and radio play by Mary Orr
ANNIE HALL - Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
SUNSET BLVD. - Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr.
NETWORK - Written by Paddy Chayefsky
9.. SOME LIKE IT HOT - Screenplay by Billy Wider & I.A.L. Diamond. Based on “Fanfare of Love,” a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
THE GODFATHER II - Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather”
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID - Written by William Goldman
DR. STRANGELOVE - Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern. Based on novel “Red Alert” by Peter George
THE GRADUATE - Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence
THE APARTMENT - Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
PULP FICTION - Written by Quentin Tarantino. Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary
TOOTSIE - Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal. Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
ON THE WATERFRONT - Screen Story and Screenplay by Budd Schulberg. Based on “Crime on the Waterfront” articles by Malcolm Johnson
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Screenplay by Horton Foote. Based on the novel by Harper Lee
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE - Screenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett & Frank Capra. Based on short story “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern. Contributions to screenplay Michael Wilson and Jo Swerling
NORTH BY NORTHWEST - Written by Ernest Lehman
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King
GONE WITH THE WIND - Screenplay by Sidney Howard. Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth
THE WIZARD OF OZ - Screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf Adaptation by Noel Langley. Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
DOUBLE INDEMNITY - Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain
GROUNDHOG DAY - Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis. Story by Danny Rubin
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE - Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS - Written by Preston Sturges
UNFORGIVEN - Written by David Webb Peoples
HIS GIRL FRIDAY - Screenplay by Charles Lederer. Based on the play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
FARGO - Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
THE THIRD MAN - Screenplay by Graham Greene. Story by Graham Greene. Based on the short story by Graham Greene
THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS - Screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman. From a novelette by Ernest Lehman
THE USUAL SUSPECTS - Written by Christopher McQuarrie
MIDNIGHT COWBOY - Screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY - Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart. Based on the play by Philip Barry
AMERICAN BEAUTY - Written by Alan Ball
THE STING - Written by David S. Ward
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY - Written by Nora Ephron
GOODFELLAS - Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book “Wise Guy” by Nicholas Pileggi
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
TAXI DRIVER - Written by Paul Schrader
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES - Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood. Based on novel “Glory For Me” by MacKinley Kantor
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST - Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE - Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven
THE MALTESE FALCON - Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI - Screenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle
SCHINDLER’S LIST - Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
THE SIXTH SENSE - Written by M. Night Shyamalan
BROADCAST NEWS - Written by James L. Brooks
THE LADY EVE - Screenplay by Preston Sturges. Story by Monckton Hoffe
ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN - Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward
MANHATTAN - Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
APOCALYPSE NOW - Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr
BACK TO THE FUTURE - Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS - Written by Woody Allen
ORDINARY PEOPLE - Screenplay by Alvin Sargent. Based on the novel by Judith Guest
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT - Screenplay by Robert Riskin. Based on the story “Night Bus” by Samuel Hopkins Adams
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL - Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - Screenplay by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris
MOONSTRUCK - Written by John Patrick Shanley
JAWS - Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT - Screenplay by James L. Brooks. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN - Screen Story and Screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green. Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
JERRY MAGUIRE - Written by Cameron Crowe
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL - Written by Melissa Mathison
STAR WARS - Written by George Lucas
DOG DAY AFTERNOON - Screenplay by Frank Pierson. Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore
THE AFRICAN QUEEN - Screenplay by James Agee and John Huston. Based on the novel by C.S. Forester
THE LION IN WINTER - Screenplay by James Goldman. Based on the play by James Goldman
THELMA & LOUISE - Written by Callie Khouri
AMADEUS - Screenplay by Peter Shaffer. Based on his play
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH - Written by Charlie Kaufman
HIGH NOON - Screenplay by Carl Foreman. Based on short story “The Tin Star” by John W. Cunningham
RAGING BULL - Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage
ADAPTATION - Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean
ROCKY - Written by Sylvester Stallone
THE PRODUCERS - Written by Mel Brooks
WITNESS - Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace
BEING THERE - Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski. Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski
COOL HAND LUKE - Screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce
REAR WINDOW - Screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich
THE PRINCESS BRIDE - Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on his novel
LA GRANDE ILLUSION - Written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak
HAROLD & MAUDE - Written by Colin Higgins
8 1/2 - Screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rond. Story by Fellini, Flaiano
FIELD OF DREAMS - Screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson. Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella
FORREST GUMP - Screenplay by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom
SIDEWAYS - Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett
THE VERDICT - Screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed
PSYCHO - Screenplay by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch
DO THE RIGHT THING - Written by Spike Lee
PATTON - Screen Story and Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North. Based on “A Soldier’s Story” by Omar H. Bradley and “Patton: Ordeal and Triumph” by Ladislas Farago
HANNAH AND HER SISTERS - Written by Woody Allen
THE HUSTLER - Screenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Walter Tevis
THE SEARCHERS - Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May
THE GRAPES OF WRATH - Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
THE WILD BUNCH - Screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah. Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner
MEMENTO - Screenplay by Christopher Nolan. Based on the short story “Memento Mori” by Jonathan Nolan
NOTORIOUS - Written by Ben Hecht