“From Fade In to Fade Out: Unveiling the Hidden Struggles Behind Every Screenplay’s Journey”
Picture this: It’s 1997, and my writing partner and I are nestled in a screening room on the glimmering Paramount lot, surrounded by studio execs. What’s on the screen? The timeless comedy The Court Jester, starring the inimitable Danny Kaye. We’re laughing, captivated by the brilliant antics and witty repartee crafted by legendary writers Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. But here’s the kicker—just days earlier, we pitched a modern spin on this classic! As we watch, it hits me: are Hollywood’s greatest moments birthed in the glow of nostalgia, or do they thrive on fresh reinterpretation? This question buzzes through my mind like a cinematic electric current. Join me on this journey through that unforgettable meeting, where ideas soared and imagination ran wild, as we unlocked the door to bring The Court Jester to a new generation! LEARN MORE.
It’s 1997. My writing partner and I are seated in a screening room on the Paramount lot. We are there with a handful of studio execs watching a movie: The 1955 comedy The Court Jester starring Danny Kaye.
In an earlier meeting, we have pitched the studios a basic take on a remake of The Court Jester. Now as we watch the movie unspool, we are cackling along with Kaye and co-stars Glynis Johns and Basil Rathbone as they circumnavigate a fun plot written by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, who also acted as co-directors. Here is just one of the classic bits from the movie:
Great stuff, right? How fun to take the basic story and provide a contemporary spin on it. As the movie flashes “The End” and the lights come up, the Paramount execs seem to be wholeheartedly in agreement. We toss around ideas right there in the screening room, each one topping the other. Perhaps the single best meeting I’ve ever taken in Hollywood.
Sure enough, within a few days, we get a call from CAA: “We are good to go on The Court Jester”. The…
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