William Stadiem

William Stadiem
Occupation Author and journalist
Language English
Nationality American
Education JD and MBA
Alma mater Columbia University and Harvard University
Genre Biography, history, popular culture, politics, food, and fiction
Website
williamstadiem.com

William Stadiem is an American lawyer, screenwriter, and author. He has written biographies on celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and George Hamilton, in addition to books about Frank Sinatra, Strom Thurmond, and others. He was the screenwriter for several Hollywood films in the 1980s and 1990s, and in the 2010s began to write general histories of Hollywood executives and members of the celebrity class. Stadiem is also a food critic and a former associate with the Sullivan & Cromwell law firm in New York City.

Early life

Stadiem was born in Kinston, North Carolina, and went to undergraduate school at Columbia College of Columbia University, graduating magna cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[1] He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1973 from their joint JD/MBA program, before becoming a lawyer on Wall Street in New York City[2][3] at Sullivan & Cromwell as a member of the New York bar.[1]

Screenwriting

Stadiem's first screenwriting credit was for the 1986 French-language film Flagrant Désir, after which he wrote an episode for the television drama L.A. Law.[4] Stadiem then wrote the screenplay for the 1988 Elizabeth Taylor film Young Toscanini, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.[3] In 1994 he was the screenwriter and credited for the story of the Dolph Lundgren film Pentathlon and the Christopher Walken film A Business Affair—in which he played the small role of William King.[4] His screenplay Garrison was the basis for Oliver Stone's movie JFK.[1]

Books

In 1979 Stadiem co-wrote Marilyn Monroe Confidential: An Intimate Personal Account with Monroe's long-time maid Lena Pepitone. The book became a New York Times best-seller.[5] He also wrote the book A Class By Themselves, a history of southern aristocracy, published in 1980.[1] Then in 1987 Stadiem co-authored the novel Lullaby and Good Night with Vincent Bugliosi. The novel was inspired by the Vivian Gordon murder case, that led to the formation of the anti-corruption Seabury Commission and the resignation of Mayor Jimmy Walker. It tells the story of Emily Stanton, a showgirl in 1920s (Jazz Age) Manhattan who is framed as a prostitute by the city's Vice Squad, to aid her rich husband in obtaining custody of her daughter and her subsequent quest for redemption. It would also become a New York Times best-seller.[6]

In 1991, Stadiem wrote the biographical work Too Rich: The High Life and Tragic Death of King Farouk.[7] Then in 1993 he released Madam 90210: My Life as a Madam to the Rich and Famous with co-author Alex Adams, better known as Madam Alex, whose life the book is about.[2] The first print-run for the book was 100,000 copies.[8] In 2003 Stadiem co-wrote a biography of Frank Sinatra with Sinatra's long-time friend and valet George Jacobs, entitled Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra. The book was developed from the thousands of pages of notes that Jacobs had taken while in Sinatra's employ, spanning the breadth of Sinatra's career. It would become Stadiem's third New York Times best-selling book.[9] In 2005 he co-authored the book Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond with Essie Mae Washington-Williams, the eldest daughter of Strom Thurmond.[10] The book was nominated for both a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.[1]

In 2007 he co-authored the book Everybody Eats There with Mara Gibbs, about the world's most impressive restaurants.[11] Then in 2008 he co-authored the memoir of George Hamilton, entitled Don't Mind If I Do.[12] In 2012 Stadiem wrote the book Moneywood, which covers the lives of Hollywood producers and studio executives during the 1980s.[5] In 2014 Stadiem will release his next book Jet Set: The People, the Planes, the Glamour and the Romance in Aviation's Glory Years, about the "jet set" class from the 1950s to the 1970s, specifically during the era of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.[13] In 2016, The Auctioneer: Adventures in the Art Trade, a memoir co-written with auctioneer Simon de Pury, was published by St. Martin's Press.

Magazine writing

During the 1980s, Stadiem served as the Hollywood reporter for Andy Warhol's magazine Interview.[14][15] In the 1990s Stadiem wrote restaurant reviews for Buzz Magazine and Los Angeles Magazine in Los Angeles, for both domestic and international establishments,[16] in addition to interviews and features.[17] He has also contributed to Vanity Fair.[5] In 2007 his Playboy Magazine article "L.A. Hookers, Russian Gangsters, Sex and Death" was anthologized in the book Playboy Book of True Crime.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Biography for William Stadiem". Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Michael Blowen (November 13, 1993). "A pro or a con?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Author: William Stadiem". Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "William Stadiem profile". IMDB. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Janet Maslin (December 25, 2012). "Big Money and Mischief in Reagan-Era Hollywood". New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  6. ↑ Bill Brashler (November 8, 1987). "Bugliosi's novel has quality of a fairy tale: unbelievable". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Too Rich review". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ Robert Taylor (September 5, 1993). "BOOKMAKING". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  9. ↑ Michele Norris (August 13, 2013). "Interview: George Jacobs and William Stadiem on their new book about Frank Sinatra". NPR. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  10. ↑ Adele Logan Alexander (January 25, 2005). "The Still Untold Story of the Senator's Child". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Everybody Eats There review". Publishers Weekly. April 30, 2007.
  12. ↑ Janet Maslin (November 5, 2008). "Don't Mind If I Do review". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  13. ↑ Liz Smith (April 3, 2014). "The Jet Set review". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  14. ↑ Janet Maslin (June 17, 2003). "Mr. S book review". International Herald Tribune.
  15. ↑ Charles Trueheart (January 10, 1989). "The Magazine Reader; Weatherwise's Inauguration Speculation". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  16. ↑ William F. Powers (January 7, 1996). "Foodies on the Road". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  17. ↑ Vicki Hengen (November 13, 1996). "Sending up starlets; to live and diary in LA". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Playboy Book of True Crime". Retrieved May 23, 2014.
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