Robert Klane, ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ Screenwriter, Dies at 81
04.09.2023 - 19:45
/ variety.com
Michaela Zee Robert Klane, screenwriter of films including “Weekend at Bernie’s” and “Where’s Poppa?,” died from kidney failure on Aug. 29 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 81.
Klane’s son Jon shared the news with Variety in a statement, which reads, “Klane’s satirical and daring writing pushed the boundaries of good taste, while depicting the unfairness of life through themes of sex, family, madness and death.” “Bob had a brilliant comedy mind that went deeper and deeper to get to the truth,” said filmmaker and Rob Reiner, who appeared in “Where’s Poppa?” “Most people have a censor in their minds and know how far they can go. Bob didn’t have a censor. That’s what made him great and set him apart.
He was fearless.” Klane wrote the screenplays for dark comedies such as 1989’s “Weekend at Bernie’s” and its 1993 sequel, as well as 1970’s “Where’s Poppa?,” which is based on his novel of the same name. His other screenwriting credits include “Every Little Crook and Nanny,” “Unfaithfully Yours,” “The Man With One Red Shoe,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Folks!” and “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.” Klane was born on Oct. 17, 1941, in Port Jefferson, Long Island.
His mother Adele was a homemaker and community volunteer, and his father Edward was a physician. After graduating from Bayport High School, Klane attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a degree in English in 1963. Random House published Klane’s first novel, “The Horse Is Dead,” in 1967.