Paperback Celluloid: Elmore Leonard on FIlm

This is the first of a series of books examining the film adaptations of fiction authors. This book reviews the films based on books or screenplays, original or adapted,

Elmore Leonard wrote 45 novels and dozens of short stories, 26 of which were made into films, and a further 5 films were made from original screenplays by him. The films span from 1957 to 2012, adapting work by Leonard published between 1951 and 1999. A few were major productions directed by major directors (Quentin Tarantino), some were minor or average productions directed by major directors (Bud Boetticher, Richard Fleischer) some others, mostly for TV, routine fare directed by illustrious unknowns. The rest fall somewhere in between.

ew writers, and possibly none of the stature of Elmore Leonard, had so much of their output adapted to the screen. From the 1960's on he admitted he often wrote with an eye on film rights, and from the late 70's onwards the vast majority of his work was filmed, including most of his novels from the 50's to the mid-70's.

This book seeks to ascertain to what extent the film adaptations of Elmore Leonard´s novels or original screenplays would lend themselves to orthodox auteur analysis. Can you discern the author of The Captives behind Budd Boetticher´s The Tall T? What is The Moonshine War? a Richard Quine film based on an Elmore Leonard novel or rather an Elmore Leonard novel adapted to the screen. Both? None? Read on and find out.