To Absent Friends - Marshall Brickman

Marshall Brickman

1939-2024

Film screenwriter and director Marshall Brickman died a few weeks ago and his passing is worth mentioning.  To me, Brickman is best remembered as the screenwriter who, along with Woody Allen, co-wrote four of Allen's greatest movies: "Sleeper", "Manhattan", "Manhattan Murder Mystery" (a movie that earned an Oscar for Dianne Wiest), and, best of all "Annie Hall", which won four Oscars, Best Picture, Best Actress (Diane Keaton), Best Director (Allen), and Best Screenplay for both Allen and Brickman.

That alone earns Absent Friend recognition for Brickman in my book, but, as you learn when you read news obituaries, there was so much more to the Marshall Brickman.

He got his start in show biz by playing banjo in a folk music group called The Tarriers that made a minor name for themselves during the early 1960's folk music boom.  Brickman came on board the group as a replacement for a band member that as to go on to other things, actor Alan Arkin.  It was when the Tarriers were headlining in small clubs that Brickman met and became friends with an opening act comedian named Woody Allen.  After getting to know one another, Brickman began writing some of Allen's jokes and monologues that became a staple of his stand-up career,  He also helped to write a number TV specials for Allen as he was making his way up the show business ladder.

Some other Marshall Brickman highlights:

• All the while, Brickman continued his banjo playing. When the Tarriers disbanded, he briefly played in a group called The New Journeymen, that featured a couple of singers John and Michelle Phillips in their pre-Mommas and the Poppas days.  
• In 1972, the producers of the film "Deliverance" was looking for a soundtrack and stumbled upon an old banjo album that Brickman and his college roommate Eric Weissberg had recorded years earlier and used it.  The famous Dueling Banjos?  THAT was Marshall Brickman.  Brickman wasn't even aware of it until one day a check for $170,000 arrived in the mail for him from Warner Bros.
• He went on to become the Head Writer for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show.  Remember all this hilarious sketches featuring Carnac the Magnificent, Aunt Blabby, and Art Fern's Tea Time Movie?  That was Marshall Brickman.
• The book for the hit Broadway Musical Jersey Boys?  Yep, that was Marshall Brickman, too.  He did the screenplay for the movie version as well.

Brickman's writing, directing, and producing credits number over fifty in IMDB.  Quite a resume and quite a career.

By chance and right before Brickman's death, Linda and I rewatched "Annie Hall" a few weeks back.  The movie is now 52 years old and it holds up completely and remains a comedy classic. You might want to do the same thing in the days ahead.

RIP Marshall Brickman.