Ernest Tidyman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ernest Tidyman
Born	Ernest Ralph Tidyman (1928-01-01)January 1, 1928 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	July 14, 1984(1984-07-14) (aged 56) London, England
Occupation	Author, screenwriter
Notable works	Shaft The French Connection
Spouse	Chris Clark
Children	2

Ernest Ralph Tidyman (born January 1, 1928 – died July 14, 1984) was an American writer and screenwriter. He was famous for creating the African-American detective John Shaft in his novels.

Tidyman won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on the movie The French Connection. He also received a Golden Globe Award, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award for it. In 1971, he helped write the movie script for Shaft.

Early Life

Ernest Tidyman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, Benjamin Ralph Tidyman, was a crime reporter for a newspaper. Ernest started working as a "copyboy" (someone who delivers messages and copies) when he was only 14. He had left school in the seventh grade.

In 1946, Tidyman joined the U.S. Army. He worked in public relations, which means he helped share information with the public. For the next 20 years, he worked as a journalist and crime reporter in many cities. He even wrote for The New York Times and The New York Post.

In 1968, he wrote his first novel, Flower Power. It was about hippies. After that, he decided to write about a black detective, which led to his famous book Shaft.

Career

Famous Works: Shaft and The French Connection

When Tidyman wrote Shaft, he wanted to create a black hero who was smart and strong. He felt that many stories showed black characters as either super-heroes or victims. He wanted his character, John Shaft, to be a real person who used his intelligence and courage.

A film producer named Philip d'Antoni read Shaft. He was so impressed that he hired Tidyman to write the movie script for The French Connection. This movie became a huge success.

The director, William Friedkin, said Tidyman was a great thriller writer. He could create characters quickly that audiences would understand. The success of both Shaft and The French Connection made Tidyman one of the most sought-after screenwriters.

Becoming a Producer

Even though his movies were successful, Tidyman wasn't always happy with the final versions. He especially felt this way about Shaft. So, he decided to become a producer as well. A producer helps manage the making of a movie.

In 1971, he started his own company, Ernest Tidyman Productions. He believed that writers should have more control over their stories. He said, "If you've got an idea, you'd better write it, and then you'd better produce it, so you can control it."

He wrote the script for the 1973 movie High Plains Drifter, which starred and was directed by Clint Eastwood. Tidyman also wrote the sequel to Shaft, called Shaft's Big Score, which came out in 1972.

In 1974, he wrote a non-fiction book called Dummy. It told the true story of Donald Lang, a deaf-mute man accused of a crime. Tidyman later adapted this book into a TV movie in 1979, starring LeVar Burton.

Later Projects

In 1979, he helped write A Force of One, an early movie starring Chuck Norris.

In 1980, Tidyman wrote the script for the TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones. He also helped produce it, and this work earned him an Emmy nomination. For creating the Shaft books, he received an NAACP Image Award. This award honors outstanding achievements by people of color.

Tidyman was a very dedicated writer. He often said he wrote for money and would work for 12 hours a day. He believed good writing needed drama, clear storytelling, and lots of energy.

Personal Life

Ernest Tidyman was married five times. He had two sons, Ben and Nathaniel, with his third wife, Ruth Rayle Tidyman. With his fourth wife, Susan Gould, he had two more children, Adam and Nicholas.

In 1982, he married Chris Clark. She was a former singer and had also co-written a movie script.

Ernest Tidyman passed away in 1984 in London, England. He was 56 years old.

Books

John Shaft Novels

• Shaft (1970)
• Shaft Among the Jews (1972)
• Shaft's Big Score! (1972)
• Shaft Has a Ball (1973)
• Goodbye, Mr. Shaft (1973)
• Shaft's Carnival of Killers (1974)
• The Last Shaft (1975)

Other Books

• The Anzio Death Trap (1968) – a true story
• Flower Power (1968)
• Absolute Zero (1971)
• High Plains Drifter (1973)
• Dummy (1974) – a true story
• Line of Duty (1974)
• Starstruck (1975)
• Table Stakes (1978)
• Big Bucks (1982) – a true story

Filmography

Movies He Wrote

Unproduced Screenplays

Ernest Tidyman also wrote many movie scripts that were never made into films. Here are some of them:

TV Movies and Mini-Series

TV Series

• Walking Tall (1981) – he was a story consultant