Andrew Bergman


Director, Screenwriter
Andrew Bergman

About

Also Known As
Warren Bogle
Birth Place
Queens, New York, USA
Born
February 20, 1945

Biography

Crowned "The Unknown King of Comedy" by NEW YORK magazine in 1985, this former publicist and aspiring academic entered film comedy writing at the very highest level. The 26-year-old Bergman, having penned a 90-page treatment about a black militant cowboy entitled "Tex X," found himself collaborating with Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks on what would become the screenplay of "Blazing Saddles...

Family & Companions

Louise Bergman
Wife

Bibliography

"We're In the Money: Depression America and Its Films"
Andrew Bergman, New York University Press (1971)
"The Big Kiss-Off of 1944"
Andrew Bergman
"Hollywood and Levine"
Andrew Bergman
"Social Security"
Andrew Bergman

Biography

Crowned "The Unknown King of Comedy" by NEW YORK magazine in 1985, this former publicist and aspiring academic entered film comedy writing at the very highest level. The 26-year-old Bergman, having penned a 90-page treatment about a black militant cowboy entitled "Tex X," found himself collaborating with Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks on what would become the screenplay of "Blazing Saddles" (1974). Bergman received the sole writing credit for "The In-Laws" (1979), a wacky hit starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. PREMIERE writer Andy Webster observed that the comedy writer's work on that project "established his metier: fast-paced farces depicting middlebrow protagonists trapped in extreme situations." Bergman scripted and made his directorial debut with "So Fine" (1981), a sometimes boldly silly Ryan O'Neal vehicle about a professor who conquers the garment industry with an idea for see-through jeans. Bergman's screenplay for Michael Ritchie's popular comic mystery "Fletch" (1985) provided a superior showcase for Chevy Chase. He again served as a writer-director with "The Freshman" (1990), an engaging and well-received comedy starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick.

Bergman formed Lobell/Bergman Productions with Michael Lobell in the mid-1980s. In addition to Bergman's projects, they have released several family-oriented adventures ("The Journey of Natty Gann" 1985; "White Fang" 1991) and comedies ("Chances Are" 1989; "Little Big League" 1994) with Bergman sometimes serving as an executive producer. His recent film works include the screenplay for the modestly successful "Soapdish" (1991), writing and directing "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992), and helming "It Could Happen to You (1994), the latter two comedies both starring Nicholas Cage.

Bergman earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Wisconsin. His dissertation, a study of Depression-era Hollywood films, was published by NYU Press under the title "We're In the Money: Depression America and Its Films" in 1971 and subsequently reprinted in paperback by Harper and Row. Bergman's knowledge of 1930s screwball comedy doubtlessly influenced the "old-fashioned genre entertainment" feel of many of his films and more particularly the populist optimism conveyed by "Little Big League" and "It Could Happen to You." He has also written several mystery novels and a Broadway comedy, "Social Security."

Life Events

1974

Feature film co-writing debut (with Richard Pryor and director Mel Brooks), "Blazing Saddles" (also story)

1979

Feature solo writing debut, "The In-Laws"

1981

Feature directing debut (also writer), "So Fine"

1985

First film produced for own production company, Bergman/Lobell Productions (with Michael Lobell), "The Journey of Natty Gann"

1986

Credited as Warren Bogle for producing and co-writing (with director John Cassavetes), "Big Trouble"

1987

TV debut, wrote and co-executive produced (with Lobell) TV sitcom pilot, "Mickey and Nora"

1991

First film credited as producer (co-executive with Lobell), "White Fang"

2000

Directed the Jacqueline Susann biopic "Isn't She Great"

Videos

Movie Clip

Freshman, The (1990) -- (Movie Clip) Carmine Said One Boy Having just delivered the komodo dragon to New Jersey for the gangster-y Marlon Brando, NYU freshmen Clark and Steve (Matthew Broderick, Frank Whaley) meet Edward (B.D. Wong) and Maximilian Schell as kooky Larry London, and discover the menagerie no one had mentioned, in writer-director Andrew Bergman’s The Freshman, 1990.
Freshman, The (1990) -- (Movie Clip) It Ain't Tony Bennett! New NYU film-school freshman Clark (Matthew Broderick) arrives in Little Italy and meets Victor (Bruno Kirby), who’s trying to make up for stealing and losing all his money, and who has promised him a job with his uncle Carmine (Marlon Brando), revealing the central joke, in writer-director Andrew Bergman’s The Freshman, 1990.
Freshman, The (1990) -- (Movie Clip) The Glue Of Society Arrived at Grand Central Station from Vermont, headed downtown to NYU, matriculating Clark (Matthew Broderick) meets Victor (Bruno Kirby), early in writer-director Andrew Bergman’s hybrid comedy hit The Freshman, 1990, co-starring Marlon Brando, Maximilian Schell and Penelope Ann Miller.
Freshman, The (1990) -- (Movie Clip) Guns And Provolone In his NYU film class, Clark (Matthew Broderick) is studying The Godfather: Part II, 1974, just after he’s been hired by Carmine Sabatini (played by Marlon Brando), who he’s been told was the basis for the Vito Corleone character, writer-director Andrew Bergman’s joke being about Paul Benedict as the pompous professor Fleeber, in The Freshman, 1990.
Freshman, The (1990) -- (Movie Clip) The Son I Never Had Back at the Llittle Italy social club, NYU freshman Clark (Matthew Broderick) had intended to quit his job transporting endangered species for Godfather-like Carmine (Marlon Brando), but discovers he’s now engaged to his daughter, and receiving a gift, Bruno Kirby the nephew Victor, in The Freshman, 1990.
Freshman, The (1990) -- (Movie Clip) It's Safe Here In Queens? Though visiting Queens was not mentioned in earlier scenes, NYU film school freshman Clark (Matthew Broderick), who because he’s broke has agreed to make a lucrative delivery for the uncannily Godfather-like Carmine Sabatini (Marlon Brando) arrives to get his car and is plausibly transfixed by Penelope Ann Miller as daughter Tina, in The Freshman, 1990.

Trailer

Family

Rudy Bergman
Father
Journalist, comedy writer. Wrote a radio and TV column for the New York "Daily News"; wrote for Victor Borge among others; introduced Bergman to Borge, Ernie Kovacs, and Bob and Ray.

Companions

Louise Bergman
Wife

Bibliography

"We're In the Money: Depression America and Its Films"
Andrew Bergman, New York University Press (1971)
"The Big Kiss-Off of 1944"
Andrew Bergman
"Hollywood and Levine"
Andrew Bergman
"Social Security"
Andrew Bergman
"Sleepless Nights"
Andrew Bergman