01-04-2020, 05:20 PM
I believe Elmore Leonard is the most underrated American author ever. He is famous, but very few people realize how many movies and/or TV shows have been based on his works. He started out writing westerns but his crime novels are his best work.
Most of my favorite authors (Salman Rushdie, Iris Murdoch, Thomas Pynchon) have very complex and dense writing styles. Leonard has a very clean, sparse style but his dialogue and character develpoment are briliant. he also has a great sense of humor often turning mayhem and violence into laughter. His books are usually short and easy to read. I thnk that is why some people underestimate him. But the general public loves his work.
Some of these movies are old, but I recommend you check them out. Elmore wrote some of the screenplays, but most of these works were just adapted from his books.
MOVIES
"3:10 to Yuma" (1957) starring Glen Ford and (2007) starring Russell Crowe based on short story "3:10 to Yuma"
"The Tall T" (1957) Randolph Scott based on short story "The Tall T"
"Hombre" (1967) Paul Newman based on the novel "Hombre"
"The Big Bounce" (1969) Ryan O'Neal and (2004) starring Owen Wilson based on Novel "The Big Bounce"
"The Moonshine War" (1970) Richard Widmark and Alan Alda based on novel "The Moonshine War"
"Valdez is Coming" (1971) Burt Lancaster based on novel "Valdez is Coming"
"Joe Kid" (1972) Clint Eastwood screenplay by Leonard
"Mr Majestyk" (1974) Charles Bronson based on novel "Mr Majestyk"
"The Ambassador" (1984) Robert Mitchum and "52 Pick Up" (1986) Roy Scheider and Ann Margret both based on novel "52 Pick Up"
"Stick" (1985) Burt Reynolds based on the novel "Stick"
"The Rosary Murders" (1987) Donald Sutherland screenplay by Leonard
"Cat Chaser" (1989) Peter Weller, Kelly McGillis based novel "Cat Chaser" Leonard also wrote screenplay
"Get Shorty" (1995) John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito based on the novel "Get Shorty"
"Jackie Brown" (1997) Quinton Tarantino movie with all star cast based on novel "Rum Punch"
"Touch" (1997) Christpher Walken based on novel "Touch"
"Out of Sight" (1998) George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez based on novel "Out of Sight"
"Be Cool" (2005) sequal to "Get Shorty" based on novel "Be Cool".
"Kill Shot" (2009) Mickey Rourke and Diane Lane based on the novel "Killshot"
"Freaky Deaky" (2012) Christian Slater based on the novel "Freaky Deaky"
"Life of Crime" (2013) Jennifer Aniston based on novel "The Switch" (some of same characters from "Rum Punch")
TV SERIES/MOVIES
"Last Stand at Sabre River" (1997 movie) Tom Selleck based on novel "Last Stand at Sabre River"
"Maximum Bob" (1998 series) Beau Bridges based on novel "Maximum Bob"
"Justified" (2010-15 series) based on character U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens from the novels "Pronto", "Riding the Rap", and "Raylan"
"Karen Sisco" (2003-04 series) based on character U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco from novel (and movie) "Out of Sight"
"Get Shorty" (2017 series) based on chracters from novels (and movies) "Get Shorty" and "Be Cool"
Most of my favorite authors (Salman Rushdie, Iris Murdoch, Thomas Pynchon) have very complex and dense writing styles. Leonard has a very clean, sparse style but his dialogue and character develpoment are briliant. he also has a great sense of humor often turning mayhem and violence into laughter. His books are usually short and easy to read. I thnk that is why some people underestimate him. But the general public loves his work.
Some of these movies are old, but I recommend you check them out. Elmore wrote some of the screenplays, but most of these works were just adapted from his books.
MOVIES
"3:10 to Yuma" (1957) starring Glen Ford and (2007) starring Russell Crowe based on short story "3:10 to Yuma"
"The Tall T" (1957) Randolph Scott based on short story "The Tall T"
"Hombre" (1967) Paul Newman based on the novel "Hombre"
"The Big Bounce" (1969) Ryan O'Neal and (2004) starring Owen Wilson based on Novel "The Big Bounce"
"The Moonshine War" (1970) Richard Widmark and Alan Alda based on novel "The Moonshine War"
"Valdez is Coming" (1971) Burt Lancaster based on novel "Valdez is Coming"
"Joe Kid" (1972) Clint Eastwood screenplay by Leonard
"Mr Majestyk" (1974) Charles Bronson based on novel "Mr Majestyk"
"The Ambassador" (1984) Robert Mitchum and "52 Pick Up" (1986) Roy Scheider and Ann Margret both based on novel "52 Pick Up"
"Stick" (1985) Burt Reynolds based on the novel "Stick"
"The Rosary Murders" (1987) Donald Sutherland screenplay by Leonard
"Cat Chaser" (1989) Peter Weller, Kelly McGillis based novel "Cat Chaser" Leonard also wrote screenplay
"Get Shorty" (1995) John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito based on the novel "Get Shorty"
"Jackie Brown" (1997) Quinton Tarantino movie with all star cast based on novel "Rum Punch"
"Touch" (1997) Christpher Walken based on novel "Touch"
"Out of Sight" (1998) George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez based on novel "Out of Sight"
"Be Cool" (2005) sequal to "Get Shorty" based on novel "Be Cool".
"Kill Shot" (2009) Mickey Rourke and Diane Lane based on the novel "Killshot"
"Freaky Deaky" (2012) Christian Slater based on the novel "Freaky Deaky"
"Life of Crime" (2013) Jennifer Aniston based on novel "The Switch" (some of same characters from "Rum Punch")
TV SERIES/MOVIES
"Last Stand at Sabre River" (1997 movie) Tom Selleck based on novel "Last Stand at Sabre River"
"Maximum Bob" (1998 series) Beau Bridges based on novel "Maximum Bob"
"Justified" (2010-15 series) based on character U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens from the novels "Pronto", "Riding the Rap", and "Raylan"
"Karen Sisco" (2003-04 series) based on character U.S. Marshal Karen Sisco from novel (and movie) "Out of Sight"
"Get Shorty" (2017 series) based on chracters from novels (and movies) "Get Shorty" and "Be Cool"
