Subject: Kurt Luedtke Written Out of The Script

Veteran Detroit newsman and acclaimed screenwriter Kurt Luedtke Has passed away at the age of 80. :\'(. Kurt wrote the screenplays for1980s hits Out of Africa as well as Absence of Malice which starred Paul Newman and the lovely Sally Field :-*.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2020/08/09/kurt-luedtke-author-editor-oscar-winning-screenwriter-dies-80/3331937001/

Now here’s some InThe00s trivia for you. The Paul Newman character in Malice was based on the business partner of a rather interesting buddy of mine back in Motown. They were in the trucking business and were convicted of threatening the use of physical violence in order to extract contract concessions from the local Teamster drivers, using the services of a local reputed mobster. Which is a violation of the Hobbs Act and this displeased the Feds.  When my buddy was under trial for this in the early 80’s, the jurors were quizzed as to whether or not they had seen the flick, since my buddy’s co-conspirator (and their alleged coercion of union members) was the inspiration for the Paul Newman character.  My buddy and his partner (and a couple other guys) ultimately did 4 years in the slam, in a case that took nearly a decade to resolve.