Elmore John Leonard Jr. (born October 11, 1925), better known as
Elmore Leonard, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist and
screenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were
westernsWestern fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
, but Leonard went on to specialize in
crime fictionCrime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.
For a long time I've been walking down life's road with my two pals, Bad Luck and Bad Choices. Fortunately I'm a big believer in new beginnings, new friends, and running from my problems. So one day I decided to head for the island. Aloha, my name is Jack. 
Jack Ryan, The Big Bounce|The Big Bounce (1969)
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
Newsweek (April 22, 1985)
I leave out the parts that people skip.
When asked about the popularity of his detective novels, quoted by William Zinsser, A Family of Readers Book-of-the-Month Club (1986)
What do you tell a man with two black eyes? Nothing, he's already been told twice.
Darryl, Be Cool (1999)
My grandson, Max, who is an all state lacrosse player, once gave me some lacrosse advice: A limp pass is like a limp dick; it doesn't get the job done. I think the same can be said about limp writing.
Elmore's Ten Rules of Writing (2007)
After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. That's all right, it's still a pleasure.
"Making It Up as I Go Along", AARP Magazine 52 (4A), July/August 2009
Well, the man don't just have to die, Foley. I mean, he could accidentally hurt himself falling down on something real hard, you know? Like a shiv, or my dick?
Maurice "Snoopy" Miller,
It's like seeing someone for the first time, and you look at each other for a few seconds, and there's this kind of recognition like you both know something. Next moment the person's gone, and it's too late to do anything about it.
Jack Foley
I know a guy who walks into a bank with a little glass bottle. He tells everyone it's nitroglycerin. He scores some money off the teller, walks out. On his way out, the bottle breaks, he slips on it and knocks himself out. The "nitro" was Canola oil. I know more fucked-up bank robbers than ones who know what they're doing. I doubt if one in twenty could tell you where the dye pack is. Most bank robbers are fucking morons.
Jack Foley
Elmore John Leonard Jr. (born October 11, 1925), better known as
Elmore Leonard, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist and
screenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were
westernsWestern fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
, but Leonard went on to specialize in
crime fictionCrime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.
Among his best-known works are
Get ShortyGet Shorty is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name.-Plot summary:...
,
Out of SightOut of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
,
HombreHombre is a novel by American author Elmore Leonard, published in 1961. It was adapted into a film in 1967. It tells the story of an Apache man, John Russell, who leads the passengers of an attacked stagecoach through the desert to safety....
,
Mr. MajestykMr. Majestyk is a 1974 American action film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charles Bronson. The film is based on a novel written by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:...
and
Rum Punch, which was filmed as
Jackie BrownJackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
. Leonard's short stories include ones that became the films
3:10 to Yuma"Three-Ten to Yuma" is a short story written by Elmore Leonard. The story was first published in Dime Western Magazine, a 1950s pulp magazine, in March 1953. The story has since been adapted to the screen twice, in 1957 and in 2007.-Plot summary:...
and
The Tall TThe Tall T is a 1957 western film directed by Budd Boetticher. It stars Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Silva. The film was adapted by Burt Kennedy from an Elmore Leonard short story, "The Captives."...
, as well as the current TV series on FX,
JustifiedJustified is an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole". Its central character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky...
.
Biography
Leonard was born in New Orleans, but because his father worked as a site locator for
General MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, the family moved frequently for several years. In 1934, the family finally settled in Detroit. Leonard has made the Detroit area his home ever since.
In the 1930s, two major events occurred that would influence many of his works. Gangsters such as
Bonnie and ClydeBonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow were well-known outlaws, robbers, and criminals who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their exploits captured the attention of the American public during the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934...
were making national headlines, as were the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
baseball team. From about 1931 until they were killed in May, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde were on a rampage. The Tigers made it to the
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 1934 while winning it in 1935. Leonard developed lifelong fascinations with both sports and guns.
He graduated from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1943, and immediately joined the Navy, where he served with the Seabees for three years in the south Pacific (gaining the nickname 'Dutch', after pitcher Dutch Leonard ). Enrolling at the University of Detroit in 1946, he pursued writing more seriously, entering his work in short story contests and sending it off to magazines. A year before he graduated, he got a job as a copy writer with Campbell-Ewald Advertising agency, a position he kept for several years and wrote on the side. He graduated in 1950 with a degree in English and Philosophy.
Leonard had his first success in 1951 when
ArgosyArgosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
published the short story "Trail of the Apaches". During the 1950s and early 1960s, he continued writing
westernsWestern fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 1900s and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century...
, publishing over 30 short stories. He wrote his first novel,
The Bounty Hunters, in 1953 and followed this with four other novels. Two of his stories were turned into movies at this time:
The Tall TThe Tall T is a 1957 western film directed by Budd Boetticher. It stars Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Silva. The film was adapted by Burt Kennedy from an Elmore Leonard short story, "The Captives."...
and
3:10 to Yuma"Three-Ten to Yuma" is a short story written by Elmore Leonard. The story was first published in Dime Western Magazine, a 1950s pulp magazine, in March 1953. The story has since been adapted to the screen twice, in 1957 and in 2007.-Plot summary:...
.
Leonard—or "Dutch," as he is sometimes called—got his first break in the fiction market during the 1950s, regularly publishing
pulpPulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
western novels. He has since forayed into
mysteryMystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
, crime, and more topical genres, as well as
screenwritingScreenwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is a freelance profession....
.
Leonard now lives with his family in
Oakland County, Michigan-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
.
Writing style
Commended by critics for his gritty
realismRealism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
and strong dialogue, Leonard sometimes takes liberties with
grammarEnglish grammar is the body of rules that describe the structure of expressions in the English language. This includes the structure of words, phrases, clauses and sentences...
in the interest of speeding along the story. In his essay "Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing" he says: "My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it." He also hints: "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."
Elmore Leonard has been called "the
DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
of Detroit" because of his intimate portraits of people from that city; however, Leonard has said, "If I lived in
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, I'd write about Buffalo." His ear for
dialogueDialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
has been praised by writers such as
Saul BellowSaul Bellow was a Canadian-born Jewish American writer. For his literary contributions, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts...
,
Martin AmisMartin Louis Amis is a British novelist, the author of many novels including Money and London Fields . He is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester, but will step down at the end of the 2010/11 academic year...
, and
Stephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. "Your prose makes
Raymond ChandlerRaymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
look clumsy," Amis told Leonard at a
Writers GuildWriters Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
event in Beverly Hills in 1998. Stephen King has called him "the great American writer."
Adaptations
Many of Leonard's novels and short stories have been adapted into successful motion pictures or TV movies.
Film
Aside from the short stories already noted, a number of Leonard's novels have been adapted as films, including
Out of SightOut of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
in 1998,
Get ShortyGet Shorty is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name.-Plot summary:...
in 1995, and
Rum PunchRum Punch is a 1992 novel written by Elmore Leonard. It was later adapted into a film by director Quentin Tarantino, who changed some of the characters and the plot...
(as the 1997 film
Jackie BrownJackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
).
52 Pick-Up52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
was first adapted very loosely into the 1984 film
The AmbassadorThe Ambassador is a 1984 American thriller film directed by J. Lee Thompson and stars Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn and Rock Hudson. The political thriller was based on the 1974 crime novel 52 Pick Up by Elmore Leonard...
, starring
Robert MitchumRobert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
and two years later, under its original title, starring
Roy ScheiderRoy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
. He has also written several
screenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s based on his novels, plus original ones such as
Joe KiddJoe Kidd is a 1972 American western film starring Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, written by Elmore Leonard and directed by John Sturges....
.
The 1967 film
HombreHombre is a 1967 revisionist western film directed by Martin Ritt, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It stars Paul Newman, Richard Boone, Martin Balsam, Diane Cilento and Fredric March....
starring
Paul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
was an adaptation of Leonard's novel of the same name.
His short story "
Three-Ten to Yuma"Three-Ten to Yuma" is a short story written by Elmore Leonard. The story was first published in Dime Western Magazine, a 1950s pulp magazine, in March 1953. The story has since been adapted to the screen twice, in 1957 and in 2007.-Plot summary:...
" and novels
The Big Bounce and
52 Pick-Up52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
have each been filmed twice.
A 2001 comedy film,
Bandits, was originally meant to be an adaptation of Leonard's novel by that name, to which
Bruce WillisWalter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
owns the film rights. However, the producers brought in writer Harley Peyton to write a new script from scratch that bears little or no resemblance to Leonard's book.
Other novels filmed include:
- Mr. Majestyk
Mr. Majestyk is a 1974 American action film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charles Bronson. The film is based on a novel written by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:...
(with Charles BronsonCharles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
)
- Valdez Is Coming
Valdez Is Coming is a 1971 American western film starring Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Richard Jordan and Jon Cypher. The film is based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name.-Plot:...
(with Burt LancasterBurton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
)
- 52 Pick-Up
52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
(with Roy ScheiderRoy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
)
- Stick
Stick is a 1985 crime film directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:Ernest "Stick" Stickley, a former car thief, has just been released from prison. He meets up with an old friend, Rainy, whose "quick stop" near the Florida Everglades...
(with Burt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
)
- The Moonshine War (with Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
)
- Last Stand at Saber River
Last Stand at Saber River is a 1997 television movie starring Tom Selleck, based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Elmore Leonard. Directed by Dick Lowry, the film also featured Suzy Amis, Haley Joel Osment, Tracey Needham, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, and Harry Carey Jr..In 1997, Osment...
(with Tom SelleckThomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
)
- Gold Coast (with David Caruso
David Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
)
- Glitz (with Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing...
)
- Cat Chaser
Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
(with Peter WellerPeter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
)
- Touch
Touch is a 1997 film written and directed by Paul Schrader, based on a novel by Elmore Leonard.The film, which has elements of drama and black comedy, stars Christopher Walken, Richard Schiff, Bridget Fonda, Skeet Ulrich, Tom Arnold, Gina Gershon, Lolita Davidovich, Janeane Garofalo and Paul Mazursky...
(with Christopher WalkenChristopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
)
- Pronto (with Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
)
- Be Cool
Be Cool is a 2005 crime-comedy film adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty about mobster Chili Palmer's entrance into the film industry.The film adaptation of Be Cool began production in 2003. It was directed by F...
(with John TravoltaJohn Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
)
- Killshot
Killshot is a 2009 thriller film based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. The film is directed by John Madden and stars Diane Lane and Thomas Jane as a couple who, despite being in a witness protection program, are confronted by the criminal they outed, portrayed by Mickey...
(Diane LaneDiane Lane is an American film actress.Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at the age of 13 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film A Little Romance, starring opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. Soon after, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine...
, Mickey RourkePhilip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
).
Freaky Deaky is scheduled to be filmed in 2011.
Television
The short-lived 1998 TV series
Maximum BobMaximum Bob was a short-lived television series that debuted in 1998 on ABC TV. Starring Beau Bridges, the show was based on Elmore Leonard's 1991 novel with the same title.-Premise:...
was based on Leonard's novel of the same name. It aired on ABC for 7 episodes and starred
Beau BridgesLloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
.
The TV series
Karen SiscoKaren Sisco is a television series about a fictional United States Marshal created by novelist Elmore Leonard.As a U.S. Deputy Marshal, based on Miami, Florida's Gold Coast, Karen must deal with the underbelly of South Beach nightlife and Palm Beach highlife while tracking down fugitives. She also...
(2003–04) starring
Carla GuginoCarla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
was based on a character from
Out of SightOut of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
played by
Jennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
in the film version.
The 2010 FX series
JustifiedJustified is an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole". Its central character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky...
is based around the popular Leonard character U.S. Marshal
Raylan GivensRaylan Givens is a fictional character created by American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard.Givens is a Deputy U.S. Marshal and initially appeared in the novels Pronto and Riding the Rap. Leonard later penned the short story "Fire in the Hole". which became the basis for the television...
from the novels
Pronto and
Riding the Rap and the short story "Fire in the Hole."
Leonard was referenced in the television show
LeverageLeverage is an American television drama series on TNT that premiered in December 2008. The series is produced by director/executive producer Dean Devlin's production company Electric Television...
in episode 105 "The Bank Shot Job" when
Aldis HodgeAldis Hodge is an American actor currently starring as Alec Hardison on the TNT series Leverage.-Life and career:Aldis Alexander Basil Hodge was born in Onslow County, North Carolina on September 20, 1986. While both of his parents served in the U.S...
as Alec Hardison and
Beth RiesgrafBeth Jean Riesgraf is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Parker in the TNT TV series Leverage.Originally from Belle Plaine, Minnesota - Riesgraf is the youngest of six girls...
as Parker introduced themselves to police officers as FBI agents Leonard and Elmore.
Novels
| Year |
Novel |
Film Adaptation |
| 1953 |
The Bounty Hunters |
|
| 1954 |
The Law at Randado |
1990 - Border Shootout |
| 1956 |
Escape from Five Shadows |
|
| 1959 |
Last Stand at Saber River |
1997 - Last Stand at Saber River Last Stand at Saber River is a 1997 television movie starring Tom Selleck, based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Elmore Leonard. Directed by Dick Lowry, the film also featured Suzy Amis, Haley Joel Osment, Tracey Needham, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, and Harry Carey Jr..In 1997, Osment...
|
| 1961 |
Hombre Hombre is a novel by American author Elmore Leonard, published in 1961. It was adapted into a film in 1967. It tells the story of an Apache man, John Russell, who leads the passengers of an attacked stagecoach through the desert to safety....
|
1967 - Hombre Hombre is a 1967 revisionist western film directed by Martin Ritt, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It stars Paul Newman, Richard Boone, Martin Balsam, Diane Cilento and Fredric March....
|
| 1969 |
The Big Bounce |
1969 - The Big Bounce The Big Bounce is a 1969 film directed by Alex March, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. Taylor-Young was nominated for a Laurel Award for her performance in the film...
2004 - The Big BounceThe Big Bounce is a 2004 comedy caper film starring Owen Wilson, Charlie Sheen, Sara Foster and Morgan Freeman. It was directed by George Armitage and based on a novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard....
|
| The Moonshine War |
1970 - The Moonshine War The Moonshine War is a 1970 film directed by Richard Quine, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It starred Patrick McGoohan, Richard Widmark, Alan Alda, Will Geer, John Schuck, and Teri Garr....
|
| 1970 |
Valdez Is Coming |
1971 - Valdez Is ComingValdez Is Coming is a 1971 American western film starring Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Richard Jordan and Jon Cypher. The film is based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name.-Plot:...
|
| 1972 |
Forty Lashes Less One |
|
| 1974 |
Mr. Majestyk |
1974 - Mr. Majestyk Mr. Majestyk is a 1974 American action film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charles Bronson. The film is based on a novel written by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:...
|
| 52 Pick-Up |
1984 - The Ambassador The Ambassador is a 1984 American thriller film directed by J. Lee Thompson and stars Robert Mitchum, Ellen Burstyn and Rock Hudson. The political thriller was based on the 1974 crime novel 52 Pick Up by Elmore Leonard...
1986 - 52 Pick-Up52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
|
| 1976 |
Swag Swag is a crime novel by Elmore Leonard, first published as a paperback in 1976 and since also released as a large print hardcover and as an audio recording. Some paperback editions, including the first American edition, were published under the alternative title of Ryan's Rules .Ernest Stickley, Jr...
|
|
| 1977 |
Unknown Man No. 89 Unknown Man #89 is a crime novel written by Elmore Leonard, published in 1977, just after his novel Swag, and preceding The Hunted. It is a sequel to The Big Bounce.-Plot summary:...
|
|
| The Hunted The Hunted is a crime novel written by Elmore Leonard. It was first published in 1977 and was initially named 'Hat Trick'.-Plot summary:...
|
|
| 1978 |
The Switch |
|
| 1979 |
Gunsights |
|
| 1980 |
City Primeval City Primeval is a crime novel written by Elmore Leonard.-Plot summary:The original novel takes place in Detroit and tells the story of a seriously crazed 'Oklahoma Wildman' Clement Mansell who knows how easy it is to get away with murder - thanks to some nifty courtroom moves by his beautiful,...
|
|
| Gold Coast |
1997 TV film |
| 1981 |
Split Images Split Images is a crime novel written by Elmore Leonard published in 1981.-Plot summary:The novel begins in Detroit and tells the story of Robbie Daniels, a multimillionaire who guns down a Haitian refugee that broke into his Palm Beach mansion, calling it "practice"...
|
1992 TV movie |
| 1982 |
Cat Chaser |
1989 - Cat Chaser Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
|
| 1983 |
Stick |
1985 - Stick Stick is a 1985 crime film directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:Ernest "Stick" Stickley, a former car thief, has just been released from prison. He meets up with an old friend, Rainy, whose "quick stop" near the Florida Everglades...
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| LaBrava LaBrava, the 1983 novel by author Elmore Leonard, follows the story of Joe LaBrava, former Secret Service agent. This novel won the 1984 Edgar Award for Best Novel.-Plot summary:...
Edgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
, Best Novel (1984) |
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| 1985 |
Glitz Glitz is a 1985 novel by author Elmore Leonard, following the story of Detective Vincent Mora who's being stalked by Teddy Magyk, the serial rapist he put away...
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1988 TV film |
| 1987 |
Bandits |
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| Touch |
1997 film |
| 1988 |
Freaky Deaky |
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| 1989 |
KillshotKillshot, the 1989 novel by author Elmore Leonard, tells the story of a married couple who find themselves in Cape Girardeau, Missouri while on the run from a pair of hitmen.-Plot summary:...
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2008 - Killshot Killshot is a 2009 thriller film based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. The film is directed by John Madden and stars Diane Lane and Thomas Jane as a couple who, despite being in a witness protection program, are confronted by the criminal they outed, portrayed by Mickey...
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| 1990 |
Get ShortyGet Shorty is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name.-Plot summary:...
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1995 - Get Shorty Get Shorty is a 1995 crime-comedy film based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito, the plot remained true to the book except for a few minor details....
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| 1991 |
Maximum Bob |
1998 TV series Maximum Bob was a short-lived television series that debuted in 1998 on ABC TV. Starring Beau Bridges, the show was based on Elmore Leonard's 1991 novel with the same title.-Premise:...
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| 1992 |
Rum PunchRum Punch is a 1992 novel written by Elmore Leonard. It was later adapted into a film by director Quentin Tarantino, who changed some of the characters and the plot...
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1997 - Jackie BrownJackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
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| 1993 |
Pronto Pronto is a crime novel written by Elmore Leonard. Leonard introduces three main characters and gets them moving against each other. Harry is constantly reminiscing about World War II. Tommy carries a picture of the old crime boss Frank Costello in his wallet. Raylan is a detective cowboy...
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1997 TV film |
| 1995 |
Riding the Rap Riding the Rap is a 1995 crime fiction novel by Elmore Leonard. It is the sequel to Leonard's Pronto, released in 1993. Like Pronto, Riding the Rap centers around 67 year-old Harry Arno, World War II veteran and book maker, who has been skimming from the mob for decades...
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| 1996 |
Out of Sight |
1998 - Out of Sight Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
2003 - TV series Karen SiscoKaren Sisco is a television series about a fictional United States Marshal created by novelist Elmore Leonard.As a U.S. Deputy Marshal, based on Miami, Florida's Gold Coast, Karen must deal with the underbelly of South Beach nightlife and Palm Beach highlife while tracking down fugitives. She also...
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| Naked Came the Manatee Naked Came the Manatee is a mystery thriller parody novel published in 1996. It is composed of thirteen chapters, each written by a different Miami-area writer. It was originally published as a serial in the Miami Herald's Tropic magazine, one chapter per issue, and later published as a single novel...
(One chapter of serial novel) |
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| 1998 |
Cuba Libre |
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| Tonto Woman (One chapter of serial novel) |
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| 1999 |
Be Cool |
2005 - Be Cool Be Cool is a 2005 crime-comedy film adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty about mobster Chili Palmer's entrance into the film industry.The film adaptation of Be Cool began production in 2003. It was directed by F...
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| 2000 |
Pagan Babies You may also be looking for an article on the 1986 Hardcore punk band Pagan BabiesPagan Babies is a 2000 crime novel written by Elmore Leonard.-Plot summary:...
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| 2001 |
Fire in the Hole |
2010 - TV series Justified Justified is an American television drama series created by Graham Yost. It is based on Elmore Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap and his short story "Fire in the Hole". Its central character is Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal. The series is set in the city of Lexington, Kentucky...
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| 2002 |
When the Women Come Out to Dance Anthology (includes Fire in the Hole) |
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| Tishomingo Blues Tishomingo Blues is a 2002 novel by Elmore Leonard, set in Mississippi, about two fledgling allies, the local Dixie Mafia, and a high-stakes Civil War re-enactment. It happens to be Leonard's favorite book of the books he has written...
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| 2004 |
A Coyote's in the House A Coyote's in the House is a 2004 novel written by Elmore Leonard. The book was Leonard's first novel for children. The book's story involves a hip coyote, and an aging movie-star dog who wants to trade places with him. The novel features references to an earlier novel by Leonard, Get Shorty,...
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| 2004 |
Mr. Paradise |
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| 2005 |
The Hot Kid The Hot Kid is a novel written by popular, contemporary crime-fiction author Elmore Leonard. It was released in 2005.-Plot summary:This fictional story is set during The Great Depression and follows the career of Carl Webster, a crack shot, well respected, and mannerful lawman who killed his first...
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| 2006 |
Comfort to the Enemy Published serially in New York Times (Chapters can be downloaded at www.elmoreleonard.com) |
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| 2007 |
Up in Honey's Room |
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| 2009 |
Road Dogs |
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| 2010 |
Djibouti |
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| 2012 |
Raylan |
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Screenplays
| Year |
Title |
Director |
Co-writers |
| 1970 |
The Moonshine War The Moonshine War is a 1970 film directed by Richard Quine, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It starred Patrick McGoohan, Richard Widmark, Alan Alda, Will Geer, John Schuck, and Teri Garr....
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Richard Quine Richard Quine was an American stage, film, and radio actor and film director.Quine was born in Detroit. He made his Broadway debut in the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical Very Warm for May in 1939 and appeared in My Sister Eileen the following year...
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| 1972 |
Joe KiddJoe Kidd is a 1972 American western film starring Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, written by Elmore Leonard and directed by John Sturges....
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John Sturges John Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His movies include Bad Day at Black Rock , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Magnificent Seven , The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra .-Career:He started his career in Hollywood as an editor in 1932...
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| 1974 |
Mr. Majestyk Mr. Majestyk is a 1974 American action film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charles Bronson. The film is based on a novel written by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:...
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Richard Fleischer -Early life:Fleischer was born in Brooklyn, the son of Essie and animator/producer Max Fleischer. He started in motion pictures as director of animated shorts produced by his father including entries in the Betty Boop, Popeye and Superman series.His live-action film career began in 1942 at the RKO...
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| 1980 |
High Noon, Part II High Noon part II: The Return of Will Kane, is the 1980 remake of the Western Television Film High Noon. It starred Lee Majors David Carradine and Pernell Roberts.-Plot:...
(TV) |
Jerry Jameson Jerry Jameson is an American Film Director and Producer.- Filmography :*1970 : The Mod Squad*1971 : Dan August*1972 : Brute Corps *1972 : Search*1972 : The Dirt Gang *1972 : The Rookies*1973 : Cannon...
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| 1985 |
Stick Stick is a 1985 crime film directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:Ernest "Stick" Stickley, a former car thief, has just been released from prison. He meets up with an old friend, Rainy, whose "quick stop" near the Florida Everglades...
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Burt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
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Joseph Stinson |
| 1986 |
52 Pick-Up 52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
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John FrankenheimerJohn Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films...
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John Steppling John Steppling was a German-American silent film actor.He moved to America at a young age and entered film in 1912 aged 42. He starred in a total of 230 films between then and 1928...
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| 1987 |
The Rosary Murders The Rosary Murders is a 1987 neo-noir mystery film starring Donald Sutherland as Father Koesler, based upon the novel by William X. Kienzle....
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Fred Walton Fred Walton is an American film director. Among his films are When a Stranger Calls, April Fool's Day, and The Rosary Murders.- External links :...
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William X. Kienzle William X. Kienzle was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1954 and spent twenty years as a Roman Catholic parish priest. Kienzle left the priesthood in 1974 because of his disagreement with its refusal to remarry divorcees...
& Fred WaltonFred Walton is an American film director. Among his films are When a Stranger Calls, April Fool's Day, and The Rosary Murders.- External links :...
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| Desperado (TV series) |
Virgil W. Vogel Virgil William Vogel was an American film, television director and writer. His career spanned nearly sixty years directing episodes of Wagon Train, Bonanza, The Big Valley, and Mission: Impossible, among other series.-Career:Vogel was born Peoria, Illinois...
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| 1989 |
Cat Chaser Cat Chaser is a 1989 film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was adapted from the novel by Leonard and James Borelli....
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Abel FerraraAbel Ferrara is an American film screenwriter and director. He is best known as an independent filmmaker of such films as The Driller Killer , Ms. 45 , King of New York , Bad Lieutenant and The Funeral .-Early life:Ferrara was born in the Bronx of Italian and Irish descent...
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James Borelli |
Stories
| Year |
Story |
Film Adaptation |
| 1953 |
Three-Ten to Yuma"Three-Ten to Yuma" is a short story written by Elmore Leonard. The story was first published in Dime Western Magazine, a 1950s pulp magazine, in March 1953. The story has since been adapted to the screen twice, in 1957 and in 2007.-Plot summary:...
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1957 - 3:10 to Yuma 2007 - 3:10 to Yuma3:10 to Yuma is the 2007 remake of the 1957 film of the same name, making it the second adaptation of Elmore Leonard's short story Three-Ten to Yuma. It is directed by James Mangold and produced by Cathy Konrad, and stars Academy Award winners Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the lead roles. ...
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| 1955 |
The Captives |
1957 - The Tall TThe Tall T is a 1957 western film directed by Budd Boetticher. It stars Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Silva. The film was adapted by Burt Kennedy from an Elmore Leonard short story, "The Captives."...
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Also wrote a short story in the anthology
Murderers' Row edited by Otto Penzler (2001) (back story for Tishomingo Blues)
Nonfiction
- 10 Rules of Writing (2007)
- Foreword to Walter Mirisch
Walter Mortimer Mirisch is an American film producer. In his long and successful motion picture career, Walter Mirisch has produced some of the industry’s finest and most memorable films...
's book I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History
Awards
In 1992 Leonard received a Grand Master Edgar award from the Mystery Writers of America
Leonard was the recipient of the 2006 Louisiana Writer Award.
In October 2008 Leonard received the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award for outstanding achievement in American literature during the 13th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference held at
Montgomery CollegeMontgomery College is a public, open access community college located in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. in the United States. The college has three campuses, the largest of which is in Rockville; the other campuses are in Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Germantown...
in
Rockville, MarylandRockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In May 2011, Leonard received the Peabody Award at the Waldorf Astoria for FX's "Justified."
External links