David Giler
Encyclopedia
David Giler is an American filmmaker who has been active in the motion picture industry since the early 1960s.
He started his career as a writer, providing scripts for television programs such as Kraft Suspense Theatre and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
. He then moved to screenplays in the 70's, helping to write films such as The Parallax View
and the original version of Fun With Dick and Jane
.
He produced his first film in 1970, the critically reviled Myra Breckinridge
, an adaptation of Gore Vidal's controversial novel (he also co-wrote the film with director Michael Sarne).
He then helped Walter Hill produce the legendary horror thriller Alien
in 1979, and it is for this film that he is probably best remembered. He and Hill became embroiled in a much-publicized behind-the-scenes fight with Aliens original writer, Dan O'Bannon
, over who was to receive screenplay credit. Giler and Hill claim that they completely rewrote the script from top to bottom, and therefore they wanted to relegate O'Bannon to a "story by" credit only. O'Bannon claims that they did little more than change the names of the characters and dialogue, and felt that the two were trying to bully him out of the more prestigious screenplay credit. As evidenced by the interviews on the supplemental DVD features, the two parties were extremely antagonistic when it comes to this topic (O'Bannon has since died), though O'Bannon was the only one to receive credit for the screenplay in the final film. The various drafts can be found online, allowing audiences to decide for themselves.
Giler worked with Hill on several more projects, including the continuation of the Alien franchise. The two were responsible for the final and very controversial rewrite of the Alien 3 story which killed off the Bishop, Hicks and Newt characters from Aliens
. Some of the films that he wrote during this period include The Money Pit
, Southern Comfort
, and an uncredited rewrite for Beverly Hills Cop II
.
He has also directed one film, The Black Bird
(1975).
He started his career as a writer, providing scripts for television programs such as Kraft Suspense Theatre and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
. He then moved to screenplays in the 70's, helping to write films such as The Parallax View
The Parallax View
The Parallax View is a 1974 American thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn and William Daniels. The film was adapted by David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr and an uncredited Robert Towne from the 1970 novel by Loren Singer...
and the original version of Fun With Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle-class couple who lose their jobs, fall through the cracks of society in the United States and then become high-class thieves to get back all they lost. The comedy was directed by Ted Kotcheff and...
.
He produced his first film in 1970, the critically reviled Myra Breckinridge
Myra Breckinridge (film)
Myra Breckinridge is a 1970 American campy comedy film, based on Gore Vidal's 1968 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Michael Sarne, with Raquel Welch in the title role. It also starred John Huston as Buck Loner, Mae West as Leticia Van Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, Roger Herren,...
, an adaptation of Gore Vidal's controversial novel (he also co-wrote the film with director Michael Sarne).
He then helped Walter Hill produce the legendary horror thriller Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
in 1979, and it is for this film that he is probably best remembered. He and Hill became embroiled in a much-publicized behind-the-scenes fight with Aliens original writer, Dan O'Bannon
Dan O'Bannon
Daniel Thomas "Dan" O'Bannon was an American motion picture screenwriter, director and occasional actor, usually in the science fiction and horror genres.-Early life and career:...
, over who was to receive screenplay credit. Giler and Hill claim that they completely rewrote the script from top to bottom, and therefore they wanted to relegate O'Bannon to a "story by" credit only. O'Bannon claims that they did little more than change the names of the characters and dialogue, and felt that the two were trying to bully him out of the more prestigious screenplay credit. As evidenced by the interviews on the supplemental DVD features, the two parties were extremely antagonistic when it comes to this topic (O'Bannon has since died), though O'Bannon was the only one to receive credit for the screenplay in the final film. The various drafts can be found online, allowing audiences to decide for themselves.
Giler worked with Hill on several more projects, including the continuation of the Alien franchise. The two were responsible for the final and very controversial rewrite of the Alien 3 story which killed off the Bishop, Hicks and Newt characters from Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
. Some of the films that he wrote during this period include The Money Pit
The Money Pit
The Money Pit is a 1986 comedy film and remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Directed by Richard Benjamin and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who attempt to renovate a recently purchased house. The Money Pit was filmed in New...
, Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort (film)
Southern Comfort is an American action/thriller film directed by Walter Hill, working from a script by Hill, longtime collaborator David Giler, and Michael Kane. It featured Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Alan Autry, Les Lannom, Peter Coyote, T. K...
, and an uncredited rewrite for Beverly Hills Cop II
Beverly Hills Cop II
Beverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott. It is the first sequel in the Beverly Hills Cop series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring...
.
He has also directed one film, The Black Bird
The Black Bird
The Black Bird is a 1975 film released December 25, 1975 starring George Segal and Stephane Audran. It is a comedy sequel to the well-regarded 1941 film version of The Maltese Falcon with Segal playing Sam Spade's son, Sam Spade Jr and Elisha Cook Jr...
(1975).
Filmography
- The Gallant MenThe Gallant MenThe Gallant Men is a 1962-1963 ABC television series which depicted an infantry company of American soldiers fighting their way through Italy in World War II.-Description:...
(1962) (TV) - Kraft Suspense TheatreKraft Suspense TheatreKraft Suspense Theatre, an anthology series, was telecast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall specials once monthly...
(1964) (TV) - Burke's LawBurke's LawBurke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud...
(1965) (TV) - The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E.The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
(1967) (TV) - The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. is an American spy-fi TV series that aired on NBC for one season from September 16, 1966 to April 11, 1967. The series was a spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and used the same theme music composed by Jerry Goldsmith, which was rearranged into a slightly different,...
(1967) (TV) - The Bold OnesThe Bold OnesThe Bold Ones is the umbrella title for several television series. It was produced by Universal Television and broadcast on NBC from 1969 to 1973...
(1969) (TV) - Myra BreckinridgeMyra BreckinridgeMyra Breckinridge is a 1968 satirical novel by Gore Vidal written in the form of a diary. It was made into a movie in 1970. Described by the critic Dennis Altman as "part of a major cultural assault on the assumed norms of gender and sexuality which swept the western world in the late 1960s and...
(with Michael Sarne) (1970) - The Parallax ViewThe Parallax ViewThe Parallax View is a 1974 American thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn and William Daniels. The film was adapted by David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr and an uncredited Robert Towne from the 1970 novel by Loren Singer...
(with Lorenzo Semple Jr.Lorenzo Semple Jr.Lorenzo Semple Jr. is an American screenwriter and sometime playwright, best known for his work on the campy television series Batman and the political/paranoia movie thrillers The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor .-Early work:Semple's writing career started in 1951, as a short story...
) (1974) - The Black BirdThe Black BirdThe Black Bird is a 1975 film released December 25, 1975 starring George Segal and Stephane Audran. It is a comedy sequel to the well-regarded 1941 film version of The Maltese Falcon with Segal playing Sam Spade's son, Sam Spade Jr and Elisha Cook Jr...
(1975) (also Director) - Fun with Dick and JaneFun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle-class couple who lose their jobs, fall through the cracks of society in the United States and then become high-class thieves to get back all they lost. The comedy was directed by Ted Kotcheff and...
(with Jerry BelsonJerry BelsonJerry Belson was a writer, director, and producer of Hollywood films for over forty years.Belson's writing credits include the Steven Spielberg films Always and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, several episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and I Spy...
and Mordecai RichlerMordecai RichlerMordecai Richler, CC was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. A leading critic called him "the great shining star of his Canadian literary generation" and a pivotal figure in the country's history. His best known works are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version,...
) (1977) - Southern ComfortSouthern Comfort (film)Southern Comfort is an American action/thriller film directed by Walter Hill, working from a script by Hill, longtime collaborator David Giler, and Michael Kane. It featured Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Alan Autry, Les Lannom, Peter Coyote, T. K...
(with Michael KaneMichael KaneMichael Kane may refer to:* Michael Kane , American soccer player* Michael F. Kane , Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives* Michael Kane , Canadian actor.-See also:...
and Walter Hill) (1981) - The Money PitThe Money PitThe Money Pit is a 1986 comedy film and remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Directed by Richard Benjamin and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who attempt to renovate a recently purchased house. The Money Pit was filmed in New...
(1986) - Aliens (with James CameronJames CameronJames Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
and Walter Hill) (1986) (Story Only) - Beverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott. It is the first sequel in the Beverly Hills Cop series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring...
(1987) (uncredited) - Alien 3 (with Walter Hill and Larry Ferguson) (1992)
- Undisputed (with Walter Hill) (2002)