R.I.P.: Erich Segal - Never Forgotten: a Foster's Home Community

Ccook50 · 01-20-2010, 11:15 AM

Segal wrote the 1970 novel Love Story (which bore the iconic quote "Love means never having to say you're sorry"). He was 72.

More about him here.

Widely acknowledged but actually quite false was the claim that Segal wrote the screenplay for the Beatles' 1968 cartoon movie Yellow Submarine. In 1983, I chatted via phone with Jack Mendelsohn, one of the credited screenwriters of the movie and he had a different take. Jack (who wrote for the Beatles' cartoon show in 1965) was at Hanna-Barbera and was approached by producer Al Brodax to write the screenplay after United Artists rejected two other screenplays (by Lee Minoff, who wrote the outline, and Ernie Pintoff). Jack took a three-week leave from H-B to write the Submarine screenplay, and after he turned it in, Brodax gave it to Segal to "punch it up." So since Segal was the last man on the screenplay and was with Brodax at the time, he's been the one everybody believes wrote the screenplay.

Lee Minoff's name and Al Brodax's is in the credits because Brodax--as producer--could do that. Animated movies' screenwriter credits do not fall under the same jurisdiction as with live action movies.

Sparky · 01-20-2010, 12:42 PM

Random fact: I studied animation writing under Ernie Pintoff at USC. Sorry, I don't actually have anything to say about Erich Segal though.

Ccook50 · 01-20-2010, 12:51 PM

I know that Pintoff won an Oscar for a short subject called The Critic (1963). Had the voice of Mel Brooks.

Sparky · 01-20-2010, 12:57 PM

Yeah. I actually liked The Violinist (1959) better though.

01-20-2010, 11:15 AM	#1
Ccook50 Foster's Legend Don't forget to turn left at Greenland Join Date: May 2007 Location: Cumming GA Posts: 510	R.I.P.: Erich Segal Segal wrote the 1970 novel Love Story (which bore the iconic quote "Love means never having to say you're sorry"). He was 72. More about him here. Widely acknowledged but actually quite false was the claim that Segal wrote the screenplay for the Beatles' 1968 cartoon movie Yellow Submarine. In 1983, I chatted via phone with Jack Mendelsohn, one of the credited screenwriters of the movie and he had a different take. Jack (who wrote for the Beatles' cartoon show in 1965) was at Hanna-Barbera and was approached by producer Al Brodax to write the screenplay after United Artists rejected two other screenplays (by Lee Minoff, who wrote the outline, and Ernie Pintoff). Jack took a three-week leave from H-B to write the Submarine screenplay, and after he turned it in, Brodax gave it to Segal to "punch it up." So since Segal was the last man on the screenplay and was with Brodax at the time, he's been the one everybody believes wrote the screenplay. Lee Minoff's name and Al Brodax's is in the credits because Brodax--as producer--could do that. Animated movies' screenwriter credits do not fall under the same jurisdiction as with live action movies. __________________ "God forgot to make stupidity painful." --Ivan Stang (Church of the SubGenius) Last edited by Ccook50; 01-20-2010 at 11:18 AM.

01-20-2010, 12:42 PM	#2
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,712	Random fact: I studied animation writing under Ernie Pintoff at USC. Sorry, I don't actually have anything to say about Erich Segal though. __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More

01-20-2010, 12:51 PM	#3
Ccook50 Foster's Legend Don't forget to turn left at Greenland Join Date: May 2007 Location: Cumming GA Posts: 510	I know that Pintoff won an Oscar for a short subject called The Critic (1963). Had the voice of Mel Brooks. __________________ "God forgot to make stupidity painful." --Ivan Stang (Church of the SubGenius) Last edited by Ccook50; 01-20-2010 at 12:51 PM.

01-20-2010, 12:57 PM	#4
Sparky Undisputed Ruler of Terrencania Am not Slave-O-Matic! Am Johnny Five! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 5,712	Yeah. I actually liked The Violinist (1959) better though. __________________ Custom Machine Embroidery & More