Bill Lancaster
Encyclopedia
William 'Bill' Henry Lancaster (November 17, 1947 – January 4, 1997) was an American screenwriter. He was born in Los Angeles
, California
, the son of Burt Lancaster
and Norma Anderson. He developed polio at an early age, leaving one of his legs shorter than the other.
In 1973, Lancaster played the role of "King", the boyfriend of a murdered college coed in The Midnight Man
, a mystery film starring and co-directed by his father, released in 1974.
Lancaster's best known work is his adapted screenplay for John Carpenter's
The Thing. He also penned the original screenplays for The Bad News Bears films.
He is featured in the documentary The Thing: Terror Takes Shape, found on the collector's edition DVD of The Thing. Lancaster states that he did not think Who Goes There?
was a "great" story, but that he responded to the tale's sense of claustrophobia and paranoia. The documentary is dedicated to him because of his death shortly after it was filmed.
Lancaster was married to Kippie Kovacs, daughter of the comedian Ernie Kovacs
. They had one child, daughter Keigh Lancaster.
Lancaster died at the age of 49 due to cardiac arrest
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the son of Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
and Norma Anderson. He developed polio at an early age, leaving one of his legs shorter than the other.
In 1973, Lancaster played the role of "King", the boyfriend of a murdered college coed in The Midnight Man
The Midnight Man (1974 film)
The Midnight Man is a 1974 detective film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred with Susan Clark.-General information:Burt Lancaster shared directing credit with Roland Kibbee, and shared writing credit with Kibbee and author David Anthony upon whose novel The Midnight Lady and the Morning...
, a mystery film starring and co-directed by his father, released in 1974.
Lancaster's best known work is his adapted screenplay for John Carpenter's
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
The Thing. He also penned the original screenplays for The Bad News Bears films.
He is featured in the documentary The Thing: Terror Takes Shape, found on the collector's edition DVD of The Thing. Lancaster states that he did not think Who Goes There?
Who Goes There?
Who Goes There? is a science fiction novella by John W. Campbell, Jr. under the pen name Don A. Stuart, published August 1938 in Astounding Stories. In 1973, the story was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written, and published with...
was a "great" story, but that he responded to the tale's sense of claustrophobia and paranoia. The documentary is dedicated to him because of his death shortly after it was filmed.
Lancaster was married to Kippie Kovacs, daughter of the comedian Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs was a Hungarian American comedian and actor.Kovacs' uninhibited, often ad-libbed, and visually experimental comedic style came to influence numerous television comedy programs for years after his death in an automobile accident...
. They had one child, daughter Keigh Lancaster.
Lancaster died at the age of 49 due to cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.
Screenplays
- The Bad News Bears (1977)
- The Bad News Bears Go to JapanThe Bad News Bears Go to JapanThe Bad News Bears Go to Japan is a 1978 film release by Paramount Pictures and was the sequel to The Bad News Bears and the sequel to The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training. It stars Tony Curtis, Jackie Earle Haley, and Regis Philbin...
(1978) - The Thing (1982)