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David Mamet

Writer

David Mamet

Born November 30, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, USA47 films

David Alan Mamet (/ˈmæmɪt/; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker.

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He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays Glengarry Glen Ross(1984) and Speed-the-Plow (1988). He first gained critical acclaim for a trio of 1970s off-Broadway plays: The Duck Variations, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and American Buffalo. His plays, Race and The Penitent, respectively, opened on Broadway in 2009 and premiered off-Broadway in 2017.

Feature films that Mamet both wrote and directed include House of Games (1987), Homicide (1991), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), and his biggest commercial success, Heist (2001). His screenwriting credits include The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), The Verdict (1982), The Untouchables (1987), Hoffa (1992), Wag the Dog (1997), and Hannibal (2001). Mamet himself wrote the screenplay for the 1992 adaptation of Glengarry Glen Ross and wrote and directed the 1994 adaptation of his play Oleanna (1992). He created and produced the CBS series The Unit (2006–2009).

Mamet's books include: On Directing Film (1991), a commentary and dialogue about film-making; The Old Religion (1997), a novel about the lynching of Leo Frank; Five Cities of Refuge: Weekly Reflections on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (2004), a Torah commentary with Rabbi Lawrence Kushner; The Wicked Son (2006), a study of Jewish self-hatred and antisemitism; Bambi vs. Godzilla, a commentary on the movie business; The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American Culture (2011), a commentary on cultural and political issues; Three War Stories (2013), a trio of novellas about the physical and psychological effects of war; and Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood (2023), an autobiographical account of his experiences in Hollywood.

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The Untouchables posterFirst watchThe Untouchables19877.8Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach

Filmography

47 films
  1. TBAThe PrinceWriter
  2. TBAAssassinationScreenplay
  3. TBAHouse of GamesOriginal Film Writer
  4. TBASpeed the PlowTheatre Play
  5. TBARussian PolandWriter
  6. 2025Henry JohnsonWriter
  7. 2023The Penitent: A Rational ManTheatre Play
  8. 2022Just a SceneOriginal Story
  9. 2014About Last NightTheatre Play
  10. 2013Phil SpectorScreenplay
  11. 2011Glengarry Glen RossWriter
  12. 2010Two PaintersWriter
  13. 2010The MarqueeWriter
  14. 2010Our ValleyWriter
  15. 2010Inside the Actor's WorkshopWriter
  16. 2010Lost Masterpieces of PornographyWriter
  17. 2008RedbeltWriter
  18. 2006EdmondWriter
  19. 2004SpartanScreenplay
  20. 2001HeistWriter
  21. 2001HannibalScreenplay
  22. 2000State and MainScreenplay
  23. 2000LakeboatTheatre Play
  24. 1999The Winslow BoyWriter
  25. 1999LanskyWriter
  26. 1998RoninScreenplay
  27. 1997Wag the DogScreenplay
  28. 1997The Spanish PrisonerWriter
  29. 1997The EdgeScreenplay
  30. 1996American BuffaloScreenplay
  31. 1994OleannaScreenplay
  32. 1994Vanya on 42nd StreetScreenplay
  33. 1994TexanWriter
  34. 1993A Life in the TheatreTheatre Play
  35. 1992HoffaScreenplay
  36. 1992Glengarry Glen RossScreenplay
  37. 1992The Water EngineTheatre Play
  38. 1991Uncle VanyaWriter
  39. 1991HomicideWriter
  40. 1989We're No AngelsWriter
  41. 1989The ShawlWriter
  42. 1988Things ChangeWriter
  43. 1987House of GamesScreenplay
  44. 1987The UntouchablesWriter
  45. 1986About Last Night...Theatre Play
  46. 1982The VerdictScreenplay
  47. 1981The Postman Always Rings TwiceScreenplay