Carl Gottlieb (born March 18, 1938) is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian, and executive. He is best known for co-writing the screenplay for Jaws (1975) and its first two sequels, as well as directing the 1981 film Caveman.
Early life Carl Gottlieb was born in 1938 in New York City to a middle-class Jewish family, the son of Sergius M. Gottlieb, an engineer, and Elizabeth, a medical administrative assistant.Carl Gottlieb Biography (1938-)
Gottlieb studied drama at Syracuse University where he befriended character actor Larry Hankin. After graduating, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving as an entertainment specialist in the Special Services division from 1961 to 1963.Writer Carl Gottlieb on serving in the Army - TelevisionAcademy.com/Interviews Television Academy via YouTube. Retrieved August 11, 2021.Carl Gottlieb Biography (1938-) www.filmreference.com. Retrieved August 11, 2021. Following his discharge, he became a member, later in the 1960s, of the San Francisco improvisational comedy troupe The Committee. They made one feature film: A Session with the Committee.
Career He began writing comedy for TV, contributing to The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour for which he won an Emmy Award in 1969, The Music Scene, The Bob Newhart Show, All in the Family, and The Odd Couple. He also appeared on camera on Ken Berry's Wow Show variety summer television program in 1972. Minor acting roles have included Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and the film Clueless.
Gottlieb also cowrote David Crosby's two autobiographies, 1989's Long Time Gone and 2006's Since Then.
Jaws Gottlieb was hired as an actor to appear as Harry Meadows, the editor of the local newspaper, in Jaws. He was hired by his friend, Steven Spielberg, to redraft the script, adding more dimensions to the characters, particularly humor. His redrafts reduced the role of Meadows (who still appears in the Town Hall corridor and the Tiger Shark scene).
He wrote a book, The Jaws Log, about the notoriously difficult production of the film.
He was enlisted under similar circumstances to work on the Jaws 2 screenplay. He co-wrote the screenplays for The Jerk, in which he played Iron Balls McGinty, and Jaws 3-D. Gottlieb contributes to Jaws related activities, such as interviews (including the documentary The Shark Is Still Working) and attended JawsFest on Martha's Vineyard in June 2005.
Writers' politics Gottlieb joined the Writers Guild of America in 1968 and became interested in Guild politics and with a desire to serve fellow writers following writers' strikes in the 1970s and 1981. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1983, and re-elected for numerous terms thereafter, including two stints as vice-president (1991–1994). He was again appointed VP of the Writers Guild of America, West in 2004 and served until the following year. In September 2011, he was elected as WGA-West secretary-treasurer.
Filmography
Feature films
As writer only Year Title Director Notes1975Jaws Steven Spielberg Credited with Peter BenchleyNominated - BAFTA Award for Best ScreenplayNominated - Golden Globe Award for Best ScreenplayNominated - Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay1977Which Way Is Up? Michael Schultz Credited with Cecil Brown1978Jaws 2 Jeannot Szwarc Credited with Howard Sackler1979The Jerk Carl Reiner Credited with Steve Martin & Michael Elias1983Jaws 3-D Joe Alves Credited with Richard MathesonDoctor Detroit Michael Pressman Credited with Bruce Jay Friedman & Robert Boris
As director Year Title Notes1977The Absent-Minded Waiter Short Film1981Caveman Also Writer1987Amazon Women on the Moon Co-Directed with Joe Dante, Peter Horton, John Landis & Robert K. WeissDirected Segments: Pethouse Video, Son of the Invisible Man, Art Sale & Peter Pan Theatre
As actor Year Title Role Notes1968 Maryjane Larry Kane 1970 MASH 'Ugly John' 1972 Up the Sandbox Vinnie Something Evil Party Guest TV Movie1973 The Long Goodbye Wade Party Guest Uncredited1975 Jaws Harry Meadows1976 Cannonball Terry McMillan 1979 The Jerk Iron Balls McGinty 1983 The Sting II Maitre D' 1984 Johnny Dangerously Dr. Magnus 1985 Into the Night Federal Agent 1995 Clueless Priest 2017 Decker Himself TV Series: 1 Episode
References
External links