John Blumenthal

John Blumenthal
Born Middletown, New York
Occupation Author, editor
Language English
Nationality American
Education The Gunnery
Alma mater Tufts University
Genre comedy, satire, action
Subject neuroticism, hypochondria
Website

John Blumenthal (born 1949, Middletown, New York) is an American humorist best known for penning the screenplays for the action comedy films Short Time (1990) and Blue Streak (1999), the latter of which grossed $120 million at the worldwide box office. After an editorial stint at Esquire and a six-year term as an editor and writer for Playboy in the 1970s, he penned a number of satirical and comedic novels, notably What's Wrong with Dorfman and Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour. Common themes in his work include hypochondria, neuroticism, and a wry dissection of romance and relationships.

Early life, education

John Blumenthal was born in Middletown, New York in 1949. He developed an early interest in writing and has described his parents as “certifiable neurotics who unknowingly gave him most of his best material.”[1] He attended high school at The Gunnery in Washington, Connecticut where he founded, wrote, and edited the Gunnery Idiom, a spoof of prep school customs and slang, graduating in 1967. He went on to graduate from Tufts University with a BA in English in 1971.[2] Writers he has named as influences include Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller, Philip Roth, and John Irving.[1]

Writing career

Early years

At age 24 in 1973 he joined the editorial staff of Esquire Magazine, and shortly afterwards was hired as an editor and writer for Playboy.[3] One of his first assignments at Playboy was writing jokes to punch up an unfunny interview with an elderly Groucho Marx, an interview Groucho later wrote in to say was the best interview he'd ever given.[4] According to Blumenthal, it was working at Playboy throughout the 1970s that made him realize he had a talent for writing humor.[3]

In the 1980s Blumenthal wrote five books published by mainstream publishing houses, starting with The Official Hollywood Handbook in 1984, a parody of the film industry.[1] Afterwards he wrote two satirical crime novels for Simon & Schuster,[5] as well as a history of Hollywood High School based on research into student newspapers starting in 1918 and yearbooks dating from 1906.[6] He also co-authored a satire of romance novels entitled Love’s Reckless Rash, written under the pen-name Rosemary Cartwheel.[7]

Screenplays

In the late 1980s he stopped writing books in favor of screenplays for film and television.[1] He co-wrote a 1988 episode of the television detective comedy Simon & Simon, titled "Simon and Simon and Associates."[8] His first produced script was the 1990 comedy crime film Short Time, starring Dabney Coleman and Teri Garr. His second film, Blue Streak, was released by Columbia Pictures in 1999. Starring Martin Lawrence, it went on to earn $120,000,000 worldwide. According to Blumenthal the script for Blue Streak underwent rewrites by numerous screenwriters before hitting the screen, a process he found frustrating and ultimately inspired him to leave screenwriting and return to books.[1]

Later novels

What's Wrong with Dorfman?

In 1999 he finished a novel titled What's Wrong with Dorman?,[1] a semi-autobiographical but fictional comedy[4] following protagonist Martin Dorfman's quest to find a diagnosis for a mysterious disease that has suddenly incapacitated him. Dorfman, a cynical burned-out screenwriter with hypochondriac tendencies, eventually meets a fellow hypochondriac and begins a platonic affair,[4] all while trying to figure out if he is really sick or imagining his physical problems.[9]

According to Blumenthal it was initially rejected by twenty publishers on the grounds of being "mid-list," but he was inspired by the laudatory nature of the rejection letters to self-publish. It went on to receive positive reviews,[1] and was a January Magazine pick for Best of 2000 as well as a recipient of a Book Sense 76 citation[10] sponsored by the American Booksellers Association.[11] In 2002 St. Martin's Press bought the book,[1] publishing it on August 16, 2003.[5] The Wall Street Journal called it "a funny and surprisingly moving story written at the intersection of shtick and angst."[12]

Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour

His next novel, Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour, dealt also with a neurotic, hypochondriac protagonist while exploring themes such as obsession, romantic love and psychiatry. It was released by St. Martin's Press in 2004.[9]

Dubbed in a review as a "light comedic novel about how situations and people are not what they seem to be," it was extolled by comedian Carl Reiner[13] and received a largely positive response.[11] According to another review, "Blumenthal has uncovered a rich vein among the obsessive compulsives that populate this novel. Illness, physical or mental, is a longstanding metaphor for many levels of the human condition. It is a novel packed with gaiety and executed expertly."[9]

Three and a Half Virgins

In January 2012 he self-published his third comedic novel, Three and a Half Virgins. It deals heavily with themes of nostalgia versus reality and making amends for past romantic decisions, ultimately causing the protagonist to realize that the past is not necessarily prologue.[3] The Midwest Book Review called it "a fun dive into one man's past and its venom. Very much recommended."[14]

As of 2012 he blogs regularly for the Huffington Post[15] and has had articles published in Salon.[3] He has also freelanced as a writer for a variety of magazines such as the short-lived Men's Life, Playboy, TV Guide, and Christian Science Monitor.

Personal life

Blumenthal is married[4] and has two adult daughters.[3]

Publishing history

Screenplays

Books

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Williams, Bob. "Interview with John Blumenthal". Compulsive Reader. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  2. ↑ "John Blumenthal". Linkedin. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview with the author of "Three and a Half Virgins" John Blumenthal". Goodreads. July 18, 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Curry Levy, Sheree. "Talking with John Blumenthal, author of "What's Wrong With Dorfman"". Club Memoir. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  5. 1 2 Schofield, Mark (Fall 2003). "A Conversation with John Blumenthal". FictionForum. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  6. ↑ "HOLLYWOOD HIGH: The History of America's Most Famous Public School". KirkusReviews. October 3, 1988. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  7. ↑ "Love's Reckless Rash". AbeBooks. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  8. ↑ "John Blumenthal". IMDB. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  9. 1 2 3 Williams, Bob. "A review of Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour by John Blumenthal". The Compulsive Reader. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  10. ↑ "List for 2001". Book Sense 76. March 2001. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  11. 1 2 Menke, Mary Ward (October 2004). "The State of Romance: Review". January Magazine. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  12. ↑ "What's Wrong with Dorfman?". Macmillan Books. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  13. ↑ ""Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour" by John Blumenthal". BookSlut. August 2004. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  14. ↑ "Three and a Half Virgins: Review". Midwest Book Review. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  15. ↑ "John Blumenthal". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2013-01-12.

External links

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