Dallas (1978) Novelization

Based on the original television mini-series written by David Jacobs, Arthur Bernard Lewis, Camille Marchetta and Virginia Aldridge. It starred Larry Hagman, Ken Kercheval, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Barbara Bel Geddes, Howard Keel, Victoria Principal, Charlene Tilton and Jim Davis.

***

Dallas was an American television series that debuted in 1978 as a five-episode mini-series. It detailed the lives and loves of the Ewing family, and did so well that it was continued as a series. It ultimately ran for fourteen seasons, ending in 1990. Dallas was the prototypical Prime-Time soap opera, and it opened the door to a variety of similar shows in the 1980s such as Dynasty, Knots Landing, and Falcon Crest. Dallas was arguably the best of these and was enormously popular in the early 1980's. If you are of a certain age, the question "Who Shot J.R.?" should resonate. Along the way, it even courted controversy by bringing back a character who had been killed off by declaring that the season that occurred while they were off the show was a dream by one of the characters. I watched the show in the 1979-1983 time-frame and remember it fondly.

What is it one wants from a novelization? They were never meant to be anything other than advertising for whatever movie or TV Show they were based on. In all honesty, most are not good reads. So why do people read them? For me, it was always looking for the experience of the film, but with more. More story, more characterization, more dialog--something that gives more insight into the source material. Some novelizations have scenes that were ultimately omitted from the released version; some are based on earlier versions of the screenplay, so they can differ, sometimes substantially. And some are expanded by the author into something altogether different. This last category is pretty rare. You need a few things to line up for something like that to work: the author has to have the leeway to add new material, they have to be invested enough to add new material, and they have to have the talent to add it.

The novelization for Dallas falls into the last category. The author has systematically revised the world depicted in the screenplays into something earthier, perverse, and twisted.  This is not a world where good and bad are clearly defined—everyone exhibits dark tendencies. It's a world where everyone walks around looking to get it on, and where murder is mentioned casually.  I think it is the author's experience writing erotica that powers this transformation, although this is not to say that the novelization is just about sex.  There are other factors at work as well that complete the reimagining.

Lee Raintree is a pseudonym for Con Sellers, an author who published more than 230 books using more than 60 pseudonyms1. He specialized in adventure, historical romances, and erotica. He was hired by Dell Books to write a novelization of the original five-part mini-series, which he wrote in six weeks. The book was successful, ultimately selling over 300,000 copies by 1979.  He passed away in 19922.

This is very much a product of the 1970s. The men are REAL men, the women are all big-breasted, the language is rough. And my word, there is a lot of sex. Throw in some of the casual staples of the decade as well--misogyny and racism--and you have a rollicking potboiler.

It technically tells the same story as the mini-series, but the author has expanded the parameters dramatically. The book covers all five parts of the mini-series, so you would expect it to be a little longer than typical, but the first 100 pages take place before the mini-series even starts. These first 100 pages are the complete history of the Ewing family--how Jock and Miss Ellie got together and how the family rose to power. This backstory helps set up some plot points covered in the mini-series, but also establishes the world we are going to read about, which is ultimately quite different from the television version. 

You will recognize most of the characters, but there are some divergences as well, and it is in these divergences that the book is most surprising. There are numerous plot points in the book that simply do not exist in the television counterpart. Some of these plot points are character expansions, but some change the overall story being told. I am reluctant to detail them as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wants to read this, but the world of Dallas depicted in this book is darker, more savage, and ultimately realistic than what could acceptably be shown on television in the late 1970s in America. Murder, rape, extensive profanity, and pretty explicit love scenes abound.

True, the men are misogynistic, but the author is not. He knew who his target audience was--women--and the most dramatic changes made to the story involve the women. They are, with one exception, described as intelligent, strong-willed, and most importantly as women who enjoy sex and are not afraid to admit it. Miss Ellie is shown as a primary partner to Jock in the early years, helping shape how the business grew while she bore him three children. When criminals break into the Ewing house near the end of the story, the television version has the women cowering until the menfolk arrive just in time. The book version has Miss Ellie getting her daddy's Colt .45s and taking care of the criminals herself. Which is entirely fitting given the backstory established in the book, and which is completely absent in the television version.

I am not saying this is high art but it is consistently readable, entertaining and tells the source story much better than the TV show itself.  You can't can't ask for more than that. 

1. https://lib.usm.edu/spcol/exhibitions/item_of_the_month/iotm_sep_2013
2. https://www.lmtribune.com/obituaries/author-con-sellers-dies-at-69-6383c41c

The Untouchables (1987) Novelization

Chicago. . . the 1930s. . . gangsters. All the action, all the violence, all the good guys and bad guys that made The Untouchables one of the most popular TV series comes this summer in paperback and on the big screen. The Untouchables is sure to do for the movie tie-in business what Elliot Ness did for Chicago--clean up! The movie stars Robert DeNiro, Kevin Costner and Sean Connery and is scheduled for release June 5, 1987.

***

The author of the novelization is a long-time mystery writer, so he does a decent job of fleshing out the characters and telling the story well.  It is obviously based on an early draft of the script, and lacks the great style that director Brian DePalma brought to the film.  Still, a good read and fills in much detail that is not in the film.

Last Tango In Paris (1972) Novelization

Last Tango in Paris (Italian: Ultimo tango a Parigi; French: Le Dernier Tango à Paris) is a 1972 erotic drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The film stars Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider and Jean-Pierre Léaud, and portrays a recently widowed American who begins an anonymous sexual relationship with a young Parisian woman.

The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 14, 1972, and grossed $36 million in its U.S. theatrical release, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 1973. The film's raw portrayal of sexual violence and emotional turmoil led to international controversy and drew various levels of government censorship in different jurisdictions. Upon release in the United States, the MPAA gave the film an X rating. United Artists Classics released an R-rated cut in 1981. In 1997, after the film became part of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer library, the film was reclassified as NC-17.

***

As a novelization it hews pretty closely to the script, and offers some backstory not found in the film.  It does not adequately convey the power of the film, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Torn Curtain (1966) Novelization

TORN CURTAIN

Richard Wormser

Based on a screenplay by Brian Moore

1966

A razor-edged spy thriller that puts a senator's daughter in the arms of a traitor...and eccentric countess in control of an extraordinary escape...a left-wing ballerina on stage for the secret police...and a top U.S. physicist in a violent cross-fire of deadly equations...

Paul Newman, Julie Andrews in Alfred Hitchcock's TORN CURTAIN

---

A lesser Hitchcock film, TORN CURTAIN nevertheless still works well enough to be an agreeable time killer (your mileage may vary, of course). The film's biggest problem is one of casting. Newman's method acting approach clashes with the escapist nature of the plot, and he and Andrews have zero chemistry. This novelization appears to have been based on a version of the script that was subsequently revised but the changes are not dramatic. The film has a couple of notable set pieces--there is a visually striking sequence in an East German Museum for instance, and a fight scene notable for its realistic violence. In the novelization, the museum is casually mentioned in one sentence. The fight scene is if anything more intense than what is in the film, as it is described as significantly gorier than what was allowable in 1966. All in all, not a bad read.

The Bad News Bears (1976) Novelization

The beer-guzzling big league has-been --

A team of bungling half-pints --

Together they made baseball history...

Sort of!

It was the greatest challenge of Buttermaker's fading career--to whip this bruised and battered gang of "jerks, foreigner, sissies, nose-pickers, delinquents and clumsy little runts" into a winning team.

Impossible? Maybe.

But a thirsty man can always use a few bucks. And he did have one secret weapon--Amanda, the spitball wizard!

***

This is somewhat different than the final film. The most notable difference is that the children do not use profanity. Whether this element was added during filming or a later script I don't know. The film is far funnier as a result. Buttermaker, played by Walter Matthau in the film, is described as a 35-year-old in the novelization--more like Chevy Chase--and is again not as humorous as what ended up in the film.

It tells the same basic plot, but we get glimpses of the Bears at home, all of which amps up the sentimental nature of the story. The film wisely plays down sentimentality and is all the better for it.

Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow (1975) Novelization

Who was THE SCARECROW?

Was the country parson, Dr. Syn, really the leader of a band of smugglers? John Banks, the judge's son, knew for sure. But he was sworn to secrecy, just like all the "Gentlemen" who were helping the poor of England pay the taxes of the king.

Follow the exciting adventures of Doctor Syn alias THE SCARECROW in a super book based on the Walt Disney movie.

*********************

This does a reasonable job of conveying the somewhat complex story of the 1963 Disney film DR. SYN, ALIAS THE SCARECROW. That film ran 98 minutes. An alternate 129 minute version ran on the weekly Magical World of Disney as "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh". Not having seen the shorter theatrical version, I can say that this novelization matches the Television version pretty closely.

Big Jake (1971) Novelization

In this action-filled western, John Wayne stars as Big Jake McCandles, a husband who hasn't seen his wife (Maureen O'Hara) in over 18 years. But he returns home after his grandson is kidnapped by a vicious outlaw gang. While the law gives chase in rickety automobiles, Jake saddles up with an Indian scout (Bruce Cabot) and a box of money - even though paying a ransom isn't how Jake plans to exact good old frontier justice. Spiced with humor and first-class gunfights, this is a vivid depiction of the last days of the wild frontier. Wayne's oldest son produced Big Jake and two other sons, Patrick and John Ethan, appear in it. The film also marks the second time Richard Boone and John Wayne worked together and the fifth time Wayne worked with Maureen O'Hara.

*********

This novelization is somewhat different than the film. I am not a fan of the film, finding it one of the lesser John Wayne films--too jokey and has the look of a made for television movie. This novelization reads much more seriously. When I took another look at the film after converting this, I was surprised to see how brightly lit the film is. The book comes across as 'darker' in every aspect--it reads more like HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER than the PG-rated family film the movie turned out to be. The violence is more realistic, and Wayne's character is tougher in a more realistic way. The absence of the jokey music score also helps change the tone. Additional work was done to the script, as the final film is a great deal more sentimental than this book is.

Worth reading.

Performance (1970) Novelization

Written by William Hughes

1970 Award Books paperback edition.

Based on the 1970 film PERFORMANCE, written by Doanld Cammell and directed by Donald Cammell and Nicholas Roeg. It starred James Fox, Mick Jagger and Anita Pallenberg.

PERFORMANCE was made at a time when the rules of what you could do in a film were loosening. It was originally rated X in the US, before that rating became synonymous with pornography.  There is nothing explicit in the film and it has subsequently been re-rated as R. It tells the story of a gangster on the run and a rock star who takes him in.  The film's story is all Donald Cammell, while Nicolas Roeg handled the cinematography and editing, which like Roeg's WALKABOUT (1971) and DON'T LOOK NOW (1973) is at times non-linear and impressionistic, especially in the second half.  The film remains powerful precisely because it is ultimately ambiguous as to what really happens.

The novelization tells the story much straighter than the film does, in part because the film changed during the filming of it.  The plot is relayed in a linear fashion which robs the story of much of if not all of the mystique that the film has.  It is not uninteresting, however, especially if you are very familiar with the film.  The sex and violence is still there, which perhaps hit harder due to it not being stylized.  The book explains much of what goes on clearly, and the ending is very different in execution than the film, and perhaps in story.  But, as noted above, the plot of the second half of the film seemed to be re-shaped during the filming.

Well worth reading if you are a fan of the film.

Excerpt:

Number twenty-two Melbury Terrace was different from the other houses in the drab street, looked as if it belonged in another world. It was larger than the others and set back from the road, a small patch of waste round the front, obviously once a garden, but beyond recall. It looked as if it continued round the back of the house.

It was the colour that really set number twenty-two apart. Though the house looked in a poor state of repair, it had been painted in bright clashing colours---even some of the windows were painted over in deep rich patterns. On the, side of the cracked steps that led up to the front door stood a series of stone idols, eastern, Chas guessed, erotica from a monumental mason.

He spoke quietly. "Jesus wept. You've seen the lot now What a bloody Kazi."

He walked across the road and mounted the steps to the front door. The letter-box was open wide, crammed with mail. Automatically, Chas extracted some of it: air-mailed copies of the Village Voice, circulars, bills, mainly bills. He noticed that there were no English newspapers either in the slot or on the mat. He felt relieved, all the more chance of safe refuge until he could get hold of Farrell and get some of his "rainy day" money.

Chas tried to door, but it was locked. He stepped back down the steps and looked up to the first floor windows. Nothing. Most of the curtains were drawn, proclaiming that the house was still asleep. Chas put his ear to the letter-box, there was no sound from within.

Making sure that his shades were on straight and his camel's hair coat was fastened to avoid scrutiny, he leant on the bell, and was happy to hear it peel loud and long somewhere in the depths of the building.

It was seven thirty when Charles Devlin rang the bell of Turner's house, and life was never going to be the same again.

The Wind and the Lion (1975) Novelization

Written by John Milius
1975 Award Books paperback edition.

Based on the 1975 film THE WIND AND THE LION, written and directed by John Milius. It starred Sean Connery, Candace Bergen, and Brian Keith.

I have not watched this movie in a great many years, but I remember liking it quite a bit. I don't remember the movie well enough to know how close the novelization is to it. According to Wikipedia it is slightly different from the film, with a few extra scenes.

It is a short book, but effective.

The Gauntlet (1977) Novelization

Written by Michael Butler & Dennis Shryack

1977 Corgi Books paperback edition.

Based on the 1977 film THE GAUNTLET, written by Michael Butler & Dennis Shryack and directed by Clint Eastwood. It starred Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke and Pat Hingle.

I have to admit that I've always been a fan of Clint Eastwood's 1970s films. Not all of them, mind you, but a lot of them. A lot of this is due to having seen the majority of them at the right age. I say this, understanding that most of his films from the 1970's are problematic for modern sensibilities, but I've always found most of them enjoyable. KELLY'S HEROES, the DIRTY HARRY films (DIRTY HARRY, MAGNUM FORCE and THE ENFORCER), PLAY MISTY FOR ME, THE EIGER SANCTION, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, heck even EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE are all films I find myself watching over and over again. Aside from JOSEY WALES, very few of the above could be considered 'artistic'--that isn't what Eastwood did. This is not to say there are not artistic streaks in in work--there are, but for the most part Eastwood was about selling movie tickets.

Alas, THE GAUNTLET is not one of Eastwood's 70's movie that I enjoy. I try it again every few years but every time I watch it I remember why I don't like it--it requires a LOT of suspension of disbelief to go along with the plot. In a way, it takes the morality of a Western film and transplants it to a modern-day setting, but I find it a bit too much. Your mileage may vary of course.

The novelization tells the story much better than the film does. It adds many little touches that try to keep things believable and also include two lengthy flashbacks that more fully explain the two lead characters. 

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) Novelization

Written by Joe Millard
1974 Award Books paperback edition.

Based on the 1974 film THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT, written and directed by Michael Cimino. It starred Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis.

THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT is something of an outlier to the films that Clint Eastwood made in the 1970's. True, it is a 'caper' film and enjoyable enough, but it hits differently than your typical Eastwood movie for a couple of reasons. First, screenwriter and director Michael Cimino brings elements not usually found in the Eastwood films of this era, such as a visual style that shows flashes of what he would bring to his next two films, THE DEER HUNTER and HEAVEN'S GATE. The landscapes of the Southwest are a major part of this film's overall character. Second, the acting is way above average. Jeff Bridges is outstanding in his role, and the chemistry between him and Eastwood is engaging, believable and affecting. George Kennedy is just as good.

The novelization tells the story but lacks the character details that emerged during filming--the screenplay had a fair amount of humor in it that the actors enhanced either through improvisation or at the direction of Cimino on the set. The book does fill in more of the backstory of the characters. 

Eyewitness (1981) Novelization

Written by John Minahan.  The film was written by Steve Tesich and directed by Peter Yates.  It starred William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer and James Woods. 

This is not your typical novelization. It's written in the first person from the main character's perspective (William Hurt) and uses what could be described as a method-acting approach. The opening chapters are a deep dive into everything about the main character and is so divergent from the final film that I initially thought that the author used an early, radically different version of the script. The first-person narrative imposes changes on the story, as the book only recounts what the main character experiences. As a result, some scenes featuring Sigourney Weaver's character are omitted; they are covered in dialogue later to maintain continuity. The book eventually veers into the lane that aligns more closely with the final film. This was an interesting approach and it made me want to see the film again.

From the back cover:

If he had seen the killer, he'd know why the killer wants him dead.

EYEWITNESS.

Daryll Deever didn't see a thing that night. But whoever brutally snuffed out the diamond dealer in Daryll's building obviously thinks Daryll knows too much. So do the police. The only thing Daryll does know for sure is that his best friend had a strong motive for murder. But if his friend did do it, why does he also want to get rid of Daryll? And why resort to such sadistic means? The one hope left in Daryll's life now is TV newswoman Tony Sokolow. And Tony is closer to the killer than she thinks. So very close, in fact, that his next move will bring him near enough to kill again.

Hanover Street (1978) Novelization

Amid war-shattered London, three extraordinary people play out their lives in a haunting novel of love, passion and violence...Halloran, the reckless American bomber whose fiery affair with the Englishwoman gave him something to live for. Sellinger, the mild-mannered British agent who risked his live trying to prove himself to his wife. Margaret, the woman they both loved. Beautiful, brave, unforgettable--she was torn by her desire for the two men.

***

Written by Maureen Gregson, based upon a screenplay by Peter Hyams.  This is a good novelization for a film that has a good cast—Harrison Ford, Christopher Plummer and Lesley-Anne Down—and a great music score by John Barry. The screenplay by director Peter Hyams is the weak link here, with some major plot points poorly handled. There is also a tonal problem with the film, as it wobbles unsatisfactorily between old-fashioned love story and action film. 

Still, the film is not uninteresting. Harrison Ford shows glimpses of the action star he would become.  The bombing raid sequences are well done via miniatures.  The film obviously had a big budget and it looks like it all made it on the screen.  Despite its faults, it still makes us care about the lead characters.

The novelization fleshes out much more than the movie can, and as a result the story plays out more naturally. We learn more about everyone, and war-time London is described with reasonable realism. The script's big issues are still weak here--Harrison Ford snapping on his final flight still seems awfully unmotivated, for instance--but I ended up liking the novel more than the film. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Hickey & Boggs (1972) Novelization

Written by Philip Rock
1972 Popular Library paperback edition.

Based on the 1972 film HICKEY & BOGGS, written by Walter Hill and directed by Robert Culp. It starred Robert Culp, Bill Cosby as the titular heroes.  The film also boasts a pretty impressive cast of people who had not yet achieved stardom (or at least steady work)--Michael Moriarty, Ed Lauter, Vincent Gardenia, James Woods, Jack Colvin and Rosalind Cash. Also included are Robert Mandan and Bill Hickman, who appeared in a number of films around this time more or less playing the same type of character.

This film was largely unavailable in the US on home video until its 2011 DVD release.  Up until that time, you had to try to catch it when it was broadcast on TV.  I've had the book since 1980 or so, and having read it multiple times over the years, when I finally saw the movie I was surprised how different it was from the book.  It tells the same story, but while the film was rated PG the book (and original screenplay I presume) is R-rated, full of graphic violence, adult language, and multiple instances of naked people.  The movie, which was partly trying to cash in on Culp's and Cosby's I SPY success toned all of that way down.  I was disappointed when I first saw the movie, but having watched it a few more times, I can appreciate the differences.  

The book tells a depressing story about people who have largely given up on life in a fairly realistic way.  The film is probably more depressing and makes Culp's character, in particular, seem more of a mess.  The film comes across as a new wave detective story for the 70's, much in the same way that Altman's THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) did.  Altman's film is a lot more artistic than the lower-budget HICKEY & BOGGS could manage.  It has its moments, but too often there are production touches that are barely above the TV-movie level--blood is obviously bright red paint, and lighting is sometimes too flat.  Still, the film is not at all a disaster and is well worth seeking out.  Culp the director is more interested in feel, so a lot of the backstory was omitted from the film.

The book is even more depressing since it tells a more complete, tougher story.  

Excerpt:

Albert Hickey parked his battered Nova in the lot behind Musso and Frank and walked over to Las Palmas and then down to the boulevard. The August heat hammered him into the pavement. He stood well over six feet but he felt like a midget by the time he reached the corner; a fat, wet midget in a chocolate-colored suit. He stood in the meager shade of a shoe store's awning and lit a cigarette. He wanted to go across the street, across the shimmering asphalt to the other side of Hollywood Boulevard, but it seemed such a long way for a melting midget to manage.

"You got any change, mister?"

The voice came from miles away. It floated up to him, thin as heat waves on the freeway.

"What?"

"Change. . . you know."

He stared down at the girl. It was a relief to see her, not that she was worth looking at. She was pale-faced and lank-haired. A strung-out blonde in granny-style patched blue jeans. Her feet were bare and the color of the sidewalk, only dirtier. She was ginning at him, her teeth translucent, like half-cooked rice. No, not much to see, but he was looking down at her. He hadn't shrunk, after all.

"I don't have any. I spent my last quarter on a yacht."

She sneered at him the way a wolf might sneer if you offered it a grapefruit.

"Fuck it. I should have known better."

She ambled along the street toward Cherokee. There was nothing ahead of her but a lot of hot pavement and a group of pale young men handing out slips of paper that foretold the end of the world. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost, but not quite.

All right, he thought, get on with it; it's only across the street All you have to do is put one foot ahead of the other and wing it from there.

Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978) Novelization

Written by Clyde Phillips.  Based on the 1978 film written by Reginald Rose and directed by Lamont Johnson. It starred Jeff Bridges, Farrah Fawcett-Majors, John Wood and John Glover.

It wasn't until I looked into this film that I found out that Fawcett was originally cast in FOUL PLAY (1978), but due to contract issues with Aaron Spelling over Charlie's Angels, she was not able to do it. Goldie Hawn got the role instead. That is a shame because Fawcett would have been good in that film, which while not a great movie nevertheless was successful, which is more than can be said of Fawcett's first couple of big-screen starring roles. Her first three films were SOMEBODY KILLED HER HUSBAND (1978), SUNBURN (1979) and SATURN THREE (1980), which all flopped. SUNBURN is a bad movie and Fawcett is not particularly good in it. She is much better in SATURN THREE, but it is SOMEBODY KILLED HER HUSBAND that really showed her promise. She is luminous in the film and one can't help but think that if she had better material her career would have turned out differently.

This is not to say that SOMEBODY is a good movie. It has a plot that requires a balance between playfulness and seriousness to truly work. The movie is all over the place tone-wise, playing it much too broad when it needed to be more subtle, and too subtle when it needed to be broad. It also has an inappropriate music score that throws off the tone. Bridges and Fawcett are quite good and show an easy chemistry that is ultimately squandered, and the whole thing ends up being fairly ridiculous.

The novelization does a much better job of maintaining a tone which gives the material more of a chance to work, and for the most part it does. Whereas you grow irritated with the illogical actions of the characters in the film, I was able to go along with it in the book, which is full of additional detail and character insight.

Excerpt:

Although hundreds of kids and parents swarmed all over the floor like bugs conquering a picnic, Jerry caught the slightest glimpse of one particular woman through the crowd and, for the first time that morning, stopped talking to himself. It was her hair. The first thing he could see clearly as he raised up on his toes was her hair. She was on the other side of the department and a sea of bobbing heads separated them, but Jerry's eyes locked on her and could not be averted. The natural flow of the crowd was carrying her toward him.

The hair. Full, blonde, with a few delicate hints of a darker beige suggested throughout, swirling in healthy, vital waves to her shoulders. As she worked her way closer, Jerry was able to get a better look at the woman beneath the exquisite hair. The glimpse gave way to an out-and-out stare as he stood in reverent appreciation of a truly singular beauty.

Her face was classically drawn. High, proud cheekbones, flawless skin and a tiny, aristocratic nose. Soft lips and perfect teeth that seemed to be illuminated from within. A proper beauty; the girl of any man's dreams. Jerry felt divinely privileged just to be allowed to look for a while and remember this moment forever.

As she wandered through the shoppers, Jerry noticed that, for all her exquisite appearance and posture, she was dressed rather simply. Washed-out jeans, a pink T-shirt under a blue workshirt tied at the waist. White tennis shoes and no belt. Her only concession to fashion was a navy blue Anne Klein scarf tied loosely around her neck, almost as an afterthought.

When she finally emerged from the milling people, Jerry saw that she was not alone and he sighed. It figured. Not that he had the slightest chance of ever getting to know someone like her, but the ten-second fantasy that had just raced through his mind would have lasted him a couple of months.

World War II (1983) Novelization

Written by Harold King under the pseudonym Brian Harris. Based on the 1982 TV mini-series written by Robert L. Joseph and directed by David Greene and Boris Sagal.  It starred David Soul, Brian Keith, Cathy Lee Crosby, Robert Prosky, Katherine Helmond and Rock Hudson. It tells a (now-dated) story about how shenanigans with the Soviet Union could get out of hand. I say dated only in reference to the fact that it deals with the Soviets. The basic premise still seems pretty solid.

The mini-series this novelization is based upon was broadcast on NBC over two nights on Sunday January 31, 1982 and Monday February 1, 1982. This was the golden era of the mini-series, and this one sticks out from my childhood as one I actually wanted to watch. I recall that even at the time, I could tell that most of it was filmed on a set, but that didn't reduce the effectiveness by much. This is an unsensational telling of how a war could have started between the US and Soviet Russian in the early 1980's. At the time this story was told, the two countries had been locked in a cold war for more than 30 years. The threat of nuclear doom was ever-present for most people of that generation, and the story tapped into that fear in a logical and believable way. 

The original director was Boris Sagal. He was killed early in production in a helicopter accident while on location in Oregon. The production company was scheduled to spend a month on location filming outdoor scenes. After Sagal's death much of this work was moved to indoor sets. There is still the odd shot of the outdoors in the film, but the vast majority are indoors with fake snow. This is noticeable, but as I said, it works well enough. The indoor sets are cramped which compresses the action scenes.

The novelization is a distinct improvement over the mini-series. For one thing, it is not hampered by a TV movie budget and greatly expands the number of soldiers involved. It also uses the geography effectively instead of having to be contained on smallish indoor sets. This spreads the action out more realistically so the cat-and-mouse nature of the battle scenes work better.   Also, the novelization is R-rated with realistic dialogue and action. This serves to make the action more believable. It takes the already engaging premise and does everything a good novelization should do by filling the story gaps and going where movies (or in this case television) can't go for either budgetary or censorship reasons.

Very much recommended if you can find it. (Hint: check this post.)

From the back cover:

IT IS THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW...

The starving masses are rioting in wheat-poor Soviet Union.

The United States is in desperate need of fuel.

And a few Russian military fanatics have sent a suicide strike-force to capture the Alaskan pipeline as ransom for America's grain.

Now, a secret battle between a Russian and an American unit rages in Alaska's frozen wastes...

Now, the leaders of the two powers play a terrifying game of nuclear brinkmanship...

Now, two generations after "The Last Good War,", four generations after "The War To End All Wars," the world hurtles toward "The War That Nobody Wants"

The Big One...The Final One...

WORLD WAR III

NBC Miniseries from 1982, starring David Soul, Brian Keith, Cathy Lee Crosby, Robert Prosky and Rock Hudson.

Excerpt:

One of the hangars had been cannibalized to repair and insulate the other. It wasn't a beautiful job, but all it had to do was retain a reasonable amount of heat, which it accomplished, barely. But Caffey's primary problem wasn't keeping the men warm. His problem was keeping enough of them alive after each contact with the enemy (he was using the word now openly) so they could fight again. And again. Until he'd run out of men or ammunition, or until the Soviets quit and went home.

And they weren't quitting.

They'd keep it up, Caffey told one of his NCOs in response to a question during debriefing earlier, if they had to resort to throwing rocks and iceballs. Which was exactly what they'd be down to if later contacts were as costly as the first had been.

He knew he'd hurt the strike force. He'd killed or wounded probably thirty men and crippled if not destroyed the rocket-launching vehicle. Maybe they could patch it up. It didn't matter. It would cost them time. They'd be much more cautious now. They'd move slower. But the price he'd paid was staggering. Two of his four choppers were out of action---half his air force. He'd lost two pilots in the Huey that went down plus two thousand rounds of precious ammunition. A pilot in the second attack Huey was badly wounded and the chopper itself was no longer useful---the bullet-riddled fuselage attested to the miracle that it had returned at all. He'd lost nine men in his infantry---two killed, seven wounded. It wasn't a terribly high casualty count until you considered that he'd only used thirty men in the first skirmish; that's as many as he could cram into two choppers. Thirty percent casualties against three or four percent for his enemy weren't terrific statistics, no matter what he'd accomplished. He'd irritated them and that's about all he'd done. They weren't stopped and they weren't turning back. What they were was angry, Caffey thought. And waiting eagerly for the next time.

These were the things he'd explained in tonight's briefing. He took a long breath when he asked for questions.

"Sir, nobody's mentioned it, but . . . what about our families?" It was the lieutenant who'd asked if the plan would work the day before. "I know it sounds irrelevant, considering what's happening up here, but some of us were due to go home two days ago. I don't want to go back until we've done our jobs, and I know our families don't know what we're actually doing, but . . . what do they think we're doing here?"

"They've been told exactly the truth, Lieutenant." Caffey offered a tiny smile. "You've been snowed in by the weather . . . and you're all eating well and getting exercise."

There was some laughter.

"How much longer can we keep it up, sir?"

"Until the weather breaks," Caffey said. "Until we run out of ammo or the people to use it."

The laughter died away.

Prime Cut (1972) Novelization

Written by Mike Roote.  Based on the 1973 film written by Robert Dillon and directed by Michael Ritchie. It starred Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, and Sissy Spacek. 

An odd film that benefits from an outstanding cast, it is a film punctuated by repellent violence and misogyny, with the always dependable Lee Marvin grounding it and making it watchable. You could also make the point that the film is also trying to make some grander commentary on America, but I'm not sure I buy it. Hackman had just made THE FRENCH CONNECTION but it hadn't been released yet, so this film is truly his last movie before he hit it big. Sissy Spacek gives an utterly fearless performance as Poppy.

This is a slight novelization, but the movie doesn't have a lot of plot either. The biggest differences between this and the finished film is that Hackman's character is described as much older and more overweight, and the film keeps Marvin's and Spacek's relationship more ambiguous. There is also more sex in the book than in the finished film. This is well written and gives needed detail to Hackman's character.  While the film has its merits (Lee Marvin and the, ahem, nudity), I found the book to be the idea presentation of the story.  It flows better than the film, which at times seems as though it is trying to play down the action film aspects.

Excerpt:

She stood on the pavement outside the bar, drawing an exquisite fur over her perfect shoulders. Many, many small, high-priced animals had died squealing to make that sable stole for her, and you got the feeling she would have liked to watch them die, her small pointed tongue glistening on her cherry lips and her eyes aglow like a cat's. She was that kind of woman. Her body was so spectacular that it would be a long time before you looked at her face, and she knew it. The satin dress, shiny with jeweled beading, clung to her impossibly small waist and defined her round and swelling hips. The bodice was cut low to display breathtaking cleavage a man could kill for and a warm, smooth, pulsing throat just right for biting. She was blonde, of course---she could never be anything but blonde---and her eyes were masked by an artfully cut pair of thick false lashes. Which was just as well, since above the warm body, her eyes were as cold as a snake's. She was a collector's piece, expensive to buy and murderous to maintain. But she was worth every penny, both in looks and performance.

The Complete American Graffiti (1979) Novelization

Written by John Minahan.  Based on the films AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) and MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1979). The first film was written by George Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck and directed by George Lucas. The second film was written and directed by B. W.L. Norton. The films starred Richard Dreyfuss (AMERICAN GRAFFITI only), Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Charles Martin Smith and Paul Le Mat.

This novelization attempts to combine the two films into one extended story, but truth be told it really doesn't work. Compressing the two films into one book doesn't result in anything except a fair accounting of the dialogue--there isn't time to get into much else.

The first film is a classic coming-of-age story, taking place over one night in 1962. The film remains interesting due to Lucas's visual sensibilities, innovative use of music and goofy sense of humor. The second film is a fair continuation of the characters and retains the first film's parallel story structure, but there is no getting around the fact that it just isn't very interesting.

The most interesting thing about MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI is that it used different film formats and aspect ratios for the different stories. One of these stories takes place in Vietnam. Which brings us to APOCALYPSE NOW.

George Lucas was part of Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope in the late 60's early 70's. AZ had a deal with Warner Bros. whereby they would fund a number of low-cost films, so there were a number of ideas for movies in play. One of these was Lucas' idea for a film set in Vietnam called APOCALYPSE NOW. He wanted to film it in 16mm with a small team IN VIETNAM. It's doubtful this ever would have been allowed but hey, stranger things have happened.

The first film released by American Zoetrope was THX-1138, which flopped at the box office and led Warner Bros. to rescind its funding deal. This left American Zoetrope in a shambles. As part of the financial fallout, APOCALYPSE NOW became an American Zoetrope property. Because Coppola had so much of his money tied up in American Zoetrope, he was forced to take work-for-hire, which led him to make THE GODFATHER.  As part of proving he could do a 'normal' film with characters people could care about, Lucas did AMERICAN GRAFFITI, based on his original screenplay (rewritten by some friends from College).

As we know, Coppola went on to make APOCALYPSE NOW, but Lucas apparently never stopped thinking about it. When a Vietnam story was vetted for MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI, Lucas became very involved. This sequence in the film was shot on 16mm and, from all reports, was a pretty good indication of what Lucas would have done in the early 70's had he been able to make APOCALYPSE. Lucas helped edit entire sequences of the Vietnam story and was thus able to finally get the idea out of his system. From a filmmaking standpoint, it almost makes MORE worth watching. Almost.

Excerpt:

Despite the fact that the parking meter directly in front of the Haight-Ashbury police station was draped with an official-looking red cloth bag marked out of order, there was a big ticket under the windshield wiper of Lance's '56 Olds hippie-mobile. Debbie came out of the station first, smirked when she saw the ticket, began pacing up and down, waiting for Lance to collect his valuables. Her saddlebag-type shoulder purse bulged with the carcass of the dead python that Ralph had magnanimously given her, and she couldn't repress a delighted smile when she thought of her rather ingenious plan for it. When Lance finally came out, still putting on his necklaces, she ran over and gave him a big hug.

He accepted it patiently, then adjusted the necklaces under his hair. "Thanks for springing me, honey."

"That's all right."

"How much was it?"

"Two hundred and twelve."

"You're great. You know that?"

"Do you love me?"

"Does Raggedy Ann have cotton tits?"

"I mean really love me?"

"You know I do." He gave her a big kiss, then went over and pulled the red bag off the parking meter.

"We got to get to the country, Lance. I'm sick of the city."

"For sure."

"You thought any more about what we were talking about?"

He walked to the driver's side. "What was that?"

"About getting married."

Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Special Edition (1980) Novelization

Written by Steven Spielberg. Based on the film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. It starred Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr and Bob Balaban. The film is a classic IMHO and one of my all times favorites.

This novelization was ghostwritten by Leslie Waller, but credited to Spielberg who apparently did some revisions to the text.

This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I had the original paperbacks of both the 1977 and 1980 "Special Edition" back in the day, and dimly recalled that for the most part the only differences were that the 1980 edition had scenes from the Special Edition added in. Not all of the 1980 scenes were new, however. The 1977 edition already had some of the Special Edition scenes in it, such as the bathroom scene where Neary breaks down. The 1977 edition also included various scenes filmed but deleted from the initial theatrical release, such as:

• A scene with Aireast 31 on the ground where Lacombe interviews them. (Chapter 7)
• Much material was deleted with Neary on the job before he goes off in search of the strange lights. In the theatrical release, it appears that he gets lost before doing any work. Material was filmed that showed him on the job, leaving the job site and THEN getting lost. This is why he got fired--he left the job site. (Chapter 6)
• A scene at the police station after the UFO chase. (Chapter 9)
• A reference to Neary having built a platform on the roof of his house for looking for UFO's at night. This is viewed briefly in the finished film when Ronnie packs up the kids and leaves. (Chapters 16 & 18)
• More action around the trip by Roy and Jillian to Devil's Tower. (Chapter 22)
• Much action around the final scene is also added, including cuboids that fly around and more business with the small aliens. (Chapter 26)

The only substantive changes to the Special Edition of the novelization are:

• The UFO chase is extended with action of a UFO causing havoc with a gas station. (Chapter 9)
• Scene added where Lacombe's team find a freighter in the middle of the Gobi desert. In the final film Lacombe would not be part of the scene as Truffaut was unavailable. The freighter is described as having damage from being picked up, also not in the final film. (Chapter 9)
• Neary goes insides the Mother Ship. (Chapter 26)

There are multiple little wording changes throughout the 1980 edition too numerous to note.  

I don't expect anyone else to be interested in this, but I wanted to do it.

Excerpt:

Now Land-Rovers began to arrive, churning up long trails of dusty sand. The third vehicle swerved to a halt, all four tires milling sand. Lacombe stepped out, followed by Laughlin, his interpreter.

Tribesmen, photographers, pilots, and drivers turned in their tracks to stare at the gray-haired Frenchman. He stood beside his vehicle, the sun silhouetting him in a fiery outline. He stared where the rest of them had looked. Slowly, he removed his dark glasses.

He took a step in the direction all of them had been watching. Another step. A third. Then he stalked through the sand, pace quickening.

Brilliantly silhouetted by the sun, Lacombe's body suddenly moved into shadow. A huge shadow in the middle of the trackless Gobi desert spread its blackness over+- him.

He looked up, no longer squinting. High above him hung the gigantic bronze three-bladed screw of an oceangoing ship's propeller. Lacombe shaded his eyes as he stared upward.

"Another gift," he said. Suddenly, a drop of water oozed off the blade tip and dropped on his nose.

He recoiled, touched his nose, felt the wetness. Slowly, he touched his wet finger to his lips and tasted the water.

"Salt," he reported.

Chaos broke loose. Photographers scrambled over each other, aiming their lenses. Before them sat an immense oceangoing freighter fully five hundred thirty feet long. It lay on one side, steel plates dripping water.

Technicians began crowding forward. Scientists ran clicking Geiger counters over the dripping hull. Zoologists began prying barnacles from the plates. A crew with photographs and a thick book of engineering specs marched the length of the freighter from stem to stern.

"Danish," one of them remarked.

"Reported missing, with all hands aboard," another chimed in.

"Last seen near the island of Eleuthera," the first remembered.

"And no sign of flotsam or debris."

Midway (1976) Novelization

Written by Donald S. Sanford.  Based on the 1976 film written by Donald S. Sanford and directed by Jack Smight. It starred Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Colburn, Glenn Ford, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner and Edward Albert.

Once again, I've devoted time to an old novelization based on nostalgia. I have strong memories of watching this film on TV back in the late 70's. Growing up it was always on TV so over the years I watched it many times. Is it a good movie? Well, it's a decent movie, let's leave it at that. Imagined as a World War II movie with a star-studded cast a la THE LONGEST DAY or A BRIDGE TOO FAR, it is mostly populated by stock players from the Universal TV family. Still, we do get Charlton Heston, Robert Mitchum and Henry Fonda.

The story is inherently interesting: it depicts THE pivotal sea battle between the Allies and Japan in the Pacific. The loss was devastating to the Japanese, and although they soldiered on, the losses they incurred in this battle ensured their eventual defeat, nuclear bomb or no. There is high drama with leaders being decisive and taking chances and the overall power of the battle comes across well.  What's more, the personalities of the people involved come through. Fonda's portrayal of Admiral Nimitz effectively conveys the enormous risk he took directing the remains of the U.S. Navy to Midway, more or less putting Hawaii at risk in the process.

There is a fictional plot involving Heston and his son that is less interesting, but it also serves as a way to bring up how American of Japanese descent were imprisoned after Pearl Harbor.  Everybody tries hard for the most part, and the complex story is told in a clear fashion.

What is a definite mood killer, however, is the bland work of just about all of the TV actors. Some of the Japanese characters use their normal American accents and the mixture between them and, say, Toshiro Mifune's broken English is jarring at times.

Almost all of the battle footage is vintage World War II footage. This works surprisingly well in fact, but the decision to use footage like that was based on how much it would cost to produce acceptable visual effects. The penny-pinching isn't horrible, but not because they had the film's best interest at heart. And this is ultimately the knock against MIDWAY—it is a decidedly low rent "big" movie.

Still, I like it and will continue to watch it.

This novelization was written by the listed author of the screenplay. He obviously knows his stuff and the book, minus the subplot with Charlton Heston and Edward Albert, is a pretty accurate retelling of the events.  It is clear, however, that his screenplay was worked on by others as the final film has more humor than is in the book.

Excerpt:

Along "battleship row" at Pearl Harbor, the jagged outlines of the sunken vessels thrust their accusing fingers out of the bay, a grim reminder to a once complacent, overconfident nation. The easygoing camaraderie of its officer corps, characterized by Admiral Yamamoto as a socializing elite too preoccupied with their clubs to give serious attention to the war, had disappeared.

A new man had taken over CINCPAC Headquarters. He was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, recently appointed Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander in Chief Pacific Ocean Area. His first task had been to tighten ship.

Uniforms, now, were smarter and more aggressively correct. Salutes were edged with an overt display of discipline. There was a sense of direction, an air of urgency. The wounded giant was stirring and gathering his strength.

The navy-gray jeep sped through the simmering heat-waves which rose from the hot asphalt, its radio antenna whipping the air as it headed toward the huge concrete blockhouse. From the radio came the nasal twang of America's dean of newsmen, H. V. Kaltenborn.

"Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle led the raid with a force of sixteen B-25's and an all-volunteer crew of airmen. Most of the planes carried three five hundred-pound demolition bombs and single incendiary clusters which were dropped on oil stores, factory areas, and on some of the military installations of Tokyo. A few planes went on to make minor strikes on Kyoto, Yokohama, and Nagoya, with one bomb hitting the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo.

"News of the raid has had a most heartening effect on American morale and the morale of our allies, while at the same time constituting a blow to the prestige of the Japanese."

Captain Matt Garth was at the wheel, a tall, angular man in his late forties, with a sharp, aquiline face and piercing blue eyes. His shoulders were squarely set, his waist kept slim by daily exercise. There was a look about him that, while not quite hostile, seemed to indicate an intolerance of human frailty, and more---an acute dislike for what he liked to call muddy thinking.

He was in a furious temper now. He snapped off the radio, swung the wheel hard over, and skidded to a stop at the blockhouse. Outside the ten-foot-high, barbed-wire-topped chain-link fence which encircled the blockhouse was a small guard station. It was manned by a young Marine lieutenant and two enlisted men. They were armed with tommy guns and were grinning as they watched Matt Garth climb out of the jeep and approach them.