Nancy Dowd (born 1945) is an Academy Award-winning

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 ...

whose credits include the films '' Slap Shot'' and '' Coming Home''.

Early life and education

Dowd was born in

Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston ...

, the daughter of wealthy

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plant operator. She graduated from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

and spent her junior year at the Sorbonne. At Smith she became friends with Molly Ivins, to whom she would later send copies of her screenplays for Ivins to read. After graduation she taught English in Tokyo and worked for a time as a beer hall hostess. She later attended the UCLA Film School earning a master's degree, and worked as a student assistant to the director

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor ( ; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

Career

Dowd's first screenplay, commissioned by Jane Fonda, was an antiwar story about a returning Vietnam War veteran titled "Buffalo Ghost." The script was turned over to

Waldo Salt Waldo Miller Salt (October 18, 1914 – March 7, 1987) was an American screenwriter. He wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplays for ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969) and ''Coming Home (1978 film), Coming Home'' (1978). Early life and career S ...

and was filmed as '' Coming Home''. In a 1977 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' interview, Dowd called the new version of the screenplay "terrible." Her brother Ned Dowd inspired the story behind ''Slap Shot'' based on his experiences playing minor league hockey. Ned and his wife, Nancy N. Dowd, both appeared in the film. She wrote lyrics for a song used in '' Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains'', another film she wrote. Dowd often uses

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

s such as Rob Morton or Ernest Morton, or simply writes films without being officially credited.

Filmography

*'' F.T.A.'' (1972) (Documentary) *'' Slap Shot'' (1977) *'' Coming Home'' (with

and Robert C. Jones) (1978) *'' Straight Time'' (1978) (uncredited) *'' North Dallas Forty'' (1979) (uncredited) *''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' (1980–1981) (TV) *''

Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American Tragedy, tragedy film directed by Robert Redford in his List of directorial debuts, feature directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the Ordinary People (Guest novel), 1976 novel by ...

'' (1980) (uncredited) *'' Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains'' (1982) (as "Rob Morton") *''Love'' (1982) (writer and director of segment "For Life") *'' Cloak & Dagger'' (1984) (uncredited) *'' Swing Shift'' (1984) (as "Rob Morton") *'' White Nights'' (1985) (uncredited) *'' Happy New Year'' (1987) (as "Warren Lane") *'' Let It Ride'' (1989) (as "Ernest Morton")

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dowd, Nancy 1945 births Living people Screenwriters from Massachusetts Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners People from Framingham, Massachusetts American women screenwriters 21st-century American women UCLA Film School alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners