6 Classic Movie Screenwriters Who Became Iconic Directors

Throughout the history of classic cinema, some of the most influential directors began their careers as screenwriters, mastering the art of storytelling before establishing themselves as a captivating force behind the camera. Their deep understanding of narrative structure, character development, and dialogue allowed them to effortlessly bring a story from the page to life on the silver screen, giving them a unique advantage that ultimately set them apart from other filmmakers at the time.

By combining literary skill with cinematic vision, they demonstrated that exceptional storytelling could transcend the boundaries between writing and directing, leaving a lasting impact on the art and craft of filmmaking. From the sharp wit of Billy Wilder to the visionary creativity of Preston Sturges and the sophisticated storytelling of Joseph L. Mankiewicz, these are seven screenwriter-turned-legendary directors who shaped Hollywood’s classic era with some of the greatest movies ever made, making them cinematic icons in their own right.

6

Federico Fellini

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Federico Fellini is recognized as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, known for his distinct blend of fantasy and Western-style imagery with practical realism. Born in Rimini, Italy, Fellini published his first article in 1939 for an Italian satirical magazine, Marc’Aurelio, and shortly after, he joined the outlet’s editorial board before writing sketches and gags for radio programs. After the liberation of Italy in 1944, Fellini became involved in the Italian Neorealism movement when he met Roberto Rossellini, who asked him to contribute to the script for his upcoming war drama, Rome, Open City, which earned Fellini his first Oscar nomination.

Fellini made his solo directorial debut in 1952 with the romantic comedy, The White Sheik, which earned poor reviews, but two years later, he earned his first major break after the release of La Strada, elevating his career as an up-and-coming filmmaker and screenwriter to new heights. The Italian filmmaker went on to deliver a string of notable films, including La Dolce Vita, Nights of Cabiria, and 8½, which was listed by Sight and Sound magazine as the tenth-greatest movie of all time. Throughout his career, Fellini earned seventeen Academy Award nominations and still holds the record for the most Oscar wins in the Best International Feature Film category, winning four. In 1993, Fellini received an honorary award for Lifetime Achievement at the 65th Academy Awards, solidifying him as one of the world’s greatest filmmakers.

5

Akira Kurosawa

Image via Kurosawa Production Co.

Akira Kurosawa is a Japanese filmmaker who became known for his bold and dynamic style of cinema that, despite being heavily influenced by Western cinema, still managed to forge his own vision on the big screen. Kurosawa was born in Tokyo, Japan, and initially wanted to be an artist, but when his work failed to financially support him, he joined the Japanese film industry in 1936. After working as an assistant director, Kurosawa’s mentor and director, Kajirō Yamamoto, advised him that the key to being a great director is to master the script, leading Kurosawa to not only co-write all of his future scripts but also pen screenplays for other directors.

Kurosawa made his directorial debut in 1943 with the action film, Sanshiro Sugata, and in 1948, he established himself as one of the most important young filmmakers in Japan with Drunken Angel. In 1951, Kurosawa’s Rashomon won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and the film’s overwhelming critical and commercial success opened Western film markets to Japanese films for the first time. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Kurosawa made at least one film per year, many of which are among his finest films, including the inspiration for George Lucas‘ Star Wars, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, and Seven Samurai, which served as the blueprint for the classic 1960 Western, The Magnificent Seven, starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Eli Wallach.

4

Preston Sturges

Image via PBS

Preston Sturges is recognized as the first screenwriter to successfully transition to the director’s chair and was also the first to be credited on screen as both writer and director in a talking picture. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Sturges worked on the Broadway circuit and occasionally performed on stage in bit parts. He made his playwriting debut in 1929 with the comedy, The Guinea Pig, which marked a crucial turning point, leading him to become a promising writer on the rise. By the 1930s, Sturges was mainly working short contracts as a writer-for-hire in Hollywood, but in 1939, he took a major risk by being the first to offer to sell his original story, The Great McGinty, to Paramount Pictures in exchange for a chance to direct.

The Great McGinty was a massive success and earned Sturges the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, making him the first recipient of the award. After proving his worth as an effective writer and director, Sturges continued to thrive throughout the 1940s with classic comedies such as The Lady Eve, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, Hail the Conquering Hero, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and perhaps his most famous film, Sullivan’s Travels, starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake.

3

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Joseph L. Mankiewicz is a four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker who was known to be an actor’s director, working with a string of notable stars, including Bette Davis, Gene Tierney, Humphrey Bogart, and Elizabeth Taylor, on some of their most defining performances. Born in Pennsylvania, Mankiewicz attended Columbia University and, after graduating in 1928, he moved to Europe, where he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. After some convincing by his older brother, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Mankiewicz moved back to the States and was hired by Paramount Pictures as a dialogue writer before eventually moving into screenwriting and producing.

By the mid-1940s, Mankiewicz had started working for Twentieth Century Fox and made his directorial debut in 1946 with the period drama Dragonwyck, which led to him directing a wide range of different films for the studio. Mankiewicz went on to make Oscar history after consecutively winning in 1950 and 1951 for both Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for A Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve. In 1963, Mankiewicz wrote and directed the epic historical drama, Cleopatra, which, despite its mixed reviews and failure to turn a profit, went on to win several Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction.

2

John Huston

Legendary actor, writer, and director John Huston ranks as one of the most prolific filmmakers of Hollywood’s Golden Age, earning fourteen Oscar nominations throughout his extensive career of almost five decades. He was known for his uncanny attention to detail, innovative filming techniques, and sketching scenes beforehand, and then carefully framing his characters during filming. Born in Missouri, Huston was fascinated by movies and initially wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Walter Huston, and pursue a career in acting. After a brief stint performing on stage, he traveled to Mexico in 1929, where he began writing short stories and plays.

By 1937, Huston had moved back to Los Angeles and had landed a job as a screenwriter for Warner Bros. Studios and co-wrote a string of notable films, including Jezebel, Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet, and Sergeant York. Huston made his directorial debut in 1941 with the greatest detective noir of all time, The Maltese Falcon, which was both a major commercial and critical success. Today, the film is widely recognized as one of the most influential and defining contributions to the classic film noir genre. Huston went on to flourish as an imaginative filmmaker for Warner Bros., writing and directing an abundance of iconic classics such as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which earned Huston his first and only Oscar wins for Best Screenplay and Best Director, The Asphalt Jungle, Key Largo, and The African Queen.

1

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder was a genre-hopping filmmaker and six-time Oscar winner known for boldly tackling controversial issues, challenging societal norms, and pushing the boundaries of cinema to new territory. Wilder was born in Austria—Hungary and initially worked as a journalist in Vienna before moving to Berlin, where he worked as a screenwriter and co-directed his first film, Bad Seed. In 1934, Wilder moved to the United States and earned his first major break by co-writing the classic comedy, Ninotchka, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, which earned him his first Oscar nomination.

Wilder made his American directorial debut in 1942 with The Major and the Minor, and three years later, he won his first Academy Award for both Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for The Lost Weekend, starring Ray Milland. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Wilder delivered countless comedies, such as The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, and The Apartment, which won three Oscars, notably earning Wilder his first and only win for Best Picture. While he was the undisputed master of comedy, Wilder still maintained his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most versatile filmmakers with other noteworthy films, including Ace in the Hole, Witness for the Prosecution, and Sunset Boulevard, which won Wilder his second Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Sunset Boulevard

Release Date

August 10, 1950

Runtime

110 Minutes

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  William Holden

  Joe Gillis

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  Gloria Swanson

  Norma Desmond