by Steven Linakis about American deserters in Europe at the end of World War Two. Lawrence Turman was producer and Martin Ritt attached as director but the studio, 20th Century Fox, decided not to make it because they wanted Pentagon co-operation for Patton (1970). The Thing of It Is... aka That's Life (1968) – adapted from his novel Piano Man – adaptation of his novel Father's Day Papillon – adaptation of the novel which was not used Grand Hotel (late 1970s/early 1980s) – musical remake of the 1932 MGM film, with Norman Jewison to direct The Sea Kings (late 1970s) – a pirate movie about the relationship between Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard, the first of a three-picture deal with Joseph E. Levine – Goldman says he wrote the part of Blackbeard for Sean Connery and at one stage Richard Lester was attached as director – Goldman says Connery and Roger Moore were considered stars, then later Roger and Dudley Moore – however the film was too expensive to make The Ski Bum aka Hot Shot (1981) – based on the article "The Ski Bum as an Endangered Species" by Jean Vallely – Goldman says this was never made due to tension between the producer and the studio The Right Stuff – adaptation of the Tom Wolfe book that was not used Rescue! (1980–81) – story of the rescue of employees of Ross Perot by Arthur D. Simons during the Iranian revolution – Goldman says this foundered when Clint Eastwood, the only suitable star to play Bull Simons, elected to make Firefox Flora Quick, Dead or Alive The National Pastime Singing Out Loud – unproduced musical worked on with Rob Reiner and Stephen Sondheim Low Fives (1992) – comedy about an African who plays for a basketball team in a small college, commissioned by Danny DeVito and intended to star John Cleese and DeVito Shazam! (c 2003) – adaptation of Captain Marvel comic book The Shooter – an adaptation of the Steven Hunter novel Point of Impact that was to have been directed by Lee Tamahori Mission: Impossible 2 – script that was not used Television Mr. Horn (1979) City in Fear (1980) – contributed to idea Novels The Thing of It Is series: The Thing of It Is... (1967) Father's Day (1971) Babe Levy series: Marathon Man (1974) Brothers (1986) Stand-alones: The Temple of Gold (1957) Your Turn to Curtsy,