Writing

Michael Elias

Born

1940-09-20 (86)

Place of birth

Woodburn, New York, USA

Known for

Writing

Credits

18 titles

Known for

Children of the Dust poster
7.1

Gypsy Smith, is a gunfighter and a bounty hunter. When he leads the US army into a Cheyenne camp to capture a suspected Indian renegade, a long train of events begins that finally lead to that 'good day to die'. White Wolf, only a child, is one of the few survivors of the massacre of his tribe that day, and Gypsy brings him to live with the Maxwell family, where he grows up not fully Indian and not really white but a bit too close to Rachel, the Maxwell daughter. Gypsy now reappears, leading a group of Black settlers from the post-Civil War South to start a new life in a town of their own - Freedom in the Oklahoma Territory, its first black settlement. White Wolf (or Corby as a 'white' name') is now with his people, but all of these parts come back together in conflict, violence, loss, and Pyrric triumph.

Children of the Dust

1995

Beaches poster
6.7

A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.

Beaches

1988

The Jerk poster
6.9

After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.

The Jerk

1979

Young Doctors in Love poster
5.3

An 'Airplane!'-style spoof of hospital soap operas—a brilliant young trainee can't stand the sight of blood; a doctor romances the head nurse in order to get the key to the drugs cabinet; and there's a mafioso on the loose disguised as a woman.

Young Doctors in Love

1982

The Frisco Kid poster
6.1

Rabbi Avram arrives in Philadelphia from Poland en route to San Francisco where he will be a congregation's new rabbi. An innocent and inexperienced traveller, he is tricked by con men to pay for the trip to go west, then they leave him and his belongings scattered along a deserted road. He is befriended by a stranger, Tommy, who is a bank robber and have many adventures during their journey.

The Frisco Kid

1979

Serial poster
5.6

A man resists the California fads that his wife, friends and wealthy Marin County neighbors embrace.

Serial

1980

Film credits

Series credits

Behind the camera

The Jerk poster
6.9

After discovering he's not really black like the rest of his family, likable dimwit Navin Johnson sets off on a hilarious misadventure that takes him from rags to riches and back again. The slaphappy jerk strikes it rich, but life in the fast lane isn't all it's cracked up to be and, in the end, all that really matters to Johnson is his true love.

The Jerk

1979

Young Doctors in Love poster
5.3

An 'Airplane!'-style spoof of hospital soap operas—a brilliant young trainee can't stand the sight of blood; a doctor romances the head nurse in order to get the key to the drugs cabinet; and there's a mafioso on the loose disguised as a woman.

Young Doctors in Love

1982

The Frisco Kid poster
6.1

Rabbi Avram arrives in Philadelphia from Poland en route to San Francisco where he will be a congregation's new rabbi. An innocent and inexperienced traveller, he is tricked by con men to pay for the trip to go west, then they leave him and his belongings scattered along a deserted road. He is befriended by a stranger, Tommy, who is a bank robber and have many adventures during their journey.

The Frisco Kid

1979

Serial poster
5.6

A man resists the California fads that his wife, friends and wealthy Marin County neighbors embrace.

Serial

1980

Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty poster
7.0

Steve Martin's second NBC special was made up entirely of sketches. Highlights include: Marty Robbins' "El Paso" with monkeys; "The Death Of Socrates"; and "Bizarre Oddities Of The World."

Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty

1980

Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy poster
7.8

Steve Martin's first network special for NBC offers part concert footage (shot at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles) and part sketch comedy.

Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy

1978

Black Bart poster
3.8

A television series titled Black Bart was produced for CBS based on Andrew Bergman's original story for Blazing Saddles (Black Bart was the movie's original title). It featured Lou Gossett, Jr. as Bart and Steve Landesberg as his drunkard sidekick, a former Confederate officer named "Reb Jordan". The Humour was much more toned down than it's feature film predecessor Other cast members included Millie Slavin and Noble Willingham. Bergman is listed as the sole creator. CBS aired the pilot once on April 4, 1975 as a CBS Special Presentation. The pilot featured guest appearances by Gerrit Graham and Brooke Adams and was written by Michael Elias and Rich Eustis. Elias and Eutis later created and executive produced the ABC sitcom Head of the Class (1986-1991).

Black Bart

1975

Lush Life poster
7.2

Jeff Goldblum and Forest Whitaker star as New York jazz musicians, forced to confront a life beyond their hedonistic existence when a personal crisis strikes.

Lush Life

1993

Lush Life poster
7.2

Jeff Goldblum and Forest Whitaker star as New York jazz musicians, forced to confront a life beyond their hedonistic existence when a personal crisis strikes.

Lush Life

1993

Envoyez les violons poster
5.5

Fred, a commercial director, decides to learn the flute to relieve his stress. His music teacher is none other than Isabelle, a flutist he once saw playing in the subway. He falls under her charm.

Envoyez les violons

1988

No Laughing Matter poster
7.0

Emma is the bright, attractive and funny widowed mother of teen honor-student Charlie. She has a drinking problem that seemingly increases exponentially, and Charlie has problems of his own, chief among them the pregnancy of his girlfriend Lauren...

No Laughing Matter

1998