Movies - TV
The Bridge On The River Kwai's Real Screenwriters Didn't Get Credit For Decades
By ANTHONY CRISLIP
1957’s “The Bridge on the River Kwai” is one of the finest achievements in Hollywood history, bringing the audience an incredible tale and brilliant performances. The original novel’s author, Pierre Boulle, was credited for the screenplay and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay; however, the actual writers of the adaptation wouldn’t receive their due credit for decades.
Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson each served as the primary writer for a large portion of the movie’s development, but both men were blacklisted by the Hollywood establishment for their alleged involvement in the Communist Party. When the film was released, producer Sam Spiegel and others working on the project hid Foreman and Wilson’s involvement to avoid a scandal.
Despite the rumors circulating about who was truly responsible for the film’s impressive screenplay, the recognition for the writing would go to Boulle until 1985, when Foreman and Wilson received posthumous Oscars. Although this doesn’t erase the injustice of denying their contributions for years, both writers have now received the recognition they always deserved.