Ivan Goff
Encyclopedia
Ivan Goff was an Australia
n screenwriter
, best known for his collaborations with Ben Roberts
including White Heat
(1949), The Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) and the pilot for Charlie's Angels
(1976).
, the son of two concert musicians. At 15, he began writing for a local newspaper, but soon became dissatisfied by the isolation he felt. "Living in Australia made me crazy," he later said in an interview. "It took a month for a book to get to Australia, a year for a play and forever for an idea."
Goff eventually moved to England
and in 1933 he published a recollection of his voyage, No Longer Innocent. He worked in several jobs, including as a bookie, while trying to break into journalism
. He eventually found work with the Daily Mirror, which in the mid-1930s sent Goff to Los Angeles
as the paper's Hollywood correspondent. He decided to settle there, and became a staff writer at Republic Studios, where his work included uncredited contributions to several of the westerns in The Three Mesquiteers
series, and a Gene Autry
vehicle, Sunset In Wyoming (1941). He also wrote a comedy at Warner Bros.
, My Love Came Back (1940).
During the war Goff joined the Army Signal Corps where he found himself making wartime propaganda shorts at the former Astoria Studios in Long Island
, New York
. There he met Ben Roberts
, a fellow writer who had also worked at Republic
. One day over lunch Roberts told Goff of an idea he had for a short story that lacked an ending. Goff came up with an ending and suggested that they turn it into a play instead of a short story. Working at night over a period of 13 months, they completed the play, which was called Portrait in Black
and had a short run on Broadway
in 1947.
At the end of the war, Roberts and Goff decided to remain as a team, and wrote Prejudice (1949), a short feature about anti-Semitism
made by the Protestant Film Commission. They also wrote a screenplay based on a Ben Hecht
story, The Shadow, which was never filmed, but which attracted the interest of Warner Bros.
who hired them to rewrite a murder mystery, Backfire
(1950). Their work on that film impressed the studio enough to sign them to a five-year contract.
Although Goff and Roberts considered themselves primarily comedy writers, Warners saw them as action men and assigned them to rewrite another script, a gangster story called White Heat
(1949). White Heat was based on a story submitted to the studio by Virginia Kellogg
, which had been inspired by a real-life robbery. Goff and Roberts turned Kellogg's story inside out, making it a semi 'Greek tragedy' about a gangster with a mother complex. James Cagney
agreed to star and the resulting film became an instant classic. Kellogg was nominated for an Oscar
for Best Original Story, but, under Academy
rules of the time, Goff and Roberts weren't.
Goff and Roberts went on to write several other films for Cagney, including Come Fill the Cup
(1951), Shake Hands with the Devil (1960) and Man of a Thousand Faces
(1957), a biopic of silent film star Lon Chaney
, for which they received an Oscar nomination. They also wrote a pair of thrillers for producer Ross Hunter
, Midnight Lace
(1960) and an adaptation of Portrait in Black
(1960). From 1954 to 1955, Goff served as president of the screenwriters council of the Screen Writers Guild.
During the 1960s Goff and Roberts turned to television and enjoyed great success over the next two decades writing and producing such series as The Rogues (1964), Mannix
(1967-75), and Charlie's Angels
(1976-81). He died of Alzheimer's Disease
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, best known for his collaborations with Ben Roberts
Ben Roberts (writer)
Ben Roberts, born Benjamin Eisenberg, was a film and television writer, producer and one of the creators of the Charlie's Angels and Time Express television series'. In 1958 he was nominated for an Academy Award for writing the Lon Chaney biopic Man of a Thousand Faces...
including White Heat
White Heat
White Heat may refer to:In film:* White Heat , a British film directed by Thomas Bentley* White Heat , an American film* White Heat, a 1949 film starring James CagneyIn music:...
(1949), The Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) and the pilot for Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
(1976).
Biography
Goff was born in PerthPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, the son of two concert musicians. At 15, he began writing for a local newspaper, but soon became dissatisfied by the isolation he felt. "Living in Australia made me crazy," he later said in an interview. "It took a month for a book to get to Australia, a year for a play and forever for an idea."
Goff eventually moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and in 1933 he published a recollection of his voyage, No Longer Innocent. He worked in several jobs, including as a bookie, while trying to break into journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. He eventually found work with the Daily Mirror, which in the mid-1930s sent Goff to Los Angeles
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...
as the paper's Hollywood correspondent. He decided to settle there, and became a staff writer at Republic Studios, where his work included uncredited contributions to several of the westerns in The Three Mesquiteers
The Three Mesquiteers
The Three Mesquiteers is the umbrella title for a series of 51 western B-movies released between 1936 and 1943, including 8 films starring John Wayne...
series, and a Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
vehicle, Sunset In Wyoming (1941). He also wrote a comedy at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, My Love Came Back (1940).
During the war Goff joined the Army Signal Corps where he found himself making wartime propaganda shorts at the former Astoria Studios in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. There he met Ben Roberts
Ben Roberts (writer)
Ben Roberts, born Benjamin Eisenberg, was a film and television writer, producer and one of the creators of the Charlie's Angels and Time Express television series'. In 1958 he was nominated for an Academy Award for writing the Lon Chaney biopic Man of a Thousand Faces...
, a fellow writer who had also worked at Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. One day over lunch Roberts told Goff of an idea he had for a short story that lacked an ending. Goff came up with an ending and suggested that they turn it into a play instead of a short story. Working at night over a period of 13 months, they completed the play, which was called Portrait in Black
Portrait in Black
Portrait in Black is a thriller released by Universal International. Produced by Ross Hunter, who also produced Airport and other films for Universal, the film starred Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn...
and had a short run on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1947.
At the end of the war, Roberts and Goff decided to remain as a team, and wrote Prejudice (1949), a short feature about anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
made by the Protestant Film Commission. They also wrote a screenplay based on a Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist. Called "the Shakespeare of Hollywood", he received screen credits, alone or in collaboration, for the stories or screenplays of some 70 films and as a prolific storyteller, authored 35 books and created some of...
story, The Shadow, which was never filmed, but which attracted the interest of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
who hired them to rewrite a murder mystery, Backfire
Backfire
The word backfire in general use usually refers to a plan where the opposite of the desired effect happens or the perpetrator is directly affected as opposed to their intended target.In economics, backfire is described in terms of:* the Jevons paradox...
(1950). Their work on that film impressed the studio enough to sign them to a five-year contract.
Although Goff and Roberts considered themselves primarily comedy writers, Warners saw them as action men and assigned them to rewrite another script, a gangster story called White Heat
White Heat
White Heat may refer to:In film:* White Heat , a British film directed by Thomas Bentley* White Heat , an American film* White Heat, a 1949 film starring James CagneyIn music:...
(1949). White Heat was based on a story submitted to the studio by Virginia Kellogg
Virginia Kellogg
Virginia Kellogg was a film writer whose scripts for White Heat and Caged were nominated for Oscars.At one time, she was married to director Frank Lloyd.-External links:...
, which had been inspired by a real-life robbery. Goff and Roberts turned Kellogg's story inside out, making it a semi 'Greek tragedy' about a gangster with a mother complex. James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
agreed to star and the resulting film became an instant classic. Kellogg was nominated for an Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Original Story, but, under Academy
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
rules of the time, Goff and Roberts weren't.
Goff and Roberts went on to write several other films for Cagney, including Come Fill the Cup
Come Fill the Cup
Come Fill the Cup is a 1951 film starring James Cagney and Gig Young. Cagney plays an alcoholic newspaperman. Cagney has the memorable line, "Don't you see? I am home," which he says in response to the query, "Why don't you go home?": once near the beginning when he's drinking; once at the end when...
(1951), Shake Hands with the Devil (1960) and Man of a Thousand Faces
Man of a Thousand Faces
Man of a Thousand Faces is a film detailing the life of silent movie actor Lon Chaney, in which the title role is played by James Cagney.Directed by Joseph Pevney, the film's cast included Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer and Jim Backus...
(1957), a biopic of silent film star Lon Chaney
Lon Chaney
Chaney is an American surname of French origin, and may refer to:* Charles "Bubba" Chaney , Louisiana politician* Chris Chaney, US musician* Darrel Chaney, US baseball player* Don Chaney, US basketballer* Esty Chaney , US baseballer...
, for which they received an Oscar nomination. They also wrote a pair of thrillers for producer Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter
Ross Hunter was a Hollywood film producer.-Biography:Hunter was born in Cleveland, Ohio as Martin Fuss. After serving in Army intelligence during World War II, he signed a movie contract with Columbia Pictures and acted in a number of B-movie musicals...
, Midnight Lace
Midnight Lace
Midnight Lace is a 1960 American mystery-thriller film starring Doris Day and Rex Harrison, directed by David Miller. The screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts is based on the play Matilda Shouted Fire by Janet Green....
(1960) and an adaptation of Portrait in Black
Portrait in Black
Portrait in Black is a thriller released by Universal International. Produced by Ross Hunter, who also produced Airport and other films for Universal, the film starred Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn...
(1960). From 1954 to 1955, Goff served as president of the screenwriters council of the Screen Writers Guild.
During the 1960s Goff and Roberts turned to television and enjoyed great success over the next two decades writing and producing such series as The Rogues (1964), Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
(1967-75), and Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
(1976-81). He died of Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
Filmography
- Sunset In Wyoming (1941)
- My Love Came Back (1940)
- White HeatWhite HeatWhite Heat may refer to:In film:* White Heat , a British film directed by Thomas Bentley* White Heat , an American film* White Heat, a 1949 film starring James CagneyIn music:...
(1949) (w/Ben Roberts) - PrejudicePrejudicePrejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
(1949) (w/Ben Roberts) - BackfireBackfireThe word backfire in general use usually refers to a plan where the opposite of the desired effect happens or the perpetrator is directly affected as opposed to their intended target.In economics, backfire is described in terms of:* the Jevons paradox...
(1950) (w/Ben Roberts) - Captain Horatio HornblowerCaptain Horatio HornblowerCaptain Horatio Hornblower R.N. is a 1951 naval adventure film. It was directed by Raoul Walsh and stars Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo, Robert Beatty and Terence Morgan.It was based upon three of C. S...
(1951) (w/Ben Roberts) - Come Fill the CupCome Fill the CupCome Fill the Cup is a 1951 film starring James Cagney and Gig Young. Cagney plays an alcoholic newspaperman. Cagney has the memorable line, "Don't you see? I am home," which he says in response to the query, "Why don't you go home?": once near the beginning when he's drinking; once at the end when...
(1951) (w/Ben Roberts) - Goodbye My Fancy (1951) (w/Ben Roberts)
- O Henry’s Full House (1952) (w/Ben Roberts)
- The Gift Horse (1952) – story only (w/Ben Roberts)
- King of the Khyber RiflesKing of the Khyber RiflesKing of the Khyber Rifles is a novel by British writer Talbot Mundy. Captain Athelstan King is a secret agent for the British Raj at the beginning of the First World War...
(1953) (w/Ben Roberts) - White Witch Doctor (1953) (w/Ben Roberts)
- Green FireGreen FireGreen Fire is a 1954 MGM movie directed by Andrew Marton and produced by Armand Deutsch, with original music by Miklós Rózsa. It stars Grace Kelly, Stewart Granger, Paul Douglas and John Ericson.-Plot:...
(1954) (w/Ben Roberts) - SerenadeSerenadeIn music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
(1956) (w/Ben Roberts) - Band of AngelsBand of AngelsBand of Angels is a 1957 romantic drama film set in the American South before and during the American Civil War, based on the novel of the same name by Robert Penn Warren. It starred Clark Gable, Yvonne De Carlo, and Sidney Poitier. The movie was directed by Raoul Walsh.-Plot:Amantha Starr is the...
(1957) (w/Ben Roberts) - Man of a Thousand FacesMan of a Thousand FacesMan of a Thousand Faces is a film detailing the life of silent movie actor Lon Chaney, in which the title role is played by James Cagney.Directed by Joseph Pevney, the film's cast included Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer and Jim Backus...
(1957) (w/Ben Roberts) - Shake Hands With the Devil (1959) (w/Ben Roberts)
- Portrait in BlackPortrait in BlackPortrait in Black is a thriller released by Universal International. Produced by Ross Hunter, who also produced Airport and other films for Universal, the film starred Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn...
(1960) + play (w/Ben Roberts) - Midnight LaceMidnight LaceMidnight Lace is a 1960 American mystery-thriller film starring Doris Day and Rex Harrison, directed by David Miller. The screenplay by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts is based on the play Matilda Shouted Fire by Janet Green....
(1960) (w/Ben Roberts) - The Killer Who Wouldn’t Die (1976) (w/Ben Roberts)
- The Legend of the Lone RangerThe Legend of the Lone RangerThe Legend of the Lone Ranger is a 1981 British-American western film directed by William A. Fraker and starring Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse and Christopher Lloyd....
(1981) (w/Ben Roberts)
TV series
- Burke’s Law (1963) (w/Ben Roberts)
- The Rogues (1964) (w/Ben Roberts)
- IronsideIronside-Entertainment and literature:*Ironside , an American television series starring Raymond Burr*Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale, an urban fantasy novel by Holly Black-People:...
(1967) (w/Ben Roberts) - MannixMannixMannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
(1967-75) (w/Ben Roberts) - Charlie's AngelsCharlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
(1976-81) (w/Ben Roberts) - Time ExpressTime ExpressTime Express is a short-lived American fantasy TV series, broadcast April–May 1979 on CBS and later syndicated. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts who had both previously been involved in the creation of Charlie's Angels...
(1979) (w/Ben Roberts)