There have been at least four major “King Kong” movies — and another, “Godzilla vs. Kong,” is due early next year. And yet when fans of all ages think of the girl in the palm of the ape’s hand, they think not of Jessica Lange or Naomi Watts, but of the actress who first embodied her in 1933.
As we speak, New York’s popular indie house Film Forum is filling the next two weeks with movies that starred Fay Wray, the original Ann Darrow who tamed the giant ape. Also featured are movies written by Wray’s husband, Academy Award winner Robert Riskin. The program is done in conjunction with a new memoir by Victoria Riskin, the couples’ daughter and former president of the Writers Guild of America West.
“They were an early Hollywood power couple, each with a lasting legacy,” TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz said. “Wray is more easily identifiable,...
As we speak, New York’s popular indie house Film Forum is filling the next two weeks with movies that starred Fay Wray, the original Ann Darrow who tamed the giant ape. Also featured are movies written by Wray’s husband, Academy Award winner Robert Riskin. The program is done in conjunction with a new memoir by Victoria Riskin, the couples’ daughter and former president of the Writers Guild of America West.
“They were an early Hollywood power couple, each with a lasting legacy,” TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz said. “Wray is more easily identifiable,...
- 3/26/2019
- by Mary Murphy and Michele Willens
- The Wrap
Slumdog Millionaire continued its winning streak this awards season, with Simon Beaufoy winning the 2009 Writers Guild of America award this evening for adapted screenplay. Dustin Lance Black won the award for best original screenplay for Milk. Slumdog has already won DGA, SAG, PGA and Golden Globe awards, and is a multi-award favorite for the Oscars. Milk has won SAG and PGA awards and is also a strong Oscar contender in multiple categories.
On the television side, awards went to the writers of Mad Men (drama), 30 Rock (comedy), Recount and John Adams in long-form categories, and In Treatment, Breaking Bad, and The Simpsons in various other fields. Controversially, among other awards was one for videogame writing (to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). Some publishers declined to submit their titles for consideration, viewing the award as primarily an organizing tool for a guild seeking to gain a foothold in a non-unionized sector.
On the television side, awards went to the writers of Mad Men (drama), 30 Rock (comedy), Recount and John Adams in long-form categories, and In Treatment, Breaking Bad, and The Simpsons in various other fields. Controversially, among other awards was one for videogame writing (to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). Some publishers declined to submit their titles for consideration, viewing the award as primarily an organizing tool for a guild seeking to gain a foothold in a non-unionized sector.
- 2/8/2009
- by noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan Handel)
Fox Searchlight's Indian drama "Slumdog Millionaire" put another notch in the kudos-season win column Saturday, copping a WGA Award for best adapted screenplay for Simon Beaufoy.
Focus Features' Harvey Milk biopic "Milk," penned by Dustin Lance Black, won best original screenplay.
"This wasn't the easiest movie to produce, you know -- it's pretty gay!" said a grinning Black, who also was honored with the guild's Paul Selvin Award for championing constitutional rights and civil liberties.
Black added that he prayed a lot during the writing of the "Milk" screenplay.
"Mostly, I'll admit, I prayed for a green light," he said. "So I have to thank God, and I want to thank God for making my dreams come true."
In addition to "Milk," nominees in the original screenplay category included "Burn After Reading, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," The Visitor" and "The Wrestler."
In winning the best-adapted laurels, "Slumdog" overcame competition from...
Focus Features' Harvey Milk biopic "Milk," penned by Dustin Lance Black, won best original screenplay.
"This wasn't the easiest movie to produce, you know -- it's pretty gay!" said a grinning Black, who also was honored with the guild's Paul Selvin Award for championing constitutional rights and civil liberties.
Black added that he prayed a lot during the writing of the "Milk" screenplay.
"Mostly, I'll admit, I prayed for a green light," he said. "So I have to thank God, and I want to thank God for making my dreams come true."
In addition to "Milk," nominees in the original screenplay category included "Burn After Reading, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," The Visitor" and "The Wrestler."
In winning the best-adapted laurels, "Slumdog" overcame competition from...
- 2/7/2009
- by By Carl DiOrio and Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WGA West board members have reversed course and no longer plan to give the Valentine Davies Award to former president Victoria Riskin, the guild said Tuesday. The board Monday night voted 11-3, with one abstention, to rescind the award to Riskin, who was forced to resign as president in January 2004 after it was discovered that she had not been eligible to run in the election. She was replaced by Charles Holland, who was forced to step down two months later over claims he made about his background, setting the stage for current president Dan Petrie Jr. to prevail in a contest supervised by the California Department of Labor.
- 8/31/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The former editor of the WGA West's Web site sued the union Wednesday for wrongful termination, claiming he was fired for complaining that the site was being used to manipulate last year's presidential election. Ross Johnson seeks unspecified damages in the Los Angeles Superior Court filing against defendants WGAW, former president Victoria Riskin and his former boss, assistant executive director Cheryl Rhoden. WGAW said Johnson was employed for eight months and was fired for performance issues, particularly his relations with co-workers. "Virtually every single allegation in this complaint is false," the union said in a statement. Johnson, a former WGAW member who has written for publications including The Hollywood Reporter, was fired Nov. 5 in what he claims was a pre-emptive bid by union staff to keep him from sharing his election concerns with the U.S. Department of Labor.
- 10/7/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The only debate preceding the WGA West election drew a stronger-than-usual turnout for what members described Thursday as a thoughtful and civil discussion of the most pressing issues facing the union. About 150 writers came to the guild's headquarters in Hollywood on Wednesday to hear the candidates make statements and field questions. More than an hour was spent in a question-and-answer session involving vp hopefuls Carl Gottlieb and Dennis Feldman as well as presidential candidates Dan Petrie Jr., the incumbent, and challenger Eric Hughes. A Department of Labor representative was on hand to monitor the presidential portion of the evening as part of an agreement between the union and federal labor officials to rerun last year's race because the winner, Victoria Riskin, was later discovered to have been ineligible to run. Hughes protested that outcome, leading him to be automatically given another chance at the presidency. The election results are due Sept. 21.
Fay Wray, the stunning beauty who tamed the legendary beast in King Kong, died Sunday at her Manhattan home; she was 96. According to a close friend, director Rick McKay, Wray passed away quietly, "as if she was going to sleep." Canadian-born but raised in Los Angeles, the diminutive actress (her full name was the exotic Vina Fay Wray) appeared in a number of silent films in the 20s, including Erich Von Stroheim's The Wedding March, which showcased her beauty and brought her larger fame. Other notable films of the era included The Legend of the Condemned opposite Gary Cooper, Josef Von Sternberg's Thunderbolt (the director's first sound film), and The Four Feathers, which introduced her to Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Shoedsack, the team that would make King Kong. Though she made a startling 11 films in 1933, Wray will be remembered always and forever as Ann Darrow, an unemployed actress who takes a job in a movie filming on a strange island and finds herself the love object of a giant ape. Mixing sex appeal with vulnerability, and a pair of lungs that wouldn't quit, Wray established herself as the first "scream queen" and the iconic image of her held in Kong's giant fist (in actuality an eight-foot mechanical arm) became one of the most enduring and legendary images in cinema.
Alas, Wray's follow-up films were less than memorable, and she left the screen in 1942 to marry writer Robert Riskin (It Happened One Night). She made a return in the 50s in small roles, usually playing a teen ingenue's mother (as she did in Tammy and the Bachelor), but gave up moviemaking by the end of the decade and appeared sporadically on television through the 60s. Her last appearance was in the 1980 TV movie Gideon's Trumpet opposite Henry Fonda. In 1988 she published her autobiography, On the Other Hand, and was the guest of honor at the 1991 ceremony marking the 60th birthday of the Empire State Building; she wrote, "Each time I arrive in New York and see the skyline and the exquisite beauty of the Empire State Building, my heart beats a little faster. I like that feeling. I really like it!" Wray is survived by three children, including daughter Victoria Riskin. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
Alas, Wray's follow-up films were less than memorable, and she left the screen in 1942 to marry writer Robert Riskin (It Happened One Night). She made a return in the 50s in small roles, usually playing a teen ingenue's mother (as she did in Tammy and the Bachelor), but gave up moviemaking by the end of the decade and appeared sporadically on television through the 60s. Her last appearance was in the 1980 TV movie Gideon's Trumpet opposite Henry Fonda. In 1988 she published her autobiography, On the Other Hand, and was the guest of honor at the 1991 ceremony marking the 60th birthday of the Empire State Building; she wrote, "Each time I arrive in New York and see the skyline and the exquisite beauty of the Empire State Building, my heart beats a little faster. I like that feeling. I really like it!" Wray is survived by three children, including daughter Victoria Riskin. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 8/9/2004
- IMDb News
Fay Wray, who achieved screen immortality when she starred as the frightened girl carried by King Kong to the top of the Empire State Building, has died. The actress, who appeared in about 100 films, died on Sunday night at her apartment on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, according to The New York Times. She was 96. Her death was confirmed Monday by the WGA West, where Wray?s daughter Victoria Riskin recently served as president.
A seven-week investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor has resulted in the WGA West agreeing to rerun its fall election under the auspices of the DOL. The settlement, reached late Tuesday and approved by the WGA West board of directors, calls for the guild to rerun its presidential election no later than Sept. 20 -- a year earlier than expected. This presidential rerun will effectively be wrapped into already scheduled elections for vp and eight national board seats. The settlement also allows for Eric Hughes, former runner-up to the presidency who filed the original DOL complaint, to participate in the new election. "We completely agree that holding a new election for president is the best way to validate the voting rights of all guild members," said Daniel Petrie Jr., who took over as WGA West president last week. Petrie became the third WGA West president in a three-month span following of the resignations of Victoria Riskin in January over eligibility issues and then of her successor, Charles Holland, last week over credibility issues (HR 3/19).
- 3/25/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a letter to members Monday, newly appointed WGA West president Charles Holland said the election challenge that unseated president Victoria Riskin last week was not so much an embarrassment as a test of the guild's courage to confront serious issues. "I write this letter not just to tell you what happened but to assure you that this guild, this board and this president is not embarrassed and is strengthened rather than weakened," Holland said. "I see it as affirmation that our rules apply equally to all. And that, above all, writers are men and women of courage. The courage to face the blank page, the courage to bet their lives on their pens, the courage to face the truth about themselves and their guild."...
- 1/13/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An investigative report probing the WGA West's fall presidential election has found that current president Victoria Riskin was ineligible to hold office when re-elected to a second term because of a lapsing of her membership and recommended that she step down immediately. Following the explosive findings of the 35-page report, which was authored by Stanford law professor William Gould IV, the guild's national board convened a special meeting Monday afternoon to hear from Gould and possibly vote on whether Riskin would be relieved from her post and replaced by vp Charles Holland. No vote had been taken at press time. A simple majority vote among the 16-member board would be required to remove Riskin. In September, she defeated newcomer Eric Hughes with 846 votes to Hughes' 425. A total of 7,600 ballots were sent out, with 1,378 returned. According to several sources familiar with the report, Gould also recommended that the election results for the presidency be overturned.
An investigative report probing the WGA West's fall presidential election has found that current president Victoria Riskin was ineligible to hold office when re-elected to a second term because of a lapsing of her membership and recommended that she step down immediately. Following the explosive findings of the 35-page report, which was authored by Stanford law professor William Gould IV, the guild's national board convened a special meeting Monday afternoon to hear from Gould and possibly vote on whether Riskin would be relieved from her post and replaced by vp Charles Holland. No vote had been taken at press time. A simple majority vote among the 16-member board would be required to remove Riskin. In September, she defeated newcomer Eric Hughes with 846 votes to Hughes' 425. A total of 7,600 ballots were sent out, with 1,378 returned. According to several sources familiar with the report, Gould also recommended that the election results for the presidency be overturned.
On the heels of a report that found her ineligible to hold office, WGA west president Victoria Riskin resigned as president of guild on Tuesday morning. Riskin has been replaced by WGA west vp Charles Holland effective immediately. Following a marathon national board meeting that extended into the early morning hours, Riskin informed the board she would resign to avoid further distractions for the upcoming industry negotiations. "My election as president of the Writers Guild is a trust I hold sacred," said Riskin in a statement. "However, I know we cannot proceed into negotiations with these charges hanging over us. It is with the overriding concern for all writers that I have offered my resignation. I know I am leaving the leadership of the guild in strong and wise hands. I urge my fellow writers to stand behind their new president."...
The WGA intends to press the industry for higher health care contributions, a share of DVD profits and collective bargaining power for animation, nonfiction and other reality television writers, according to WGA West president Victoria Riskin. In a year-end message in this month's "Member News" received Monday, Riskin said health care remains a high priority in renegotiating the TV/theatrical minimum basic agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The WGA West and East recently appointed a negotiating committee which will draft a pattern of demands to serve as a blueprint to the negotiations. A pattern of demands for the contract, which expires May 1, will require the approval of both the WGA West board and WGA East council as well as the membership.
- 12/2/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The board of the WGA West and council of the WGA East have announced that they appointed a formal negotiating committee for the TV/theatrical contract, set to expire May 1. The negotiating committee is made up of the Negotiations Steering Committee, which has been meeting for more than a year, and some recently appointed additional members. "It's an outstanding and seasoned team with broad-based experience in important and diverse work areas and with negotiations," WGA West president Victoria Riskin said. "We will continue our member outreach through show visits, house meetings and town halls to assure that the committee remains fully informed on the issues of concern to our membership."...
- 11/23/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The WGA West has become the first major entertainment guild to come out in opposition to the MPAA's screener ban. "Screeners have become an important part of the way small, well-written films find their audience," WGA West president Victoria Riskin said in a statement released Monday. "To place a gag order on screeners is to tilt the playing field from small films to large. As writers deeply concerned with preservation and nurturing of the independent voice, we urge the MPAA to reconsider and do the fair and right thing for all artists." In its statement, the WGA noted that such Oscar winners as Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) and John Irving (The Cider House Rules) were brought to the attention of Academy voters through screeners.
- 10/14/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An interguild squabble has erupted between the WGA West and IATSE's animation local over which guild should have jurisdiction over writers on primetime animation shows. The rub concerns contractual coverage of the NBC/DreamWorks animated half-hour primetime show Father of the Pride. Over the past several years, the WGA has made no secret of its intention to organize any and all nonunion animation writers. However, in its ongoing push into animation, the WGA West has now targeted Father of the Pride, which was created and produced by DreamWorks Animation. The show as well as the animation house has a binding agreement with IATSE Local 839. The move by the WGA has sparked the ire of Local 839, which accused the WGA of "unfair labor practices." In an "urgent message" to members issued Thursday, newly re-elected WGA president Victoria Riskin charged that DreamWorks has repeatedly refused to grant the 12 writers on the show WGA contracts and has instead tried to "circumvent" the WGA by offering to cover the writers with IATSE's Local 839 agreement.
- 9/26/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Victoria Riskin has been re-elected to a second two-year term as president of the WGA West, defeating newcomer Eric Hughes. Also re-elected was WGA East president Herb Sargent. And while the guild decided not to publicly release the results of the voting -- a break from recent WGA election protocol -- it was revealed in the "members only" section of the WGA Web site that Riskin received 846 votes, while Hughes received 425. A total of 7,600 ballots were sent out, with 1,378 returned. Also re-elected to the WGA West leadership were vp Charles Holland (905 votes) and secretary-treasurer Patric Verrone (693 votes). Elected to the WGA West board of directors were Elias Davis (691 votes), Irma Kalish (664 votes), Peter Lefcourt (663 votes), Melissa Rosenberg (519 votes), Tim O'Donnell (466 votes) and incumbents Robert King (672 votes), Don M. Mankiewicz (500 votes) and J.F. Lawton (483 votes).
- 9/22/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Heading into the homestretch in the race for the presidency of the WGA West, incumbent Victoria Riskin struck a moderate tone in her final pitch to members, emphasizing her first-term accomplishments, while challenger Eric Hughes went on the offensive, assailing Riskin's statement in a rebuttal. Ballots in the election for president as well as secretary-treasurer and eight open board seats are scheduled to be tallied Sept. 19. "I believe that we have made significant strides for writers within the guild, with the industry and in Washington," Riskin wrote in her candidate's statement, which was sent to members this week. "We have devoted considerable effort to strengthening our outreach and organizing efforts with the two goals of representing all writers who need the protections of the guild and concurrently making sure that our members are not jeopardized by the rise of nonsignatory companies."...
- 8/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It looks as though the WGA West is taking aim at reality television. In comments made in this month's "Member News" newsletter, WGA West president Victoria Riskin strongly hinted at settling up contractually with the trend of reality television, which has taken a significant bite out of the number of scripted dramas on recent network schedules. "There is another aspect to the question of reality television that the guild is currently addressing: Just because these shows aren't fully and traditionally scripted doesn't mean they aren't written -- someone has to come up with the questions and answers, someone has to develop the situation and the format, and these are writers," Riskin wrote. "Let's not forget our colleagues who work on these shows. They deserve the same safeguards for their work as others writers do. The guild is here to ensure that if the Bachelorette stands on the beach under a starry night, sighing and looking dreamily into the sky, the writer who puts her there is protected."...
RICHMOND, Va. -- Programming issues ranging from the dearth of independently produced shows to the quality of what gets aired on television took center stage Thursday during the FCC's field hearing examining a series of proposed regulations that limit the type and number of media properties one company can own. Commentators ranging from representatives of the creative guilds to regular citizens expressed concern over TV and radio programming issues. Victoria Riskin, president of WGA West, warned the commission of the re-emergence of a programming oligopoly that is allowing fewer and fewer voices to be heard. "The control by a few conglomerates will be as absolute as ever," Riskin told the commissioners. "We are asking you to ensure that a few companies do not continue to have a stranglehold on free expression and open debate, and that independent voices are once again allowed to be heard in the land." But NBC Television Stations president Jay Ireland and Fox Television Stations Inc. president Thomas Herwitz defended the networks, saying their companies did not shy away from independent productions. "I think there's plenty of room for independent producers to come in," Ireland said in an interview. "There's an appetite for everything, and any aspect of limiting that is dangerous."...
- 2/28/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Writers Guild of America West on Tuesday threw its support behind the Directors Guild of America after a pre-emptive legal strike was made against 16 of Hollywood's best-known directors by CleanFlicks over third-party editing of DVDs and videocassettes. "We are astounded that a company would target some of our country's most esteemed directors in a misguided effort to claim a right to alter artistic work for commercial exploitation," WGAW president Victoria Riskin said, referring to CleanFlicks Llc. of Colorado's suit. The suit was filed last week in a Denver federal court asking a judge to determine whether the company has a First Amendment right to edit videos for private use (HR 8/30). CleanFlicks and attorney Robert Hunstman...
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