David Newman (February 4, 1937 – June 27, 2003) was an American

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s he frequently collaborated with

Robert Benton Robert Douglas Benton (September 29, 1932 – May 11, 2025) was an American film director and screenwriter. He, along with his co-writer David Newman, was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1967 film '' Bonnie and Clyd ...

. He was married to fellow writer

Leslie Newman Leslie Newman (1938 – c. 2021) was a screenwriter who co-wrote the first three ''Superman (film series), Superman'' films with husband David Newman (screenwriter), David Newman, who died in 2003. She was born in 1939, in the United States. Th ...

, with whom he had two children, until his death in 2003 from a stroke.

Career

Newman studied at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. He went to work at ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'' magazine where he met Robert Benton. The two of them wrote ''Bonnie and Clyde'' which made them highly in demand in Hollywood. From the University of Michigan ''GARGAlum Newsletter'', 2002: "David Newman, 1958 University of Michigan humor magazine Gargoyle editor, has been nominated for the Academy Award, won the New York Film Critics Award, the National Society of Film Critics Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards for various screen plays including '' Bonnie & Clyde'' nd''

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

'' … among many others. David received his BA and MA at U of M where he twice won the Avery Hopwood Award. David became an editor at ''Esquire Magazine''. He co-created the Dubious Achievement Awards. He took pride in having coined the phrase: 'Why is this man laughing?' and wished he had copyrighted it." When Benton became a director, Newman started collaborating with his wife Leslie."With the Walkout Over, Writers David and Leslie Newman Strike Up 'Superman III'" By Fred Bernstein ''People Magazine'' July 27, 1981
accessed 26 Oct 2014

Works

Films

Theatrical stage

References

External links

* American male screenwriters 1937 births 2003 deaths American film producers University of Michigan alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters Hugo Award–winning writers {{US-screen-writer-1930s-stub