Dawn Bonker
Tom Mankiewicz, acclaimed screenwriter and beloved Chapman University faculty member since 2006 at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, passed away Saturday, July 31.
In a letter to faculty, Dodge College Dean Bob Bassett recalled Mankiewicz as “one of a kind.”
“A wonderful raconteur who brought Hollywood history to life through the living legacy of his storied family as well as his own filmography, Tom was a one-of-a-kind teacher, beloved by his students. He joined the Chapman family as a Marion Knott Filmmaker-in-Residence in 2006 and continued on as a Trustee Professor in the years that followed, always eager to meet the next crop of new students.
“Few people I know have the zest for life that Tom brought to everything he did. As most of you know, he sat on the bench in front of our building each week with his own set of ‘groupies’ who continued to be fascinated by the stories he would tell. Many a morning I came into school to be hailed by Tom saying, ‘Bob, did you hear the one about ….’ and off he’d go.
“The loss of Tom Mankiewicz is a loss not only for Dodge College but for the global film community.”
Services are pending. To read more about Mankiewicz, see his obituary in the
Los Angeles Times
.
R.I.P Tom Mankiewicz. You were an incredible filmmaker and a cherished mentor. Thanks for all the great stories and lessons you shared, they were invaluable. You were truly a one-of-a-kind artist, and helped cement Chapman and Dodge College’s repuation as a preimere film school. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
P.S. I kept my promise and still have that copy of ‘Live and Let Die.’ Going to hang on to it for a while.