“Don Simpson was right about Robert Altman. Screenwriter, Ring Lardner wrote M*A*S*H (1970) and director Altman praised his script in early interviews. After the movie was a hit, Altman said that he had tossed out Lardner’s script and written it himself. The movie’s producer, George Litto, said, “Bob was never one to acknowledge a writer’s contribution. The movie was ninety percent Ring Lardner’s script, but Bob started saying he improvised the movie. I said,* ‘Bob, Ring Lardner gave you the best opportunity you had in your whole life. Ring was blacklisted for years. What you’re doing is very unfair to him and you ought to stop it.’” PlagiarismEgocentricPiracy1970sFilm QuotesHollywood QuotesAuteur TheoryScreenwriting QuotesNew HollywoodScreenwriter Quotes Book:The Devil's Guide to Hollywood: The Screenwriter as God! Source: The Devil's Guide to Hollywood: The Screenwriter as God!