Babaloo Mandel

Photo of Babaloo Mandel

Biography

As one of the most successful comedy screenwriting teams in Hollywood, Marc "Babaloo Mandel, along with writing partner Lowell Ganz, penned some of the biggest hits of the 1980s and 1990s. After serving time as a joke writer for the likes of Joan Rivers, Mandel partnered with Ganz and embarked on an incredibly successful feature career that benefited from frequent collaborations with producer Brian Glazer and director Ron Howard, starting with …
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Job Title

Actor, Producer, Writer, Consultants & Advisors, Visual Effects & Animation

Born

Marc Mandel on October 13, 1949 in New York City, New York, USA

Career Milestones

2010

Re-teamed with Lowell Ganz to write "The Tooth Fairy"

2005

Collaborated on the screenplay for the computer-animated comedy, "Robots"

2005

Adapted the Nick Hornby novel, "Fever Pitch" for the screen

2000

Penned the screenplay for "Where the Heart Is," starring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd

1999

Co-wrote (with Ganz) the Ron Howard directed, "EDtv"

1997

Worked on screenplay for the Billy Crystal and Robin Williams comedy, "Father's Day"

1996

Co-wrote the comedy, "Multiplicity"; co-produced and directed by Harold Ramis

1995

Contributed to the script for Billy Crystal's "Forget Paris"

1994

Co-wrote sequel of "City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold"

1992

First film with executive producer credit, Billy Crystal's "Mr. Saturday Night"

1992

Collaborated with Ganz on the screenplay for "A League of Their Own"; directed by Penny Marshall

1991

First collaboration with Billy Crystal on screenplay for "City Slickers"

1990

Collaborated with Ganz and Ron Howard on the screenplay for "Parenthood"; Howard also directed

1986

Served as executive producer for short-lived TV sitcom version of "Gung Ho"

1985

Collaborated with Dan Aykroyd on the screenplay for John Landis' "Spies Like Us"

1984

Co-wrote the screenplay for the Ron Howard directed, "Splash"; earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay

1982

First feature credit for the screenplay of Ron Howard's "Night Shift"; first collaboration with Grazer and Howard

Approached by producer Brian Grazer with the story idea for "Night Shift"

1981

Collaborated with Ganz on episodes of ABC's "Happy Days"

1976

First job as a staff writer on ABC's "Laverne and Shirley"

Given the nickname 'Babaloo' by Ganz as an allusion to a character in the Philip Roth novel, Portnoy's Complaint

Met future writing partner Lowell Ganz at Hollywood's Comedy Store in the early 1970s

Worked as a joke writer; sold material to such comics as Joan Rivers

Awards

1984

National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay in Splash

1984

Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly For the Screen) in Splash