Tom Mankiewicz, R.I.P.

Tom_MankewiczWriter-director-script doctor Tom Mankiewicz (Thomas F.  Mankiewicz) passed away July 31st from cancer. He was 68.

Best known to most Cinefantastique readers as the screen writer for several James Bond movies, Mankiewiewicz also worked as a director (HART TO HART, TALES FROM THE CRYPT) and often labored behind the scenes as an uncredited creative consultant or ‘script doctor’.

He co-wrote Sean Connery’s last Bond film, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, and wrote the Roger Moore outings LIVE AND LET DIE and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.
He was consulted on others in the series, such as THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and MOONRAKER, as well.  Some felt he was a major contributor of the more jokey/outrageous moments of the Moore 007 films, because ( if memory serves) he’d mentioned adding one-liners and gags in interviews.
 
Mankiewicz contributed to SUPERMAN, and  SUPERMAN II as a creative consultant, without screen credit, though he worked with director Richard Donner for over a year on the project.
He was one of the writers on Donner’s LADYHAWKE (1985).
Tom Mankiewicz  also directed the 1987 comedy version of DRAGNET, with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.
Since much of his writing was apparently uncredited, it may be difficult to get a clear picture of his work in film and television.
  
Tom Mankiewicz was the son of Academy Award winning director Joseph L. Mankiewicz  (THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR [1947])
Photo of  Tom Mankiewicz with wife Rosemary © Life