The Writers Guild Award for Best Written Comedy was an award presented from 1949 to 1984 by the Writers Guild of America, after which it was discontinued.
Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Comedy | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Film |
Country | United States |
Presented by | Writers Guild of America |
First awarded | 1949 |
Last awarded | 1984 |
Website | http://www.wga.org/ |
Winners & Nominees[1]
Notes
- The year indicates when the film was released. The awards were presented the following year.
1940s
Year | Film | Writer(s) |
---|---|---|
1948 | Sitting Pretty | F. Hugh Herbert |
A Foreign Affair | Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and Richard L. Breen | |
Apartment for Peggy | George Seaton | |
I Remember Mama | Dewitt Bodeen | |
June Bride | Ranald Macdougall | |
Miss Tatlock's Millions | Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen | |
No Minor Vices | Arnold Manoff | |
The Mating of Millie | Louella MacFarlane, and St. Clair McKelway | |
The Paleface | Edmund L. Hartmann, Frank Tashlin, and Jack Rose | |
1949 | A Letter to Three Wives | Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Adam's Rib | Ruth Gordon, and Garson Kanin | |
Come to the Stable | Oscar Millard, and Sally Benson | |
Every Girl Should Be Married | Stephen Morehouse Avery | |
I Was a Male War Bride | Charles Lederer, Leonard Spigel, and Hagar Wilde | |
It Happens Every Spring | Valentine Davies |
1950s
Year | Film | Writer(s) |
---|---|---|
1950 | All About Eve | Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Adam's Rib | Ruth Gordon, and Garson Kanin | |
Born Yesterday | Albert Mannheimer | |
Father of the Bride | Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett | |
The Jackpot | Phoebe Ephron, and Henry Ephron | |
1951 (4th)[5] | Father's Little Dividend | Albert Hackett, and Frances Goodrich |
Angels in the Outfield | Dorothy Kingsley, and George Wells | |
People Will Talk | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | |
That's My Boy | Cy Howard | |
You're in the Navy Now | Richard Murphy | |
1952 (5th)[6] | The Quiet Man | Frank Nugent |
Pat and Mike | Ruth Gordon, and Garson Kanin | |
Room for One More | Jack Rose, and Melville Shavelson | |
The Happy Time | Earl Felton | |
The Marrying Kind | Ruth Gordon, and Garson Kanin | |
1953 (6th)[7] | Roman Holiday | Ian McLellan Hunter, Dalton Trumbo, and John Dighton |
How to Marry a Millionaire | Nunnally Johnson | |
Stalag 17 | Billy Wilder, and Edwin Blum | |
The Actress | Ruth Gordon | |
The Moon Is Blue | F. Hugh Herbert | |
1954 (7th)[8] | Sabrina | Billy Wilder, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Lehman |
It Should Happen to You | Garson Kanin | |
Knock on Wood | Melvin Frank, and Norman Panama | |
Susan Slept Here | Alex Gottlieb | |
The Long, Long Trailer | Albert Hackett, and Frances Goodrich | |
1955 (8th)[9] | Mister Roberts | Frank S. Nugent, and Joshua Logan |
Phffft | George Axelrod | |
The Seven Year Itch | Billy Wilder, and George Axelroad | |
The Tender Trap | Julius J. Epstein | |
To Catch a Thief | John Michael Hayes | |
1956 (9th)[10] | Around the World in 80 Days | James Poe, John Farrow, and S. J. Perelman |
Bus Stop | George Axelrod | |
Full of Life | John Fante | |
The Solid Gold Cadillac | Abe Burrows | |
The Teahouse of the August Moon | John Patrick | |
1957 (10th)[11] | Love in the Afternoon | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond |
Designing Woman | George Wells | |
Don't Go Near the Water | Dorothy Kingsley, and George Wells | |
Operation Mad Ball | Arthur Carter, Jed Harris, and Blake Edwards | |
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? | Frank Tashlin | |
1958 (11th)[12] | Me and the Colonel | S.N. Behrman, and George Froeschel |
Houseboat | Melville Shavelson, and Jack Rose | |
Indiscreet | Norman Krasna | |
Teacher's Pet | Fay Kanin, and Michael Kanin | |
The Reluctant Debutante | William Douglas-Home, and Julius J. Epstein | |
1959 (12th)[13] | Some Like It Hot | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond |
A Hole in the Head | Arnold Schulman | |
North by Northwest | Ernest Lehman | |
Operation Petticoat | Stanley Shapiro, and Maurice Richlin | |
Pillow Talk | Stanley Shapiro, and Maurice Richlin |
1960s
Year | Film | Writer(s) |
---|---|---|
1960 (13th)[14] | The Apartment | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond |
North to Alaska | Martin Rackin, John Lee Mahin, and Claude Binyon | |
Ocean's 11 | Harry Brown, and Charles Lederer | |
Please Don't Eat the Daisies | Isobel Lennart | |
The Facts of Life | Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank | |
1961 (14th)[15] | Breakfast at Tiffany's | George Axelrod |
A Majority of One, | Leonard Spigelgass | |
One, Two, Three | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond | |
The Absent Minded Professor | Bill Walsh | |
The Parent Trap | David Swift | |
1962 (15th)[16] | That Touch of Mink | Nate Monaster and Stanley Shapiro |
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation | Nunnally Johnson | |
The Notorious Landlady | Blake Edwards, and Larry Gelbart | |
Period of Adjustment | Isobel Lennart | |
The Pigeon That Took Rome | Melville Shavelson | |
1963 (16th)[17] | Lilies of the Field | James Poe |
Charade | Peter Stone | |
Irma la Douce | I.A.L. Diamond, and Billy Wilder | |
Love with the Proper Stranger | Arnold Schulman | |
The Thrill of It All | Carl Reiner | |
1964 (17th)[18] | Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb | Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, and Terry Southern |
Father Goose, | Peter Stone, and Frank Tarloff | |
The Pink Panther | Maurice Richlin, and Blake Edwards | |
The World of Henry Orient | Nora Johnson, and Nunnally Johnson | |
Topkapi | Monja Danischewsky | |
1965 (18th)[19] | A Thousand Clowns | Herb Gardner |
Cat Ballou | Walter Newman, and Frank Pierson | |
That Darn Cat! | Mildred Gordon, Gordon Gordon, and Bill Walsh | |
The Great Race | Arthur A. Ross | |
What's New Pussycat | Woody Allen | |
1966 (19th)[20] | The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming | William Rose |
How to Steal a Million | Harry Kurnitz | |
Our Man Flint | Hal Fimberg, and Ben Starr | |
The Fortune Cookie | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond | |
You're a Big Boy Now | Francis Ford Coppola | |
1967 (20th)[21] | The Graduate | Buck Henry, and Calder Willingham |
Barefoot in the Park | Neil Simon | |
Divorce American Style | Norman Lear | |
The Flim-Flam Man | William Rose | |
A Guide for the Married Man | Frank Tarloff | |
1968 (21st)[22] | The Odd Couple | Neil Simon |
Hot Millions | Ira Wallach, and Peter Ustinov | |
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! | Paul Mazursky, and Larry Tucker | |
The Producers | Mel Brooks | |
Yours, Mine and Ours | Melville Shavelson, and Mort Lachman | |
1969 (22nd)[23] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Goodbye, Columbus ‡ | Arnold Schulman | |
Cactus Flower | I.A.L. Diamond | |
Gaily, Gaily | Abram S. Ginnes | |
John and Marty | John Mortimer | |
The Reivers | Irving Ravetch, and Harriet Frank Jr. | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ‡ | Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker | |
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium | David Shaw | |
Popi | Tina Pine, and Lester Pine | |
Support Your Local Sheriff | William Bowers | |
Take the Money and Run | Woody Allen, and Mickey Rose |
1970s
Year | Film | Writer(s) |
---|---|---|
1970 (23rd)[24] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
M*A*S*H † | Ring Lardner Jr. | |
Lovers and Other Strangers | Renée Taylor, Joseph Bologna, David Zelag Goodman | |
The Owl and the Pussycat | Buck Henry | |
The Twelve Chairs | Mel Brooks | |
Where's Poppa | Robert Klane | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
The Out-of-Towners | Neil Simon | |
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond | |
Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronk | Gabriel Walsh | |
Start the Revolution Without Me | Fred Freeman, and Lawrence J. Cohen | |
The Cheyenne Social Club | James Lee Barrett | |
1971 (24th)[25] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Kotch | John Paxton | |
A New Leaf | Elaine May | |
Fiddler on the Roof | Joseph Stein | |
Little Murders | Jules Feiffer | |
The Boy Friend | Ken Russell | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
The Hospital | Paddy Chayefsky | |
Bananas | Woody Allen, and Mickey Rose | |
Carnal Knowledge | Jules Feiffer | |
Made for Each Other | Renée Taylor, and Joseph Bologna | |
Taking Off | Miloṡ Forman, Jean-Claude Carrière, John Guare, and Jon Klein | |
1972 (25th)[26] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Cabaret ‡ | Jay Presson Allen | |
Avanti! | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond | |
Butterflies Are Free | Leonard Gershe | |
The Heartbreak Kid | Neil Simon | |
Travels with My Aunt | Jay Presson Allen, and Hugh Wheeler | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
What’s Up, Doc? | Peter Bogdanovich, Buck Henry, David Newman, and Robert Benton | |
Get to Know Your Rabbit | Jordan Crittenden | |
Hammersmith Is Out | Stanford Whitmore | |
Minnie and Moskowitz | John Cassavetes | |
The War Between Men and Women | Melville Shavelson, and Danny Arnold | |
1973 (26th)[27] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Paper Moon ‡ | Alvin Sargent | |
40 Carats | Leonard Gershe | |
Godspell | David Greenne, and John-Michael Tebelak | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
A Touch of Class‡ | Melvin Frank and Jack Rose | |
American Graffiti ‡ | George Lucas, Gloria Katz, and Willard Huyck | |
Blume in Love | Paul Mazursky | |
Sleeper | Woody Allen, and Marshall Brickman | |
Slither | W.D. Richter | |
1974 (27th)[28] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz ‡ | Mordecai Richler, and Lionel Chetwynd | |
The Front Page | Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond | |
Young Frankenstein ‡ | Gene Wilder, and Mel Brooks | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Blazing Saddles | Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger | |
California Split | Joseph Walsh | |
Claudine | Tina Pine, and Lester Pine | |
Phantom of the Paradise | Brian de Palma | |
The Sugarland Express | Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins, and Steven Spielberg | |
1975 (28th)[29] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
The Sunshine Boys ‡ | Neil Simon | |
Hester Street | Joan Micklin Silver | |
The Prisoner of Second Avenue | Neil Simon | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Shampoo ‡ | Robert Towne and Warren Beatty | |
Heats of the West | Rob Thompson | |
Smile | Jerry Belson | |
The Return of the Pink Panther | Frank Waldman, and Blake Edwards | |
1976 (29th)[30] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
The Pink Panther Strikes Again | Frank Waldman, and Blake Edwards | |
Family Plot | Ernest Lehman | |
Stay Hungry | Charles Gaines, and Bob Rafelson | |
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings | Hal Barwood, and Matthew Robbins | |
The Ritz | Terrence McNally | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
The Bad News Bears | Bill Lancaster | |
Murder by Death | Neil Simon | |
Next Stop, Greenwich Village | Paul Mazursky | |
Silent Movie | Mel Brooks, Ron Clark, Rudy De Luca, and Barry Levinson | |
Silver Streak | Colin Higgins | |
1977 (30th)[31] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Oh, God! ‡ | Larry Gelbart | |
The Spy Who Loved Me | Christopher Wood, and Richard Maibaum | |
Semi-Tough | Walter Bernstein | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Annie Hall | Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman | |
Star Wars | George Lucas | |
Slap Shot | Nancy Dowd | |
The Goodbye Girl | Neil Simon | |
1978 (31st)[32] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Heaven Can Wait ‡ | Elaine May, and Warren Beatty | |
California Suite ‡ | Neil Simon | |
Same Time, Next Year ‡ | Bernard Slade | |
Superman | Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton | |
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? | Peter Stone | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Movie Movie | Larry Gelbart and Sheldon Keller | |
A Wedding | John Considine, Patricia Resnick, Allan F. Nicholls, and Robert Altman | |
Animal House | Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller | |
House Calls | Max Shulman, Julius J. Epstein, Alan Mandel, and Charles Shyer | |
Once in Paris... | Frank D. Gilroy | |
1979 (32nd)[33] | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | |
Being There | Jerzy Kosinski | |
Starting Over | James L. Brooks | |
A Little Romance ‡ | Allan Burns | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Breaking Away † | Steve Tesich | |
10 | Blake Edwards | |
Manhattan ‡ | Woody Allen, and Marshall Brickman |
1980s
Year | Nominees | Writer(s) |
---|---|---|
1980 (33rd)[34] | Best Comedy Adapted from Other Another Medium | |
Airplane! | Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker | |
Hopscotch | Brian Garfield, and Bryan Forbes | |
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | Leigh Brackett, and Lawrence Kasdan | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Private Benjamin † | Nancy Meyers, Harvey Miller, and Charles Shyer | |
Nine to Five | Coling Higgins, and Patricia Resnick | |
Return of the Secaucus | John Sayles | |
Stardust Memories | Woody Allen | |
1981 (34th)[35] | Best Comedy Adapted from Other Another Medium | |
Rich and Famous | Gerald Ayres | |
For Your Eyes Only' | Richard Maibaum, and Michael G. Wilson | |
First Monday in October | Jerome Lawrence, and Robert E. Lee | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Arthur ‡ | Steve Gordon | |
Raiders of the Lost Ark | Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, and Philip Kaufman | |
S.O.B. | Blake Edwards | |
The Four Seasons | Alan Alda | |
1982 (35th)[36] | Best Comedy Adapted from Other Another Medium | |
Victor Victoria ‡ | Blake Edwards | |
Fast Times at Ridgemont High | Cameron Crowe | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
Tootsie ‡ | Don McGuire, Larry Gelbart, and Murray Schisgal | |
Diner | Barry Levinson | |
My Favorite Year | Norman Steinberg, and Dennis Palumbo | |
1983 (36th)[37] | Best Comedy Adapted from Other Another Medium | |
Terms of Endearment † | James L. Brooks | |
A Christmas Story | Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark | |
To Be or Not to Be | Thomas Meehan, and Ronny Graham | |
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | ||
The Big Chill ‡ | Lawrence Kasdan, and Barbara Benedek | |
Risky Business | Paul Brickman | |
Zelig | Woody Allen |
References
- ^ "Writers Guild Awards Winners 1995-1949". awards.wga.org. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1949)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1950)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1951)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1952)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1953)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1954)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1955)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1956)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1957)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1958)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1959)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1960)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1961)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1962)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1963)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1964)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1965)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1966)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1967)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1968)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1969)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1970)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1971)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1972)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1973)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1974)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1975)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1976)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1977)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1978)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1979)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1980)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1981)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1982)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1983)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Writers Guild of America, USA (1983)". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
External links
- WGA.org