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Paddy Chayefsky

Updated: 12/11/2025, 9:10:07 AM Wikipedia source

Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (; January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both Adapted and Original screenplays. He was one of the most renowned dramatists of the Golden Age of Television. His intimate, realistic scripts provided a naturalistic style of television drama for the 1950s, dramatizing the lives of ordinary Americans. Martin Gottfried wrote in All His Jazz that Chayefsky was "the most successful graduate of television's slice of life school of naturalism." Following his critically acclaimed teleplays, Chayefsky became a noted playwright and novelist. As a screenwriter, he received three Academy Awards for Marty (1955), The Hospital (1971) and Network (1976). The movie Marty was based on his own television drama about two lonely people finding love. Network was a satire of the television industry and The Hospital was also satiric. Film historian David Thomson called The Hospital "years ahead of its time. … Few films capture the disaster of America's self-destructive idealism so well." His screenplay for Network is often regarded as his masterpiece, and has been hailed as "the kind of literate, darkly funny and breathtakingly prescient material that prompts many to claim it as the greatest screenplay of the 20th century." Chayefsky's early stories were frequently influenced by the author's childhood in The Bronx. Chayefsky was part of the inaugural class of inductees into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Television Hall of Fame. He received this honor three years after his death, in 1984.

Infobox

Born
Sidney Aaron Chayefsky(1923-01-29)January 29, 1923New York City, U.S.
Died
August 1, 1981(1981-08-01) (aged 58)New York City, U.S.
Resting place
Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York
Alma mater
City College of New York (1943)
Occupations
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Years active
1944–1980
Spouse
mw- Susan Sackler Chayefsky (m. 1949)
Children
1

Tables

· Accolades › Academy Awards
1956
Best Adapted Screenplay
Role(s)
Marty
Notes
Won
1959
Best Original Screenplay
Role(s)
The Goddess
Notes
Nominated
1972
Best Original Screenplay
Role(s)
The Hospital
Notes
Won
1977
Best Original Screenplay
Role(s)
Network
Notes
Won
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1956
Best Adapted Screenplay
Marty
Won
1959
Best Original Screenplay
The Goddess
Nominated
1972
Best Original Screenplay
The Hospital
Won
1977
Best Original Screenplay
Network
Won
· Accolades › BAFTA Awards
1973
Best Screenplay
Role(s)
The Hospital
Notes
Won
1978
Best Screenplay
Role(s)
Network
Notes
Nominated
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1973
Best Screenplay
The Hospital
Won
1978
Best Screenplay
Network
Nominated
· Accolades › Golden Globe Awards
1972
Best Screenplay
Role(s)
The Hospital
Notes
Won
1977
Best Screenplay
Role(s)
Network
Notes
Won
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1972
Best Screenplay
The Hospital
Won
1977
Best Screenplay
Network
Won
· Accolades › Tony Awards
1960
Best Play
Role(s)
The Tenth Man
Notes
Nominated
1962
Best Play
Role(s)
Gideon
Notes
Nominated
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1960
Best Play
The Tenth Man
Nominated
1962
Best Play
Gideon
Nominated
· Accolades › Primetime Emmy Awards
1955
Best Written Dramatic Material
Role(s)
The Philco Television Playhouse
Notes
Nominated
1956
Best Original Teleplay Writing
Role(s)
The Catered Affair (Goodyear Television Playhouse)
Notes
Nominated
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1955
Best Written Dramatic Material
The Philco Television Playhouse
Nominated
1956
Best Original Teleplay Writing
The Catered Affair (Goodyear Television Playhouse)
Nominated
· Accolades › Writers Guild of America Awards
1956
Best Written Drama
Role(s)
Marty
Notes
Won
1972
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screenplay
Role(s)
The Hospital
Notes
Won
1977
Best Drama Written Directly for the Screenplay
Role(s)
Network
Notes
Won
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
1956
Best Written Drama
Marty
Won
1972
Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screenplay
The Hospital
Won
1977
Best Drama Written Directly for the Screenplay
Network
Won
· Accolades › Big Four (American film critics awards)
Association
Year
Category
Nominated work
Result
Ref.
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
1976
Best Screenplay
Network
Won
National Society of Film Critics
1976
Best Screenplay
2nd Place
New York Film Critics Circle
1976
Best Screenplay
Won

References

  1. Tied with Larry McMurtry and Peter Bogdanovich for The Last Picture Show
  2. Television Academy
    https://www.emmys.com/bios/paddy-chayefsky
  3. When Television Was Young
    https://archive.org/details/whentelevisionwa0000ruth
  4. Quote re Chayefsky, google.com; accessed June 29, 2015.
    https://books.google.com/books?id=g3uY59k0XNUC&pg=PA171
  5. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film
    https://archive.org/details/newbiographicald00thom
  6. "101 Greatest Screenplays"
    http://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-greatest-screenplays/list
  7. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/books/review/mad-as-hell-by-dave-itzkoff.html?_r=0
  8. THE COMIC DNA OF LUCILLE BALL: INTERPRETING THE ICON
    https://books.google.com/books?id=XqoqB6-9EhIC&q=Television%2520Hall%2520of%2520Fame%2520Paddy%2520Chayefsky%25201984&pg=PA59
  9. Considine, p. 3
  10. Considine, p. 5
  11. Considine, pp. 4–5
  12. Considine, p. 5-6
  13. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/02/obituaries/paddy-chayefsky-dead-at-58-playwright-won-three-oscars.html
  14. Considine, pp. 16–17
  15. Historical Dictionary of Contemporary American Theater: 1930–2010
  16. Considine, p. 20
  17. Considine, p. 17
  18. Considine, p. 18
  19. Considine 17, 40
  20. Considine, p. 23
  21. Considine, pp. 30–35
  22. Considine, p. 38
  23. American Screenwriters: Second Series
  24. Considine, p. 70
  25. Considine, pp. 72–77
  26. Considine, pp. 77–80
  27. Considine, p. 81
  28. Considine, pp. 83–87, 99–101
  29. Paddy Chayefsky at IMDb
    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154665/
  30. Considine, pp. 101–103
  31. Considine, pp. 107–109
  32. Considine, pp. 114–120
  33. Considine, p. 142, 144, 147
  34. Considine, p. 144
  35. Considine p. 119
  36. Considine, pp. 166–177
  37. Internet Broadway Database; accessed June 29, 2015.
    http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=2818
  38. Guide to the Paddy Chayefsky Papers, 1907–1998, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 2006 completion
  39. Life Magazine, 9 October 1944, article by Huie: SeaBees – They Build the Roads to Victory Linked 2013-08-09
    https://books.google.com/books?id=B0IEAAAAMBAJ&dq=William+Bradford+Huie+%2B+d+day&pg=PA47
  40. Considine, pp. 215–218
  41. Garner, James & Winokur, Jon The Garner Files: A Memoir Simon & Schuster; First Edition (November 1, 2011)
  42. The Orlando Sentinel
    http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:ORLB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0ED904064C0FA190&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=11ECDBF131F44C689BB0EDBA11D99EE0
  43. James Garner of Charlie Rose, ~6' from beginning
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8844857220560459276
  44. Blank, Ed. Andrews as Maria a result of 'happy circumstances' . Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 17 November 2005.
    http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:PTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10DF57ABA3241800&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated4&req_dat=11ECDBF131F44C689BB0EDBA11D99EE0
  45. Considine p. 222-223, 236–237
  46. "The Americanization of Emily"
    https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/1184
  47. Considine pp. 236–241
  48. Considine, pp. 247–250
  49. Considine, pp. 271–274
  50. Considine, pp. 274–275
  51. Considine, pp. 274–283
  52. Considine, pp. 284–285
  53. Considine, pp. 286–288
  54. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/movies/paddy-chayefskys-notes-for-network-film.html
  55. Considine, p. 306
  56. The Daily Beast
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/paddy-chayefsky-the-dark-prophet-of-network-news
  57. Considine, pp. 305–306
  58. Considine, pp. 306–309
  59. Considine, pp. 309–310
  60. Considine, pp. 312–316
  61. Considine, pp 325–326
  62. Considine, p. 331
  63. Thompson, David. The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood, Alfred A. Knopf (2005), p. 328
  64. Considine, pp. 348–350
  65. Considine, pp. 349–352
  66. Considine pp 352–354
  67. Considine, pp 355–356
  68. Considine, p. 359
  69. "A Lesson from Paddy Cheyefsky"
    https://invisibleinkblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/lesson-from-paddy-chayefsky.html
  70. Considine pp 358–365
  71. Considine, pp 366–370
  72. Considine, pp 370–374
  73. Considine, pp 376–379
  74. Gottfried, Martin. All His Jazz: The Life and Death of Bob Fosse, Da Capo Press (1990) pp. 170–171
  75. Considine p. 18-19
  76. Considine, pp. 149–159
  77. Considine p. 385-390
  78. Itzkoff, p. 30
  79. Considine, p. 299
  80. Considine, p. 341
  81. Itzkoff, p. 31
  82. Considine, p.300, 301–302
  83. Considine, p. 301
  84. p. 142
  85. Considine, p. 343-346
  86. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/movies/oscars-1978-politics-vanessa-redgrave.html
  87. Itskoff, p. 60
  88. Considine, p. 158, 177
  89. Considine, pp. 174–177
  90. Considine, p. 395
  91. Itzkoff, pp. 61–62
  92. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/05/classified/paid-notice-deaths-chayefsky-susan.html
  93. Considine, pp. 392–395
  94. Commentary Magazine
    https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/sad-as-hell/
  95. Wassson, Sam. Fosse, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2013) p. 399
  96. Paddy Chayefsky papers, 1907–1998 (bulk 1952–1981), held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for
    http://archives.nypl.org/the/21778
  97. Oscars.org
    https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1956
  98. Oscars.org
    https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1959
  99. Oscars.org
    https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1972
  100. Oscars.org
    https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1977
  101. awards.bafta.org
    https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/screenplay
  102. awards.bafta.org
    https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/screenplay
  103. Golden Globe Awards
    https://goldenglobes.com/film/the-hospital/
  104. Golden Globe Awards
    https://goldenglobes.com/film/network/
  105. Tony Awards
    https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1960/category/any/show/any/
  106. Tony Awards
    https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1962/category/any/show/any/
  107. Emmy Awards
    https://www.televisionacademy.com/awards/nominees-winners/1955/outstanding-writing-for-a-drama-series
  108. Emmy Awards
    https://www.televisionacademy.com/awards/nominees-winners/1956/best-original-teleplay-writing
  109. IMDb
    https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000710/1956/1/
  110. IMDb
    https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000710/1972/1/
  111. IMDb
    https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000710/1977/1/
  112. LAFCA
    http://www.lafca.net/Years/1976.php
  113. IMDb
    https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000471/1976/1/?ref_=ev_tl_yr_3
  114. NYFCC
    https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/
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