David Chappe
Encyclopedia
David Chappe was best known as the screenwriter who began the bidding wars of the late 1980s with his script Gale Force. David was also a novelist, photographer, screenwriting instructor, story editor, artist, and pianist.
. He earned his BA in History & Political Science from Alfred University, and his Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY in 1978. There he learned to tell stories through photographic sequencing of images and later used that visual story sense in writing screenplays. While at VSW David printed dozens of small press publications on their Heidelberg Press, moving to Los Angeles in 1980 to work for a Small Press.
, and became known as the go-to script reader. In just five years he read and wrote coverage on over 5,000 screenplays becoming the Story Editor for White Eagle Enterprises, Sylvester Stallone
's company. In 1989 he finished Gale Force which hit the film market and was snapped up by Dan Melnick who partnered to produce it with Carolco and actively aided Carolco in the bidding frenzy. Sylvester Stallone
was to star. The script became one of those notoriously rewritten Hollywood scripts with pay or play deals flying right and left. Relative newcomer Renny Harlin
was hired on to direct and associated himself with seven of the top Hollywood rewriters including Joe Eszterhas
, see complete list below. After years of rewrites the plug was pulled two weeks before production and the entire creative team was moved over to Cliff Hanger.
After the sale of Gale Force he continued to write original screenplays, novels, became a re-writer for Hollywood action films, and wrote the production draft of Beowulf
1999.
Chappe died in 2002 after a four-year battle with angiosarcoma
. He is survived by his mother Bess Chappe, his aunt Millie Kleineman, brother Marc Chappe and his wife Anne, nephew Durin Chappe, his wife June Stoddard, and daughters Chloe and Jessica Chappe.
Film
Early life
David Chappe was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn moving to Appleton, WI at age eight. A renaissance man, he competed as a concert pianist from age six to age 16, and led canoe trips in the Canadian wilderness of the Boundary WatersBoundary Waters
The Boundary Waters — also called the Quetico-Superior country — is a region of wilderness straddling the Canada–United States border between Ontario and Minnesota, in the region just west of Lake Superior. This region is part of the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota, and in Canada...
. He earned his BA in History & Political Science from Alfred University, and his Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, NY in 1978. There he learned to tell stories through photographic sequencing of images and later used that visual story sense in writing screenplays. While at VSW David printed dozens of small press publications on their Heidelberg Press, moving to Los Angeles in 1980 to work for a Small Press.
Film career
Surrounded by screenwriters in Venice, CA on Market Street he soon caught the bug and wrote close to twenty original screenplays and two novels. Prior to his screenwriting career David wrote for He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
, and became known as the go-to script reader. In just five years he read and wrote coverage on over 5,000 screenplays becoming the Story Editor for White Eagle Enterprises, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
's company. In 1989 he finished Gale Force which hit the film market and was snapped up by Dan Melnick who partnered to produce it with Carolco and actively aided Carolco in the bidding frenzy. Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
was to star. The script became one of those notoriously rewritten Hollywood scripts with pay or play deals flying right and left. Relative newcomer Renny Harlin
Renny Harlin
Renny Harlin is a Finnish-American film director and producer. He is best known for Die Hard 2 , Cliffhanger , The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea...
was hired on to direct and associated himself with seven of the top Hollywood rewriters including Joe Eszterhas
Joe Eszterhas
József A. "Joe" Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American writer, best known for his work on the pulp erotic films Basic Instinct and Showgirls. He has also written several non-fiction books, including an autobiography entitled Hollywood Animal.-Early life:Eszterhas was born in Csákánydoroszló, Hungary,...
, see complete list below. After years of rewrites the plug was pulled two weeks before production and the entire creative team was moved over to Cliff Hanger.
After the sale of Gale Force he continued to write original screenplays, novels, became a re-writer for Hollywood action films, and wrote the production draft of Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
1999.
Chappe died in 2002 after a four-year battle with angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Angiosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of endothelial-type cells that line vessel walls. This may be in reference to blood or lymphatic vessels ....
. He is survived by his mother Bess Chappe, his aunt Millie Kleineman, brother Marc Chappe and his wife Anne, nephew Durin Chappe, his wife June Stoddard, and daughters Chloe and Jessica Chappe.
Selected filmography
TV- He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
Disappearing Act, 1983
Film
- BeowulfBeowulfBeowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
, 1999
Sources, & external links
- IMDB- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0152572/
- Variety- http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117866916.html?categoryid=25&cs=1
- Entertainment Weekly "Gale Force Gone with the Wind", www.EW.com- http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315709,00.html
- Carolco- http://www.carolcofilms.com/development.htm
- Variety International" (USA) November 1998, pg. 1-, "Where are they now? Spec authors.."
- "LA Weekly" (USA) June 1989, "Gale Force takes the Market by Storm"
- http://www.sfsite.com/columns/steven144.htm
- http://www.accumulationproject.org/altamura/12053.html
- http://www.cepagallery.org/exhibitions/1974-1995.html
- http://www.answers.com/topic/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe