Lem Dobbs
Encyclopedia
Lem Dobbs is a British
-American
screenwriter
, best known for the film The Limey
. He is the son of the late painter, R.B. Kitaj. The nom de plume "Dobbs" was taken from the character played by Humphrey Bogart
in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
.
In 1979, Dobbs wrote an original screenplay entitled Edward Ford which garnered a great deal of praise; it remains unproduced as of December 2010. On the basis of another unproduced screenplay, The Marvel of the Haunted Castle, Dobbs was hired to re-write Diane Thomas
' screenplay Romancing the Stone
, though his contributions went uncredited. Following that film's success, several films based on Dobbs' screenplays saw the light of day: Hider in the House
, The Hard Way
, Kafka
(which Dobbs wrote in the 1970s), and The Limey. He was also credited as co-writer on both Dark City and The Score
.
Dobbs' latest produced credit is Haywire
, an action-thriller, directed again by Steven Soderbergh
(director of both Kafka and The Limey). It is scheduled for release in early 2011.
Dobbs has spoken on DVD commentary tracks for his films Dark City and The Limey
, and (as a film historian) for the unrelated The Sand Pebbles
, Von Ryan's Express
, and Double Indemnity (this last due to his personal friendship with the late director Billy Wilder
).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 the film The Limey
The Limey
The Limey is a 1999 American crime film, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Peter Fonda and Barry Newman.Filming locations included Big Sur and L.A.-Plot:...
. He is the son of the late painter, R.B. Kitaj. The nom de plume "Dobbs" was taken from the character played by Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (film)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a 1948 American film written and directed by John Huston, a feature film adaptation of B. Traven's 1927 novel of the same name, in which two Americans Fred C. Dobbs and Bob Curtin during the 1920s in Mexico join with an old-timer, Howard , to prospect for gold...
.
In 1979, Dobbs wrote an original screenplay entitled Edward Ford which garnered a great deal of praise; it remains unproduced as of December 2010. On the basis of another unproduced screenplay, The Marvel of the Haunted Castle, Dobbs was hired to re-write Diane Thomas
Diane Thomas
Diane Thomas was a screenwriter. She was working as a waitress while writing scripts and then had the opportunity to pitch the script for Romancing the Stone to customer Michael Douglas who then bought, produced, and starred in the film with Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito.Diane Thomas died in a...
' screenplay Romancing the Stone
Romancing the Stone
Romancing the Stone is a 1984 American action-adventure romantic comedy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The film was followed by a 1985 sequel, The Jewel of the Nile....
, though his contributions went uncredited. Following that film's success, several films based on Dobbs' screenplays saw the light of day: Hider in the House
Hider in the House (1989 film)
Hider in the House is a 1989 made-for-TV horror film directed by Matthew Patrick and starring Gary Busey as Tom Sykes, a psychopathic ex-mental patient. The film's tagline was: You can't lock him out. He's already in.- Plot :...
, The Hard Way
The Hard Way (1991 film)
The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself...
, Kafka
Kafka (film)
Kafka is a 1991 mystery thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Ostensibly a biopic, based on the life of Franz Kafka, the film blurs the lines between fact and Kafka's fiction , creating a Kafkaesque atmosphere...
(which Dobbs wrote in the 1970s), and The Limey. He was also credited as co-writer on both Dark City and The Score
The Score (film)
The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett and Marlon Brando.It was the final film performance for Brando and the only time he and De Niro appeared in a film together The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and...
.
Dobbs' latest produced credit is Haywire
Haywire (film)
Haywire is an upcoming action film directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Gina Carano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender.-Plot:...
, an action-thriller, directed again by Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
(director of both Kafka and The Limey). It is scheduled for release in early 2011.
Dobbs has spoken on DVD commentary tracks for his films Dark City and The Limey
The Limey
The Limey is a 1999 American crime film, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Peter Fonda and Barry Newman.Filming locations included Big Sur and L.A.-Plot:...
, and (as a film historian) for the unrelated The Sand Pebbles
The Sand Pebbles (film)
The Sand Pebbles is a 1966 American period war film directed by Robert Wise. It tells the story of an independent, rebellious U.S. Navy Machinist's Mate aboard the fictional gunboat USS San Pablo in 1920s China....
, Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
, and Double Indemnity (this last due to his personal friendship with the late director Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
).
Filmography
- Romancing the StoneRomancing the StoneRomancing the Stone is a 1984 American action-adventure romantic comedy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The film was followed by a 1985 sequel, The Jewel of the Nile....
(1984) (uncredited) - Hider in the HouseHider in the House (1989 film)Hider in the House is a 1989 made-for-TV horror film directed by Matthew Patrick and starring Gary Busey as Tom Sykes, a psychopathic ex-mental patient. The film's tagline was: You can't lock him out. He's already in.- Plot :...
(1989) - The Hard WayThe Hard Way (1991 film)The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself...
(with Daniel Pyne) (1991) - KafkaKafka (film)Kafka is a 1991 mystery thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Ostensibly a biopic, based on the life of Franz Kafka, the film blurs the lines between fact and Kafka's fiction , creating a Kafkaesque atmosphere...
(1991) - Dark City (with Alex ProyasAlex ProyasAlexander "Alex" Proyas is a Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing such films as The Crow, Dark City, I, Robot and Knowing. He is known for employing a stylish photographic techniques in his films, with dark overtones usually in a post-apocalyptic...
& David S. GoyerDavid S. GoyerDavid Samuel Goyer is an American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer.-Early life:Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Hebrew school and has described himself as "half Jewish"...
) (1998) - The LimeyThe LimeyThe Limey is a 1999 American crime film, directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs. The film features Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán, Peter Fonda and Barry Newman.Filming locations included Big Sur and L.A.-Plot:...
(1999) - The ScoreThe Score (film)The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Angela Bassett and Marlon Brando.It was the final film performance for Brando and the only time he and De Niro appeared in a film together The Score is a 2001 crime thriller directed by Frank Oz and...
(with Daniel E. Taylor, Kario SalemKario SalemKario Salem is an American television, film, and stage actor and screenwriter.-Career:In 1997, Salem earned an Emmy Award as a writer for the television special Don King: Only in America, which also earned him a PEN nomination. The film also won the Broadcast Film Critics Award and Peabody Award...
and Scott Marshall Smith) (2001) - S.W.A.T.S.W.A.T. (film)S.W.A.T. is a 2003 action-crime film directed by Clark Johnson, and is based on the 1975 television series of the same name. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez. It was produced by Neal H...
(2003) (uncredited) - Fear ItselfFear Itself (TV series)Fear Itself was a horror/suspense anthology television series shot in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with some additional shooting in the city of St. Albert and the town of Devon, Alberta. It began airing on June 5, 2008 on NBC....
(2009) (TV) - HaywireHaywire (film)Haywire is an upcoming action film directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Gina Carano, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender.-Plot:...
(2012) - The Company You KeepThe Company You Keep (film)The Company You Keep is an upcoming political action thriller, produced and directed by Robert Redford. The script was written by Lem Dobbs...
(2012)