Sam Wasson Explained

Sam Wasson
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation:Author, publisher
Notable Works:Fosse
Improv Nation
The Big Goodbye
Hollywood: The Oral History

Sam Wasson is an American author and publisher, who often writes about the history of cinema in Hollywood. His works include the biography Fosse, the history books Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art and The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood and the co-authored Hollywood: The Oral History.

Early life and education

Wasson was born in Los Angeles. His maternal grandfather was former Variety executive Hal “Lew” Scott.[1] [2] Wasson attended Wesleyan University, and USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Career

During the writing of his Bob Fosse biography, Wasson and researcher Jane Klein unearthed lost footage of Fosse's 1961 ABC television show Seasons of Youth.[3] In 2014, Fosse was one of six books shortlisted for the $10,000 Marfield Prize,[4] and received the Special Jury Prize at the George Freedley Memorial Award.[5] Production rights for a limited television series based on the book were purchased by television channel FX in 2018.[6]

In 2020, Wasson published a book about the making of the 1974 movie Chinatown, titled .[7] Later that year, a film adaptation of The Big Goodbye was announced, with Lorne Michaels attached as producer and Ben Affleck as director.[8] [9] Also in 2020, Wasson co-founded a publishing house with producer Brandon Millan.[10]

Wasson was a visiting professor at Wesleyan University[11] and Emerson College.[12]

In 2021, Wasson and William Rempel filed a lawsuit to unseal a 2010 deposition transcript of Roger Gunson, a former deputy district attorney, in relation to the Roman Polanski sexual abuse case.[13] In July 2022, the court ruled for the transcripts to be unsealed.[14] [15] [16] [17]

In 2022, Wasson and Jeanine Basinger wrote an oral history book titled Hollywood: The Oral History.[18] [19]

Bibliography

Books

Notes and References

  1. The Silver Fox. Variety. Staff. April 12, 1996.
  2. Obituary. The Hollywood Reporter. Staff. April 12, 1996.
  3. Web site: Bob Fosse Biographer Unearths Lost 1961 ABC Special. November 7, 2013. Ginsberg, Merle & Gary Baum. The Hollywood Reporter. November 17, 2022.
  4. News: Terry Teachout among finalists for $10,000 Marfield Prize for arts writing. March 11, 2014. Ron Charles. The Washington Post. November 20, 2022.
  5. Web site: Freedley Award Winners, 1969-Present. September 12, 2022. Theatre Library Association. November 20, 2022.
  6. Web site: FX Orders Bob Fosse Limited Series Starring Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams With Lin-Manuel Miranda Producing. July 24, 2018. Otterson, Joe. Variety. November 17, 2022.
  7. Web site: Maslin, Janet . February 4, 2020 . It's 'Chinatown,' Jake. On Second Thought, Don't Forget It. . November 17, 2022 . The New York Times.
  8. Web site: Ben Affleck To Direct Adaptation of 'Big Goodbye' For Paramount; Behind-The-Scenes Story Of The Making of 'Chinatown'. April 7, 2020. Kroll, Justin. Deadline Hollywood. November 17, 2022.
  9. Web site: Ben Affleck to Remind You It's Chinatown With His Adaptation of Making-Of Book The Big Goodbye . Vulture . 2020-08-07 . 2023-01-29 . Halle . Kiefer.
  10. Web site: August Books. August 17, 2022. Hudson. David. The Criterion Collection. November 17, 2022.
  11. Web site: Fosse's Genius: Working Even As He Was Dying. November 2, 2013. Simon, Scott. NPR. November 17, 2022.
  12. Web site: Sam Wasson gives Chinatown The Big Goodbye. October 6, 2021. John, John. Writers on Film. November 17, 2022.
  13. Web site: On Monday, A New Twist On The Quest For Sealed Testimony In The Polanski Case. November 28, 2021. Cieply, Michael. Deadline Hollywood. November 17, 2022.
  14. Web site: Wasson et al. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County et al.. April 14, 2022. Unicourt. November 17, 2022.
  15. Web site: Roman Polanski criminal case transcripts must be unsealed, court rules. July 13, 2022. Qeally, James. Los Angeles Times. November 17, 2022.
  16. Web site: Appeals Court Orders Release of Roman Polanski Transcript. July 13, 2022. Maddaus, Gene. Variety. November 17, 2022.
  17. Web site: Roger Gunson's Unsealed Polanski Testimony Offers Not Bombshells, But Details And A Path Through The Thicket. July 18, 2022. Cieply, Michael. Deadline Hollywood. November 17, 2022.
  18. Web site: Hollywood, in Its Own Words. October 5, 2019. Rich, Katie. Vanity Fair. November 20, 2022.
  19. News: Yogerst . Chris . Hollywood on Hollywood: On Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson's Oral History "Hollywood" . 30 January 2023 . . December 5, 2022.
  20. Reviews of Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman:
  21. Reviews of Paul on Mazursky:
  22. Reviews of Fosse:
  23. Reviews of Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art:
  24. Reviews of The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood:
  25. Reviews of Hollywood: The Oral History:

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sam Wasson".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.