John Bishop, a noted playwright and screenwriter, died December 20 at the age of 77. His entry in Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin, is as follows:

BISHOP, JOHN (D.) (1929-2006)

* The Harvesting (Dramatists Play Service, 1984, pb) 2-act play.
* The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (Dramatists Play Service, 1987, pb) Chappell, 1989. 2-act play.

— Screenwriter
* Drop Zone, Paramount 1994; with Peter Barsocchini.

“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” a sendup of vintage murder-mystery comedies which Mr. Bishop both wrote and directed, appeared on Broadway in 1987.

Drop Zone

Besides Drop Zone, an action-thriller which starred Wesley Snipes, Mr. Bishop also wrote the screenplay for The Package, a 1989 crime-drama with Gene Hackman. He later did rewrites on several other films, including Sliver, Beverly Hills Cop III, and Clear and Present Danger.