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David Morrell(I)

  • Writer
  • Actor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
David Morrell
David Morrell was born in 1943, shortly after his father was killed in action. His mother could not both raise him and have a job, so David was sent to an orphange. He went to Pennsylvania State University from 1966-70, where he was inspired by his teacher, writer William Tenn. In 1972 he wrote First Blood (1982), which later became the legendary movie introducing John Rambo played by Sylvester Stallone in 1982. He was a professor of American literature at the University of Iowa and taught from 1970 to 1986, where he resigned. In 1987 he lost his 15 year old son Matthew because of bone cancer. He left Iowa and today he lives with his wife and daughter in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has written several novels and First Blood is probably the most famous.
BornApril 24, 1943
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornApril 24, 1943
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Photos11

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    Known for

    Sylvester Stallone in First Blood (1982)
    First Blood
    7.7
    • Writer
    • 1982
    Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
    Rambo: First Blood Part II
    6.5
    • Writer
    • 1985
    Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
    Rambo: Last Blood
    6.1
    • Writer
    • 2019
    Sylvester Stallone in Rambo III (1988)
    Rambo III
    5.8
    • Writer
    • 1988

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • Long Lost
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
    • Do Not Enter
      • book
      • Completed
    • Rambo: New Blood
      • characters
      • In Development
      • TV Series



    • Lloyd Ahlquist and Peter Shukoff in Epic Rap Battles of History (2010)
      Epic Rap Battles of History
      8.1
      TV Series
      • John Rambo created by
      • 2021
    • Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
      Rambo: Last Blood
      6.1
      • based on the character created by
      • 2019
    • Steve Blum, Ed Boon, Matthew Yang King, Sunil Malhotra, Ron Yuan, and Dimitri 'Vegas' Thivaios in Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
      Mortal Kombat 11
      7.9
      Video Game
      • character created by: John Rambo
      • 2019
    • First Blood: Humorous Ending (2014)
      First Blood: Humorous Ending
      8.0
      Video
      • based on the novel by
      • 2014
    • First Blood: Alternate Ending (2014)
      First Blood: Alternate Ending
      7.2
      Video
      • based on the novel by
      • 2014
    • Rambone XXX: A DreamZone Parody
      6.5
      Video
      • characters
      • 2013
    • Rambo III
      Rambo III
      Video
      • author
    • Rambo: First Blood Part II
      Rambo: First Blood Part II
      5.2
      Video
      • author
    • First Blood
      First Blood
      Video
      • author
    • The Naked Edge
      The Naked Edge
      Video
      • author
    • Rambo: Extended Cut Scenes (2010)
      Rambo: Extended Cut Scenes
      7.6
      Video
      • character
      • 2010
    • The Brotherhood of the Rose
      The Brotherhood of the Rose
      Video
      • author
    • Rambo (2008)
      Rambo
      6.0
      Video Game
      • characters (uncredited)
      • 2008
    • Sylvester Stallone in Rambo (2008)
      Rambo
      7.0
      • character
      • 2008
    • Zachary Oberzan in Flooding with Love for the Kid (2007)
      Flooding with Love for the Kid
      7.8
      • principal author
      • 2007

    Actor



    • The Towering Inferno: The Writer, Stirling Silliphant
      7.6
      Video
      • 2006

    Producer



    • Sylvester Stallone in Rambo (2008)
      Rambo
      7.0
      • associate producer (uncredited)
      • 2008

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Personal details

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    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • Google+
    • Born
      • April 24, 1943
      • Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
    • Other works
      Article: "The Man Who Created Rambo", "Playboy" (USA), August 1988, p. 88-89+134-137.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview
      • 1 Article

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      David Morrell actually wrote First Blood (1982) at the same time he was writing his dissertation on American literature, and submitted both at the same time. When his agent called to tell him of the sale, Morrell actually thought he was talking about his dissertation being accepted.
    • Quotes
      The first scripts [for Rambo III (1988)) I saw were excellent, particular the character of a fortyish female French physician who takes care of Afghan children injured during the war. The story had an epical RAMBO OF ARABIA feel. But for budgetary and other reasons, the scripts got simpler until the released film felt like a cartoon. One of the subtexts I added was that the Soviet War with Afghanistan was a version of America's involvement in Vietnam, with similar fracturing effects to each country's veterans and culture.

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