Video Interview: Paddy Chayefsky

In the ranks of screenwriters, Paddy Chayefsky is a giant. The only screenwriter to have three solo Academy Awards — for Marty (1955), The Hospital (1971), and Network (1976) — Chayefsky was also a successful playwright and television dramatist.

We’ve already featured Chayefsky here, but these this video clip from “The Dinah Shore Show” are remarkable. The primary topic of discussion is Network, so I’m guessing the show dates from 1976, the year the movie was released. It’s interesting to hear what Chayefsky claims is the main theme of the movie: “How do you preserve yourself in a world where life doesn’t mean that much anymore?” Chayefsky has some fascinating thoughts about violence in the media and contemporary culture.

Network is as relevant today as ever. And here’s your chance to spend a few minutes with one of the most brilliant screenwriters of all time — Paddy Chayefsky.

[Originally posted August 3, 2008]

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