Michael McDowell

Michael McEachern McDowell (June 1, 1950 – December 27, 1999) was an American novelist and screenwriter. He was described by Stephen King as "the finest writer of paperback originals in America today." His best-known work is the screenplay for the Tim Burton film Beetlejuice.

Early life and education

McDowell was born in 1950 in Enterprise, Alabama, He received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from Harvard University, McDowell wrote several series with wide differences in tone and subject matter. His historical novels were praised for their well-researched and accurate details, and range from Gilded Age New York City to Great Depression Alabama.

McDowell collaborated with his close friend Dennis Schuetz in writing four mysteries starring characters Daniel Valentine and Clarisse Lovelace: Vermillion (1980), Cobalt (1982), Slate (1984), and Canary (1986). The four novels were published under the pseudonym Nathan Aldyne.

McDowell and Schuetz also released two psychological thrillers, Blood Rubies (1982) and Wicked Stepmother (1983), under the pseudonym Axel Young. Both books were over-the-top parodies of Sidney Sheldon-type suspense novels.

In the mid-1980s, McDowell wrote the "Jack and Susan" mysteries for Ballantine Books, featuring characters reminiscent of the Thin Man films. The series included Jack and Susan in 1953 (1985), Jack and Susan in 1913 (1986), and Jack and Susan in 1933 (1987). The books chronicled the adventures of an eternally youthful couple and their dog. McDowell was contracted to do one for each decade of the century, but he exited the contract after three.

His screenwriting credits included Beetlejuice (1988), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and Thinner (1996). McDowell also wrote the novelization of Clue in 1985. The film featured three different endings, but the novelization was based on the shooting script and includes an additional fourth ending that was cut from the film. He also contributed screenplays to a number of television horror anthologies, including Tales from the Darkside.

McDowell was one of seventeen contemporary British and American horror writers interviewed by Douglas E. Winter in his 1985 interview book Faces of Fear. Of his own writing, McDowell said: "I am a commercial writer and I'm proud of that. [...] I am writing things to be put in the bookstore next month. [...] I think it is a mistake to try to write for the ages." Stephen King described McDowell as "the finest writer of paperback originals in America today." He also had one brother, James.

McDowell's partner was theater historian and director Laurence Senelick, whom he met in 1969 when McDowell was a cast member of a play Senelick directed, Bartholomew Fair. McDowell and Senelick remained together for thirty years until McDowell's death.

McDowell was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994. After his diagnosis, McDowell taught screenwriting at Boston University and Tufts University while continuing to write commissioned screenplays. One of his final projects, upon which he was working at the time of his death, was a sequel to Beetlejuice. His final, unfinished novel Candles Burning was completed by novelist Tabitha King and published in 2006.

McDowell specialized in collecting death memorabilia. His collection reportedly filled over seventy-six boxes, including items such as death pins, photographs, and plaques from infant caskets. After his death, the collection was acquired by Northwestern University, where it went on display in 2013.