John Briley facts for kids

Richard John Briley (born June 25, 1925 – died December 14, 2019) was an American writer. He was famous for writing movie scripts, especially for films about real people. He won an Oscar for his script for the movie Gandhi in 1982. Besides movies, he also wrote for TV shows, plays, and published several books.

Richard Briley's Early Life and Career

Richard Briley was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He joined the United States Army Air Forces and served from 1943 to 1946. He reached the rank of captain during his time in the military.

After his service, he went to the University of Michigan. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1950 and a master's degree in English in 1951. In 1950, he married Dorothy Louise Reichart, and they had four children together.

Briley first worked in public relations for General Motors. This means he helped manage how the company was seen by the public. He rejoined the air force in 1955. He was sent to an airbase near London, England. There, he managed activities for new arrivals and began his writing career.

In 1960, he earned a PhD in Elizabethan drama from the University of Birmingham. This is a special degree focusing on plays from the time of Queen Elizabeth I. After this, he left the air force and became a writer for MGM-British Studios in England.

Writing for Movies

While at MGM, Briley wrote the script for Children of the Damned (1964). This was a horror movie, a bit like a follow-up to Village of the Damned. However, he didn't like the changes made to his script for the final movie. He left MGM in 1964. He also had a small, uncredited role in a comedy film called Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious (1965).

Writing the Oscar-Winning Film Gandhi

Briley's script for the movie Pope Joan (1972) caught the eye of famous director Richard Attenborough. Attenborough was working on a movie about Gandhi, a leader of the Indian independence movement. Several scripts for the Gandhi movie had been turned down.

Another writer, Robert Bolt, was supposed to rewrite his own script. But he became ill. So, Attenborough asked Richard Briley to take over. Briley changed the story's focus. Instead of showing things from the point of view of the British in India, he focused on the Indian people's fight for freedom.

Briley wasn't sure about casting Ben Kingsley as Gandhi at first. He thought John Hurt would be better. But he was very happy later that Attenborough chose Kingsley. Kingsley's acting was amazing and became the most important part of the film. Briley and Attenborough were very proud of the movie. Briley's original script won an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

Briley's Later Projects

In 1985, Briley started working on a musical about Martin Luther King Jr.. He wrote the story and songs for it. He left the project in 1989 because of disagreements over his contract. A different version of the musical opened in London in 1990.

In 1987, Briley worked with Richard Attenborough again on the film Cry Freedom. This movie was about Steve Biko, an activist who fought against apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of unfair racial separation. Briley had some disagreements with Donald Woods, the journalist whose books inspired the script. Briley believed Biko's movement used peaceful methods on purpose. Woods thought it was more of a strategy. Even with these differences, people who saw the film thought it was very realistic.

In 1998, Briley helped start "the Film Makers Company." This company aimed to encourage making movies in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He also planned to move there. In 2000, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival. Richard Briley passed away on December 14, 2019, at the age of 94.

Other Scripts and Works

Richard Briley worked on many other scripts that were not made into movies. These included stories based on books like Henderson the Rain King and White Fang. He also wrote biopics (movies about real people) for figures like Franz Kafka and Pope John Paul II. He even worked on a TV miniseries about the Italian Renaissance.

Richard Briley's Works

Film Scripts

Other Written Works