{"id":143049,"date":"2020-11-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=143049"},"modified":"2020-11-23T15:25:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T21:25:18","slug":"iconic-screenwriter-herman-mankiewicz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/iconic-screenwriter-herman-mankiewicz\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Mank? An Introduction to Iconic Screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-take-a-look-behind-the-script-of-david-fincher-s-new-biopic-on-the-legendary-citizen-kane-screenwriter-herman-mank-mankiewicz\"><span id=\"take-a-look-behind-the-script-of-david-finchers-new-biopic-on-the-legendary-citizen-kane-screenwriter-herman-mank-mankiewicz\">Take a look behind the script of David Fincher\u2019s new biopic on the legendary <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> screenwriter Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To film fans and filmmakers alike, one of the best directors in contemporary cinema has to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0000399\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">David Fincher<\/a>. Best known for making his way up in the industry as one of the greatest music video directors of his generation, he quickly found fame directing heady psychological thrillers like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0114369\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Se7en<\/a><\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0137523\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Fight Club<\/a><\/em>, and<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0137523\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Gone Girl<\/a><\/em>, as well as creating highly successful streaming programs like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1856010\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">House of Cards<\/a><\/em> and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt5290382\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Mindhunter<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, when news came in that he was working on his next feature for Netflix, it came as a bit of a surprise that it wasn\u2019t going to be a cerebral thriller or murder mystery. Instead, it was a period biopic, shot in black and white, and focused on the famous screenwriter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0542534\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those who aren&#8217;t familiar with Mankiewicz or his career and reputation, this may seem like a curious choice. However, as we\u2019ll explore, \u201cMank\u201d is more than a fascinating cinematic character study. He\u2019s actually one of the most powerful and important figures in film history. So, before you catch <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt10618286\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Mank<\/a><\/em> in theaters or streaming online, let\u2019s examine what made Mank so great, as well as why Fincher\u2019s choice of subject is actually so dear to his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-david-fincher-s-mank\"><span id=\"david-finchers-mank\">David Fincher\u2019s <em>Mank<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aSfX-nrg-lI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Fincher\u2019s biopic on Mankiewicz has actually been in development since 1997. At one point, it was even going to be Fincher\u2019s follow up to <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0119174\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">The Game<\/a><\/em>, before Fincher eventually directed <em>Fight Club<\/em> instead. However, the real reason Mankiewicz has been on Fincher\u2019s radar comes not from his own interest with the screenwriter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Fincher\u2019s father, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm10827638\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Jack Fincher<\/a>, wrote the script for <em>Mank<\/em> based on his own fascination with the famous scribe. The elder Fincher was a longtime journalist and aspiring screenwriter himself. He even penned a script based on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0400652\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Howard Hughes<\/a>, which nearly became a feature (instead, the studios chose to go with a different version by another writer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many ways, <em>Mank<\/em> is Jack Fincher\u2019s love letter to cinema, specifically to his favorite film of all time, <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0033467\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Citizen Kane<\/a><\/em>. He shared his fascination with the classic with his son, and it was Jack&#8217;s dream to see his son direct it. Sadly, Jack Fincher passed away in 2003. However David Fincher was able to finally bring the project to life in his honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-is-herman-mank-mankiewicz\"><span id=\"who-is-herman-mank-mankiewicz\">Who is Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"755\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg\" alt=\"Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz\" class=\"wp-image-143421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg?resize=300,273 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg?resize=277,252 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg?resize=359,327 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg?resize=543,495 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg?resize=560,510 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Herman-Mank.jpg?resize=150,137 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><figcaption><em>Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz was considered one of the greatest screenwriters of all time. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Herman_J._Mankiewicz#\/media\/File:Herman-Mankiewicz.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the question remains: <em>Who is Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz?<\/em> The answer is simply: One of the greatest screenwriters of all time. This latest biopic is centered around his personal turmoil and troubles trying to pen his famous magnum opus <em>Citizen Kane<\/em>. However, film aficionados also know Mankiewicz for working on famous scripts like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0032138\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">The Wizard of Oz<\/a><\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0022119\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Man of the World<\/a><\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0035211\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Pride of the Yankees<\/a><\/em>, and<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0035211\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">The Pride of St. Louis<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Originally a journalist and a drama critic in New York, Mankiewicz became a larger-than-life personality in the film world. He known for his brilliant mind, beautiful writing, and out-of-control drinking problem. Along with his dozens of credits, he was also a well-known script doctor who studios would use to fix up projects and give them that golden \u201cMank\u201d touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His screenwriting style helped to usher in a new age of dialogue-focused, \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Herman_J._Mankiewicz#cite_note-Kilbourne-6\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">slick, satirical, typically American film<\/a>\u201d filled with sharp flashes of humor and satire. And, while he found most of his early success in comedies, his biggest breakthrough would come when he had the opportunity to work with <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0000080\/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Orson Welles<\/a> on <em>Citizen Kane<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-infamous-citizen-kane-script\"><span id=\"the-infamous-citizen-kane-script\">The Infamous <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> Script<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/boJYcabD1ho?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Long regarded as one of the greatest achievements in cinema and one of the best movies ever filmed, <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> is also one of the most fascinating and controversial. The film&#8217;s ambiguous origins and meanings feed into this controversy. Even to this day, (as you can find in Jack Fincher\u2019s script), even though both Mankiewicz and Welles share screenwriting credits, there&#8217;s much debate as to <em>who<\/em> the actual writer of the screenplay was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was important at the time, as the film was enormously popular, but also drew the ire of the newspaper mogul <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0372558\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">William Randolph Hearst<\/a>, who the film was allegedly based on. The feud continued as the script won the Oscar for Best Screenplay (with neither party attending the dinner ceremony), and even lasted up until Mankiewicz\u2019s death in 1953.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, even with muddled origins, the <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> script still stands as one of the most ambitious, yet fundamentally sound, scripts of all time. They teach it in film writing classes to this day, as it&#8217;s become a textbook example of how to create a biopic, develop character, as well as leave an audience with a satisfying ending. And, if you\u2019re interested, you can actually <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dailyscript.com\/scripts\/citizenkane.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">read the script online for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lessons-in-screenwriting\"><span id=\"lessons-in-screenwriting\">Lessons in Screenwriting<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"755\" height=\"456\" src=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg\" alt=\"Screenwriting Lessons\" class=\"wp-image-143433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg 755w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg?resize=300,181 300w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg?resize=277,167 277w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg?resize=359,217 359w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg?resize=543,328 543w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg?resize=560,338 560w, https:\/\/vip-go.premiumbeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Gary-Oldman.jpg?resize=150,91 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><figcaption><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm0000198\/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Gary Oldman<\/a> as Herman Mankiewicz in the bioptic<\/em> Mank<em>. Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81117189\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Netflix<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story of Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz is important to both aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers alike. And, Fincher\u2019s latest biopic does a great job of bringing both the character, as well his work, to life. The film also serves as a means to further connect the early days of classic Hollywood with our new age of Netflix and digital cinema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Citizen Kane<\/em> itself is a great example of how a script and a film can capture the essence of a place and time. It can build up and develop a character who feels larger than life, but in actuality, might be closer to reality than you think. Jack Fincher\u2019s script can also be seen as a reflection of his own life, his own disappointments in getting projects off the ground, as well as creating ample space for his son to bring his story to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, <em>Mank<\/em> tells an important story and gives a glimpse into how industry greats write scripts and make films. It might not be the big-budget blockbuster you might expect from David Fincher, but for anyone seriously interested in film, it&#8217;s definitely worth exploring as part of your filmmaking journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re looking for some additional screenwriting advice and inspiration, check out some of these articles below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/best-free-and-paid-screenwriting-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">The Best Free and Paid Screenwriting Software Solutions<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/5-important-screenwriting-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">5 Important Tools Every Screenwriter Should Have<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-to-structure-scripts-and-screenplays\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">A Guide to Structuring Your Scripts and Screenplays<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/dan-harmon-story-circle-into-screenplays\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Using the Story Circle to Turn Your Ideas into Screenplays<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/movie-synopsis\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">A Movie Synopsis: What it Is and How to Write One<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Cover image via <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81117189\" target=\"_blank\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Netflix<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Take a look behind the script of David Fincher\u2019s new biopic on the legendary Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":143417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3843,6048,6080],"tags":[5486,4995,1455,6349,6350,3136,701,1530],"class_list":["post-class-post-143049","post-class-post","post-class-type-post","post-class-status-publish","post-class-format-standard","post-class-has-post-thumbnail","post-class-hentry","post-class-category-filmmaking-2","post-class-category-interview","post-class-category-screenwriting","post-class-tag-cinema-history","post-class-tag-citizen-kane","post-class-tag-david-fincher","post-class-tag-herman-mankiewicz","post-class-tag-mank","post-class-tag-screenwriter","post-class-tag-screenwriting","post-class-tag-scriptwriting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v18.5 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Who is Mank? An Introduction to Iconic Screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Take a look behind the script of David Fincher\u2019s new biopic on the legendary Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman \u201cMank\u201d Mankiewicz.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/iconic-screenwriter-herman-mankiewicz\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who is Mank? 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