Alvin Sargent (April 12, 1927 – May 9, 2019) was an American screenwriter. He won two Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, for Julia (1977), and Ordinary People (1980). Sargent's other works include screenplays of the films The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1970), Paper Moon (1973), Nuts (1987), White Palace (1990), What About Bob? (1991), Unfaithful (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).

Alvin Sargent
Born
Alvin Supowitz[1]

(1927-04-12)April 12, 1927
DiedMay 9, 2019(2019-05-09) (aged 92)
OccupationScreenwriter
Years active1956–2012
Spouses
Joan Camden
(m. 1953; div. 1975)
(m. 2010; died 2011)
RelativesHerb Sargent (brother)
Alvin York (cousin)

Early life

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Alvin Sargent was born Alvin Supowitz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Esther (née Kadansky) and Isaac Supowitz. He was of Russian Jewish descent.[2] Sargent attended Upper Darby High School, leaving aged 17 to join the Navy. As of 2006, he was one of 35 alumni to be on the school's Wall of Fame.

Career

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Sargent began writing for television in 1953 and through the 1960s he scripted episodes for Route 66, Ben Casey and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. He collaborated on his first screenplay for a film on Gambit (1966) and gained recognition for I Walk the Line (1970) and Paper Moon (1973) for which he won the WGA Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and was nominated for an Academy Award. He won the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay in 1978 for the film Julia (1977) and again in 1981 for Ordinary People (1980). He collaborated on the 2004 screenplay for Spider-Man 2 and the 2007 screenplay for Spider-Man 3. He'd also collaborate on the screenplay for the 2012 reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.

Personal life

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He had a longtime relationship with producer Laura Ziskin; they were married from 2010 until her death in 2011.[3] His brother was writer and producer Herb Sargent.

Death

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Sargent died from natural causes at his home in Seattle on May 9, 2019, four weeks after his 92nd birthday.[4]

Filmography

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Writer

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Year Title Notes
1966 Gambit Co-written with Jack Davies.
1968 The Stalking Moon Co-written with Wendell Mayes.
1969 The Sterile Cuckoo
1970 I Walk the Line
1972 The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
1973 Paper Moon
Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing
1977 Julia
Bobby Deerfield
1978 Straight Time Co-written with Jeffrey Boam.
1980 Ordinary People
1987 Nuts Co-written with Tom Topor and Daryl Ponicsan.
1988 Dominick and Eugene
1990 White Palace Co-written with Ted Tally.
1991 Other People's Money
What About Bob? Story only; co-written by Laura Ziskin.
1992 Hero Story only; co-written by Laura Ziskin and David Webb Peoples.
1996 Bogus
1999 Anywhere but Here
2002 Unfaithful Co-written with William Broyles Jr.
Spider-Man Uncredited.[5]
2004 Spider-Man 2
2007 Spider-Man 3 Co-written with Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi.
2012 The Amazing Spider-Man Co-written with James Vanderbilt and Steve Kloves.

Actor

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References

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  1. ^ "Alvin Sargent, Oscar-Winning 'Julia' and 'Ordinary People' Screenwriter, Dies at 92". 11 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Obituary: Alvin Sargent, noted Hollywood screenwriter who won two Oscars". 16 May 2019.
  3. ^ Pener, Degen (5 April 2012). "'Spider-Man' Producer Laura Ziskin's Santa Monica House Hits the Market". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. ^ Koseluk, Chris (May 10, 2019). "Alvin Sargent, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter of 'Julia' and 'Ordinary People,' Dies at 92". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  5. ^ Greg Dean Schmitz. "Greg's Preview – Spider-Man". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
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