---
name: "David S. Ward"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-s-ward"
fi1m_id: "david-s-ward"
imdb_id: "nm0911486"
tmdb_id: 12920
wikidata_id: "Q720293"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "25 October 1945"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-17T17:48:07.729196+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David S. Ward

## Identity

David S. Ward

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-s-ward
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-s-ward
- **IMDb ID:** nm0911486
- **TMDB ID:** 12920
- **Wikidata ID:** Q720293
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_S._Ward, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q720293, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911486/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12920

Writer. Born 25 October 1945 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 25 October 1945, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- **Active:** 1973–1993
- **Also known as:** Joaquin Montana, David Ward, David Schad Ward
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as writer, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 85 (1), 1990s 78 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_S._Ward, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q720293, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911486/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12920

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Sleepless in Seattle*](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md) (78)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

David S. Ward is an American screenwriter and film director. He was born on 25 October 1945 in Providence, Rhode Island. He studied at Pomona College, the University of Southern California and the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Ward wrote the screenplay for *The Sting* (1973), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), receiving an Academy Award nomination. His other writing credits include *The Milagro Beanfield War* (1988), *Major League* (1989) and *Flyboys* (2006). He has directed films including *Major League* (1989), *King Ralph* (1991), *The Program* (1993), *Major League II* (1994) and *Down Periscope* (1996).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), Fi1m 78, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md)
- *The Sting* (1973), Fi1m 85, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)

## Complete filmography (16)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *I'll Find You* (2019), Writer
- *Bloodwork* (2012), Producer
- *Flyboys* (2006), Screenplay
- *Major League: Back to the Minors* (1998), Characters
- *Down Periscope* (1996), Director
- *Major League II* (1994), Director, Characters, Producer
- *The Program* (1993), Writer, Director
- *Sleepless in Seattle* (1993), Screenplay — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/sleepless-in-seattle.md)
- *King Ralph* (1991), Director, Writer
- *Major League* (1989), Director, Writer
- *The Milagro Beanfield War* (1988), Screenplay
- *Saving Grace* (1986), Writer
- *The Sting II* (1983), Writer
- *Cannery Row* (1982), Director, Writer
- *The Sting* (1973), Writer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)
- *Steelyard Blues* (1973), Writer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- 1994: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Sleepless in Seattle*
- 1974: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won), for *The Sting*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-s-ward