William D. Wittliff
Encyclopedia
William D. Wittliff sometimes credited as Bill Wittliff, is an award winning American
screenwriter
, author and photographer who wrote the screenplay
s for The Perfect Storm
(2000), Barbarosa
(1982), Raggedy Man
(1981) and many others.
Wittliff was born in Taft, Texas
and moved to Blanco
as a teenager. He studied journalism
at the University of Texas at Austin
and worked for a publishing house in Austin
and was business and production manager for the Southern Methodist University Press
in Dallas
. In 1964, he started his own publishing house, Encino Press. The last book from the Encino Press was Blue & Some Other Dogs by John Graves
, issued in 1981.
Wittliff wrote Country
(1984) and the film would have been his directorial
debut, but he quit after his cinematographer was fired.
Wittliff met Willie Nelson
in the late 1970's and he was a writer on Honeysuckle Rose
(1980) and Barbarosa
(1982), which both starred Nelson. Wittliff agreed to write a script based on Nelson's album
Red Headed Stranger
(1975). Wittliff finished a draft in 1979 and Universal Studios
green-lighted the film with a budget of $14 million. The studio wanted Robert Redford
to play the "Red Headed Stranger," a role Nelson had envisioned for himself. Redford turned the part down and Nelson and Wittliff gave back their advances
to buy the script back. Wittliff went on to direct and co-produce (along with Nelson) the film Red Headed Stranger
(1986).
Wittliff wrote screenplays for the Lonesome Dove
mini-series (1989) for which he won a Writers Guild of America Award
in 1990 for Season 1, Episode 1: "Leaving." and a Bronze Wrangler
award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
. In 1995, he won another Bronze Wrangler for Legends of the Fall
(1994).
Wittliff's photography work is included in the books Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy (2004), La Vida Brinca (2006), and A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove (2007).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, author and photographer who wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s for The Perfect Storm
The Perfect Storm (film)
The Perfect Storm is a 2000 dramatic disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is an adaptation of the 1997 non-fiction book of the same title by Sebastian Junger about the crew of the Andrea Gail that got caught in the Perfect Storm of 1991. The film stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg,...
(2000), Barbarosa
Barbarosa
Barbarosa is a 1982 motion picture starring Willie Nelson and Gary Busey, about a young cowboy on the run from the law who hooks up with a famous bandito and learns about life from him...
(1982), Raggedy Man
Raggedy Man
Raggedy Man is a 1981 film starring Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek. Itwas filmed in Lockhart, Texas. The story is about people in the small Texas town of Gregory during World War II....
(1981) and many others.
Wittliff was born in Taft, Texas
Taft, Texas
Taft is a city in San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,396 at the 2000 census. The city is served by Taft Independent School District.-Geography:Taft is located at ....
and moved to Blanco
Blanco, Texas
Blanco is a city in Blanco County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,205 at the 2010 census. The region Devil's Backbone is located nearby in the colorful Texas Hill Country....
as a teenager. He studied journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and worked for a publishing house in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and was business and production manager for the Southern Methodist University Press
Southern Methodist University Press
Southern Methodist University Press is a university press that is part of Southern Methodist University. It was established in 1937 and is the oldest academic publisher in Texas. The press releases eight to ten titles each year and is known for its literary fiction. It is scheduled to suspend...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. In 1964, he started his own publishing house, Encino Press. The last book from the Encino Press was Blue & Some Other Dogs by John Graves
John Graves (author)
John Graves is a Texas writer best known for his book Goodbye to a River.As a child growing up in Fort Worth and at his grandfather's ranch in Cuero, Graves was keenly interested in the landscape around him. He graduated from Rice Institute in 1942...
, issued in 1981.
Wittliff wrote Country
Country (film)
Country is a 1984 American film which follows the trials and tribulations of a rural family as they struggle to hold onto their farm during the trying economic times experienced by family farms in 1980s America. The film was written by William D. Wittliff and stars real-life couple Jessica Lange...
(1984) and the film would have been his directorial
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
debut, but he quit after his cinematographer was fired.
Wittliff met Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
in the late 1970's and he was a writer on Honeysuckle Rose
Honeysuckle Rose (film)
Honeysuckle Rose is a 1980 romantic drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Willie Nelson, Dyan Cannon and Amy Irving.-Plot:...
(1980) and Barbarosa
Barbarosa
Barbarosa is a 1982 motion picture starring Willie Nelson and Gary Busey, about a young cowboy on the run from the law who hooks up with a famous bandito and learns about life from him...
(1982), which both starred Nelson. Wittliff agreed to write a script based on Nelson's album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Red Headed Stranger
Red Headed Stranger
Red Headed Stranger is a 1975 album by American outlaw country singer Willie Nelson. After the wide success of his recordings with Atlantic records, Nelson signed a contract with Columbia Records, a label that gave him total creative control over his works...
(1975). Wittliff finished a draft in 1979 and Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
green-lighted the film with a budget of $14 million. The studio wanted Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
to play the "Red Headed Stranger," a role Nelson had envisioned for himself. Redford turned the part down and Nelson and Wittliff gave back their advances
Advance payment
An advance payment, or simply an advance, is the part of a contractually due sum that is paid in advance for goods or services, while the balance included in the invoice will only follow the delivery. It is called a prepaid expense in accrual accounting.-See also:*Advance against royalties*Pay or...
to buy the script back. Wittliff went on to direct and co-produce (along with Nelson) the film Red Headed Stranger
Red Headed Stranger (film)
Red Headed Stranger is a 1986 American western drama film written and directed by William D. Wittliff. The film stars Willie Nelson and Morgan Fairchild. It is based on Nelson's album Red Headed Stranger .-Plot:...
(1986).
Wittliff wrote screenplays for the Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
mini-series (1989) for which he won a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
in 1990 for Season 1, Episode 1: "Leaving." and a Bronze Wrangler
Bronze Wrangler
The Bronze Wrangler is an award presented annually by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to honor the top works in Western music, film, television and literature.The awards were first presented in 1961...
award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with more than 28,000 Western and American Indian art works and artifacts. The facility also has the world's most extensive collection of American rodeo, photographs, barbed wire, saddlery, and early rodeo trophies...
. In 1995, he won another Bronze Wrangler for Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall is a 1994 epic drama film based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison. It was directed by Edward Zwick and stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction , and Best...
(1994).
Wittliff's photography work is included in the books Vaquero: Genesis of the Texas Cowboy (2004), La Vida Brinca (2006), and A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove (2007).