NEW YORK — Marshall Brickman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter celebrated for his extensive work on several of Woody Allen’s iconic films and the Broadway hit “Jersey Boys,” has passed away at the age of 85. His daughter, Sophie Brickman, confirmed that he died on a Friday in Manhattan, although the cause of death has not been disclosed.
Brickman gained significant recognition for his collaborations with Allen, starting with the 1973 movie “Sleeper.” Among their joint projects are notable films such as “Annie Hall” (1977), “Manhattan” (1979), and “Manhattan Murder Mystery” (1993). The script for “Annie Hall,” in particular, is praised for its clever humor and unique structure, earning Brickman and Allen an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
During his acceptance speech, which was delivered in Allen’s absence, Brickman referenced one of the film’s famous lines: “I’ve been out here a week, and I still have guilt when I make a right turn on a red light.” In a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, he reflected on the film’s value, stating, “If the film is worth anything, it gives a very particular specific image of what it was like to be alive in New York at that time in that particular social-economic stratum.”
The relationship between Brickman and Allen began in the early 1960s when Allen was establishing himself as a stand-up comic. At the time, Brickman was writing jokes for him while simultaneously performing with the folk band, the Tarriers. Interestingly, an album recorded by Brickman and his college roommate, Eric Weissberg, later served as the soundtrack for the 1972 film “Deliverance,” featuring the famous “Dueling Banjos” track.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brickman was the child of Jewish socialists Abram and Pauline Brickman, with family roots in New York and Poland. They later relocated to Flatbush, Brooklyn, where Brickman spent his childhood. His career in entertainment commenced after he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in science and music, initially joining the Tarriers and taking over for Alan Arkin.
Speaking to the Writers Guild in 2011, he mentioned, “One of the reasons I was asked to join was because they needed somebody to front the group and talk while everybody was tuning up,” which led him to craft jokes and routines.
By the end of the 1960s, Brickman had become the head writer for Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show,” where he contributed greatly to the popular Carnac the Magnificent sketches, featuring Carson as a “mystic from the East” capable of reading unseen questions. Additionally, Brickman had roles in various TV shows, including “Candid Camera,” “The Dick Cavett Show,” and “The Muppet Show.”
His partnership with Allen flourished as they began writing together, establishing a natural chemistry that allowed Brickman to complement Allen’s semi-autobiographical storytelling. Brickman expressed to the Writers Guild that, in collaborations, one individual’s voice often needs to dominate. “We didn’t write scenes together. I think that’s the death for any collaboration,” he asserted.
Brickman also wrote and directed the 1980 film “Simon,” featuring Arkin as a psychology professor convinced he is from another planet. He directed 1983’s “Lovesick,” starring Alec Guinness as a ghostly Freud, and the 1986 film “The Manhattan Project,” which focuses on a high school student who constructs a nuclear bomb as a school project.
In collaboration with Rick Elice, Brickman penned the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys,” chronicling the story of the 1960s rock band The Four Seasons, which enjoyed a successful 12-year run starting in 2005. Together, they also created the 2010 musical “The Addams Family.”
Brickman is survived by his wife, Nina, daughters Sophie and Jessica, and his five grandchildren.
