32nd Writers Guild of America Awards
# 32nd Writers Guild of America Awards

The 32nd Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best television, and film writers of 1979. Winners were announced in 1980.

## Winners & Nominees

### Film

Winners are listed first highlighted in boldface.

| Best Drama Written Directly for the Screenplay The China Syndrome, Written by Mike Gray, T.S. Cook and James Bridges Apocalypse Now, Written by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola | Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screenplay Breaking Away, Written by Steve Tesich 10, Written by Blake Edwards Manhattan, Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman |
| - | - |
| Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium Kramer vs. Kramer, Screenplay by Robert Benton; Based on the novel by Avery Corman Norma Rae, Screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium Being There, Screenplay by Jerzy Kosiński; Based on his novel A Little Romance, Screenplay by Allan Burns; Based on the novel by Claude Klotz Starting Over, Screenplay by James L. Brooks; Based on the novel by Dan Wakefield |

### Television

| Episodic Comedy "Are You Now, Margaret" – M*A*S*H (CBS) – Thad Mumford and Dan Wilcox "The reluctant Fighter" – Taxi (ABC) – Ken Estin "The Indian" – Barney Miller (ABC) – Reinhold Weege, Judith Anne Nielsen and Richard Beban "The Young and the Restless" – M*A*S*H (CBS) – Mitch Markowitz "Period of Adjustment" – M*A*S*H (CBS) – Jim Mulligan and John Rappaport "Good-Bye Radar: Part 1 & 2" – M*A*S*H (CBS) – Ken Levine and David Isaacs "Honor Thy Father" – Taxi (ABC) – Glen Charles and Les Charles "Elaine's Secret Admirer" – Taxi (ABC) – Barry Kemp | Episodic Drama "Vet" – Lou Grant (CBS) – Leon Tokatyan "Only the Pretty Girls Die: Part 1 & 2" – Eischied (NBC) – Mark Rodgers "Exposé" – Lou Grant (CBS) – David Lloyd "Slammer" – Lou Grant (CBS) – Johnny Dawkins "Home" – Lou Grant (CBS) – Gary David Goldberg "Love Is the Word" – The Rockford Files (NBC) – David Chase "The Burden" – The Waltons (CBS) – Ernie Wallengren |
| - | - |
| Daytime Serials Guiding Light (CBS) – Jean Rouverol, Phyllis White, Bridget Dobson, Robert Soderberg, Robert White, Patti Dizenzo, Jerome Dobson and Charles Dizenzo Days of Our Lives (NBC) – Ann Marcus, Joyce Perry, Ray Goldstone, Laura Olsher, Rocci Chatfield and Michael Robert David Ryan's Hope (ABC) – Claire Labine, Paul Avila Mayer, Mary Munisteri, Jeffrey Lane and Judith Pinsker | Children's Script - Episodic & Specials "New York City Too Far From Tampa Blues" – NBC Special Treat (NBC) – Edward Pomerantz "Make Believe Marriage" – ABC Afterschool Special (ABC) – Jeffrey Kindley "Going Out" – Friends (ABC) – Liz Coe "Show #4" – Hot Hero Sandwich (NBC) – David R. Axelrod, Joseph A. Bailey, Andy Beckerman, Richard Camp, Sherry Coben, Bruce Hart, Carole Hart and Marianne Meyer |
| Multi-Part Long Form Series and/or Any Production of More Than Two Parts Backstairs at the White House (NBC) – Gwen Bagni and Paul Dubov |

### Special Awards

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement :

* Billy Wilder, and I.A.L. Diamond |
* Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement |
* Howard Rodman |
* Valentine Davies Award |
* David W. Rintels |
* Morgan Cox Award |
* Fay Kanin |
