William Goldman

William Weil Goldman (August 12, 1931 - November 16, 2018) was a writer who wrote The Princess Bride and the screenplay for its 1987 film adaptation.

Trivia

 * The book's prologue centers around a fictionalized version of Goldman in first-person narrative.
 * In the 1987 film, his character is turned into a sick grandson.
 * In the prologue, the fictional Goldman mentions events in Goldman's actual life:
 * Goldman grew up in Highland Park, Illinois, north of Chicago, and lived in New York City.
 * Goldman served as a corporal in the Army at Fort Sheridan.
 * Goldman was discharged from the Army in September 1954, and a fellow soldier told him that they were screening Gunga Din: Goldman's favorite film. Goldman snuck back onto the base, dressed in uniform, and watched the film.
 * Goldman's first book, The Temple of Gold, was published in 1957.
 * Goldman worked for the publishing company Harper Brace Jovanovich; his editor was Hiram Haydn.
 * He even dedicates the book to Hiram Haydn.
 * Goldman wrote the book Boys and Girls Together in 1964.
 * Goldman wrote the script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969.
 * He even says in the book, "When I die, if the Times gives me an obit, it's going to be because of Butch."
 * Goldman wrote the script for The Stepford Wives, which was theatrically released in 1975.
 * In the prologue, Goldman claims that he abridged S. Morgenstern's classic story. Morgenstern is actually a fictional author, created as a framing device for the story.
 * Goldman died from pneumonia and colon cancer in 2018, at the age of 87.
 * Goldman's fictionalized counterpart is sick with pneumonia as a child.