James Goldman

James Goldman (June 30, 1927 – October 28, 1998) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and Broadway book writer born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Highland Park, Illinois. His younger brother was novelist and screenwriter William Goldman.

Goldman attended the University of Chicago and Columbia University, where he earned a master's degree and studied music criticism. In 1952 he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and following his discharge in 1954 he pursued a career as a playwright.

His stage career began with Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole (1961), a play he co-wrote with his brother William Goldman. That same year, They Might Be Giants was produced in London. Goldman then wrote the book for A Family Affair (1962), a Broadway musical with lyrics by William Goldman and music by John Kander. His play The Lion in Winter opened on Broadway in 1966 and was revived in 1999. Goldman adapted the work into a screenplay for the 1968 film of the same name, earning an Academy Award for that adaptation. He wrote the book for the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies, which opened on Broadway in 1971 and was revived in both 2001 and 2011. The book earned Goldman a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical in 1972. He also appeared as a performer on Broadway in 1973, including in Sondheim: A Musical Tribute. His later stage work included the play Tolstoy in 1996.

Beyond the theatre, Goldman's screen credits included They Might Be Giants (1971), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), Robin and Marian (1976), Oliver Twist (1982), White Nights (1985), Anna Karenina (1985), Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986), and Queenie (1987), for which he wrote under the pseudonym Winston Beard. He also wrote the book for Evening Primrose (1966), a television production with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Goldman additionally authored four novels: Waldorf (1965), The Man From Greek and Roman (1974), Myself as Witness (1979), and Fulton County (1989).

Goldman lived in New York City for many years and died there on October 28, 1998, from a heart attack.