"Casablanca" Tops 101 greatest screenplays

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) on Friday put the script for the 1942 film classic "Casablanca" on top of the 101 greatest screenplays list.

The screenplay for "The Godfather" came in second, followed by the scripts for "Chinatown," "Citizen Kane" and "All About Eve."

Professional film and television writers selected the 101 finalists from more than 1,400 screenplays. Any film, past or present, English-language or otherwise, was eligible. The list covers films released from the 1930s to the present.

Names of the screenplays were sent out last summer asking WGA members to list up to 10 of their favorite produced screenplays.

"Like a composer of a classic symphony or an author of a beloved novel, the most memorable and moving pictures would not exist without their principal architect -- the screenwriter," the WGA noted in a statement.

"Too often, classic films are linked only to their stars or directors, overlooking the original artists who first put pen to paper -- or more recently keyboard to laptop -- to create the kind of enduring works that have entertained and inspired generations of movie-going audiences around the globe," said the statement.

"Casablanca," written by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, received the most votes.

Here's the list of the top 10 movies and screenwriters:

1. "Casablanca," screenplay by Julius J., Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch;

2. "The Godfather," Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola;

3. "Chinatown," Robert Towne;

4. "Citizen Kane," Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles;

5. "All About Eve," Joseph L. Mankiewicz;

6. "Annie Hall," Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman;

7. "Sunset Boulevard," Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder and D. M. Marshman Jr.;

8. "Network," Paddy Chayefsky;

9. "Some Like It Hot," Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond;

10. "The Godfather II," Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo.

Source: Xinhua