Kurt Luedtke facts for kids

Kurt Luedtke (born September 28, 1939 – died August 9, 2020) was an American writer for movies. He was also a top editor at a newspaper called the Detroit Free Press. Kurt Luedtke wrote famous films like Out of Africa (1985). For this movie, he won an Oscar. He also wrote Absence of Malice (1981), which earned him an Oscar nomination. His last movie was Random Hearts (1999). All these films were directed by Sydney Pollack.

Growing Up and Education

Kurt Luedtke was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 28, 1939. His father, Herman, sold lumber. His mother's name was Virginia.

He went to Brown University and earned a bachelor's degree. After that, he started a summer law program at the University of Michigan Law School. However, he changed his mind about becoming a lawyer.

He traveled to the Southern United States. There, he saw the Civil Rights Movement happening. He wrote several articles about it as a freelance writer. Later, he studied at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Career in Journalism

Luedtke began his career as a newspaper reporter. He first worked in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Then, he moved to the Miami Herald newspaper.

In 1965, Luedtke joined the Detroit Free Press. He started as a general reporter. He quickly moved up in the newspaper. By the age of 33, he became the executive editor. This meant he was in charge of the whole newspaper's news content.

Moving to Hollywood

In 1978, Kurt Luedtke left the Detroit Free Press. He stopped working in journalism completely. He decided to move to Hollywood to work in the film industry. His goal was to become a screenwriter.

He first planned to write a book about reporting. A film company, Orion Pictures, heard about his idea. They bought the rights to his idea before he even wrote the book.

Writing for the Big Screen

The director George Roy Hill was interested in Luedtke's idea. But he was too busy to help with the script. So, Luedtke offered to write the screenplay for free. He said if the movie didn't happen, he would get his idea back.

Eventually, director Sydney Pollack became available. He directed the movie, which was called Absence of Malice. This film started a long working relationship between Luedtke and Pollack. Luedtke was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for this movie. This was very special for a first-time screenwriter.

Award-Winning Films

Luedtke worked with Pollack again on Out of Africa (1985). This movie won seven Oscars, including Luedtke's award for Best Adapted Screenplay. This means he won an Oscar for changing a book into a movie script.

His last movie with Sydney Pollack was Random Hearts, released in 1999.

Personal Life

Kurt Luedtke was married to Eleanor for 55 years. They met while working at the Miami Herald newspaper. He successfully recovered from cancer two times during his life.

Kurt Luedtke passed away on August 9, 2020. He was 80 years old. He died from multiple organ failure at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

See also

In Spanish: Kurt Luedtke para niños