Hollywood, The Blacklist and "The Way We Were"
Arthur Laurents wrote some of Hollywood's most memorable screenplays including "The Turning Point," Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope," "Anastasia" and, of course, the film versions of both "Gypsy" and "West Side Story."

When it came time to adapt "The Way We Were" for the screen, Laurents, director Sydney Pollack and producer Ray Stark were at odds. They didn't like Laurent's early screenplay drafts, so much in fact that Laurents was actually fired as the screenwriter.

Stark was unhappy with Laurents' early drafts which apparently placed more emphasis on the political aspects of the story and less on the romance. Those hired to replace Laurents didn't fare any better. Stark and Pollack pleaded with Laurents to return, which he did at a hefty increase in compensation. His final screenplay managed to find an acceptable balance of both themes.

It's no wonder that Arthur Laurents wanted to play up the political subtext on "The Way We Were." It came from the author's' own personal experiences on the matter. Laurents was one of the many Hollywood writers who were blacklisted in the late 40s and early '50s. When one of his works was reviewed in "The Daily Worker," Laurents was called to Washington to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Unlike some of his colleagues however, Laurents was able to rebound. The whole blacklist debacle had no lasting effect on his career.

Laurents wrote about "The Way We Were" at length in his 2000 autobiography, "Original Story." In an interesting anecdote, Laurents discusses the reason why he felt Barbra didn't win the Best Actress Oscar:

"Katie Morosky was an Oscar-winning role. What could have guaranteed Barbra's winning was a long, heart-breaking telephone call. Instead, I think it cost her the Oscar. Almost from the first word, there was the fixed speech; it came and went, taking reality with it ... How I wished I could have directed her in that phone call! There was no reason for her to hide her face; Barbra Streisand understood rejection. What she needed was help from someone who understood her; then the Oscar she wanted would have been hers."
 

Bradway and "Wholesale"
Arthur Laurents was a six time Tony nominee and two time winner. He won his Tonys for directing the original production of "La Cage aux Folles" in 1984 and for writing the musical "Hallelujah Baby!" in 1968.

Laurents was the author of not one, but two theatrical masterpieces. He wrote both "Gypsy" in 1959 and "West Side Story" in 1957 - literary accomplishments that will forever insure his place as one of the greatest authors of American theatre.

Laurents was working right 'till the very end. He directed a critically acclaimed Broadway revival of "West Side Story" that closed this past January. His final production of "West Side Story" was nominated for three Tonys.

As for "Gypsy," many consider Laurent's adaptation of the Gypsy Rose Lee memoir to be the quintessential Broadway musical. It was first produced in 1959 as a star vehicle for Ethel Merman. With lyrics by Steven Sondheim and music by Jule Styne, "Gypsy" received eight Tony nominations but came up empty handed on award night. Since then, "Gypsy" has more than made up for that initial Tony snub. Collectively, its four subsequent Broadway revivals racked up 6 Tony wins, including Best Actress trophies for Angela Lansbury (1975), Tyne Daly (1990) and Patti LuPone (2008).