Elmore Leonard dies at 87--

A great figure in the crime fiction genre has died earlier this week in writer Elmore Leonard.  

A monster talent with success in writing for novels and some even later adapted in movies (I read he thought "Get Shorty" was one of the best efforts of transferring his novel to the big screen) and television (I'm a steady viewer of "Justified"), Leonard enjoyed a long writing career.  

Elmore Leonard
(photo from Google)

From the library's catalog under his "Raylan" book is the Author & Notes Sketches entry which reads: Elmore John Leonard, Jr., popularly known as mystery and western writer Elmore Leonard, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 11, 1925. He served in the United States Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1946. He received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Detroit in 1950. After graduating, he wrote short stories and western novels as well as advertising and education film scripts. In 1967, he began to write full-time and received several awards including the 1977 Western Writers of America award and the 1984 Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe award. His other works include 
Get  Shorty, Out of Sight, Hombre, Mr. Majestyk, 3:10 to Yuma, and Rum Punch. Many of his works were adapted into movies. He successfully conquered alcoholism in the 1970s; details of his struggle with the bottle appear in author Dennis Wholey's 1986 book The Courage to Change. His title Raylan made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2012. Library of America recently announced plans to publish the first of a three-volume collection of his books beginning in the Fall of 2014. Leonard died on August 20, 2013 from complications of a stroke he had earlier. He was 87 years old. (Bowker Author Biography)

For a list of the library's holdings for Leonard (including novels, books on CD, movies, etc.), click here.

Eye-catching Photo of Detective Duo



Scene from CBS-TV's "Elementary" from Google

 The other day online I spotted an eye-catching photo--I thought--of a couple in an urban setting.  It was actress Lucy Liu whom I recognized and actor Jonny Lee Miller from a scene of an new upcoming fall TV series.  Now, the actual TV show is called "Elementary" which features the two playing (another) version of "Sherlock Holmes."  This time Miller plays Holmes and she is "Dr. Joan Watson."  Okaaay.

When I saw the photo I was reminded almost immediately writer S.J. Rozan's detective team of Lydia Chin and Bill Smith.  In fact, I had hoped it would be.  It would be a different TV show to closely follow the format of the books with either Chen or Smith as the primary investigator for the case.  The two reside in New York City with the American-born Chinese Chen working usually in the Chinatown community with Smith often "shadowing" Chen.

Smith has strong American roots which go back to Kentucky although he's a full-time New Yorker these days.  His work in Rozan's books have taken him around the New York area.  Chen, however, has cases typically with her Chinese community.

Frequent investigations into Chinatown could lead to a culturally enlightening show--as the books do.  I'd imagine such a series would include--for the sake of realism--times of characters speaking only Chinese and closed captioned scenes.  How might that go over on network TV?   Of course, there's always cable, right?

I think Rozan has the thought-provoking elements for a unique TV series with her fictional detectives.

New modern-day "Sherlock Holmes" TV series is here

I listened to the National Public Radio last week and caught an interesting story about arguably the world's most famous fictional detective, "Sherlock Holmes" in a new series on the BBC. It is a modern take on the detective in a series just entitled "Sherlock" and it will air in the United States beginning this month.

The revision of Holmes sounds reasonable if the character was to be dropped in the present day but read (or listen) to the story and reach your own conclusions. I'm rather curious.

Final Nights for New "Law & Order" Episodes on NBC-TV--

I was stunned when I read NBC-TV's long running series "LAW & ORDER" was cancelled from the upcoming fall season. It has hung around through cast changes and time changes over the years until I thought it could air another two or three years. Well, that was not to be.

I liked the set-up of the shows episodes split between the police detectives and the district attorneys' work on a case. And I liked the New York City sets. I became hooked on the show during the last season of the Briscoe/Curtis detective (with actors Jerry Orbach and Benjamin Bratt) era and hung in ever since. The procedural set-up won me over as good and life-like storytelling for TV crime fiction. Here's a pix of the current cast from Google.

I like the current cast and think they have done some good work. And yet, we have all favorites and my true favorite was during the Briscoe/Green detective (with actors Orbach and Jesse L. Martin) era. In any regard, I'm a bigger fan of watching the detective work for the set-up of the case although I do want to see how the case survives (and concludes) in court.

Thanks to various cable stations over the years, I've been able to see most shows going back the first episode and I have a greater appreciate for the entire body of work. Some stories stretch too hard for the famed "ripped from the headlines" theme of the show but I have found most "Law & Order" shows very watchable.

I'll miss it--or do you think 20 years was too long for this series?

The late Peter Graves as a fictional PI--

As I flipped through the new Time magazine, I ran across a brief article about the recent passing of journeyman actor Peter Graves. A star of the hit "Mission Impossible" TV series, Graves did have a long and successful career which includes one role I'm mention here. Here's a googled pix of the actor.

My recollection for an old TV movie clicked when I thought of Graves. He did star as a fictional private investigator from a successful book series in a 1974 movie which I remember watching way back then. "The Underground Man" which was based on a book by the same name featured writer Ross MacDonald's PI Lew Archer. A Wikipedia article says the movie was a pilot for a TV series.

And although MacDonald's work was written and published mainly in the 50s and 60s, it has been resurrected recently in paperbacks including some titles in our local library system.

Writer (and TV producer) Stephen J. Cannell--

I've run across a recent entertainment news story about NBC-TV lining up new dramas and one show, in particular, makes me smile if it manages to make it the screen. The 70s hit TV show "The Rockford Files" may get a reboot from NBC and I'm reminded of the talented Stephen J. Cannell's handiwork with the show. Cannell was a writer, producer and creator of the series and worked on others over the years.

The trademark ending of the show with Cannell banging out a page on a typewriter and throwing it in the air was an excellent way to relate to his continuing writing career (the resulting paper would turn into his company logo [take a look here from YouTube]). And as it turns out, he has kept the creative juices flowing by writing novels in recent years.

I have seen his books but haven't read any yet--although I think I would enjoy his work. Mainly, he writes a series with a Los Angeles police detective Shane Scully. The next book in the series is The Pallbearers and is due next month.

A Christmas wish for a DVD set--

Its Christmas time again and I enjoy receiving DVDs (or DVD sets) like many this time of year. My dream DVD set would be an old personal favorite TV show--a private eye series from the 1970s, "Harry O" starring David Janssen. Here's a googled pix of Janssen from the series.

The series only ran two years and that can be one reason it doesn't appear to be joining other shows on the DVD racks--sadly. I had hope it would make it as more shows were coming to DVD a few years back but the DVD television show glut has eased I believe. Still, Janssen's big TV hit, "The Fugitive" is released regularly for the interested to purchase in half season "chunks"--OK, DVD sets.

Anyway, I liked the nature of the Harry Orwell character with his wit and unconventional lifestyle of living on a boat on the beach. And to get around for a while during the series he would just take public transportation--the bus. Also Janssen's voice over segments during the episodes worked for me too.

On the other hand, I still have a paperback book based on the series simplyly entitled Harry O. It was the first book with a #1 in the top left corner and was published in 1975. So till my dream happens (a studio DVD television set), I'll keep check for upcoming DVD releases but I won't hold my breath. Finally, I'm including the opening for the show courtesy of YouTube. I'm including the first and second, the third is just OK.

Book series comes to HBO in 2009--

I have HBO at home and aside from a few destinated shows, I don't watch it too much. And yet, I had it on between shows recently and got sucked into watched a long commercial segment with the networks' upcoming shows when I was surprised to see one new show. For just a split-second, the TV screen shows that Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series is coming soon.

I'm impressed that Botswana's fictional folksy detective, Precious Ramotswe, is bound for the screen although it is not brand new entertainment news (thanks, Variety). Oh well, good news is good news.

Award Nominated Show Returns in Fall--

According to the ABC-TV website, one of my new favorite shows won't return--with new episodes anyway--until this fall. Pushing Daisies is the quirky series about a man, Ned, who can briefly bring the dead back to life by a touch. With this strange power, he has started working with a private investigator part-time to solve murders while still working full-time as a baker in a dessert restaurant called (no-joke) "The Pie-Hole."

Needless to say this modestly serious-themed show revels in humor and fantasy along with tales of murderers committing murder. And apparently the show has drawn its fair share of notice too, as one episode is nominated for an Edgar Mystery Award this year. In the category of "Best Television Teleplay," writer Bryan Fuller is nominated for "Pie-Lette."

From the ABC-TV website, here's a pix with series regulars from the episode "Dummy" with "Chuck" actress Anna Friel, "Emerson Cod" actor Chi McBride and "Ned" actor Lee Pace. As I said earlier, Pushing Daisies is a favorite for me--I'm ready to purchase a first season DVD for the series.

Comedian to Actor to Writer.......

It stands to reason after portraying a detective on TV for years that you can get comfortable in the role. That certainly appears to be the case for comedian-actor Richard Belzer who's recently signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster to write two mysteries. According to the news wire services, Belzer's story lines will focus on him as a TV performer involved in the stories.


These days Belzer is almost better known as Detective John Munch on NBC's successful "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

I certainly hope to see copies of Belzer's new novels at the library whenever they hit print. I'm sure the quick-witted, strong-opinioned Belzer has some good stories to write.

Mickey Spillane Died Monday

It's a bit of a stun and surprise to me to hear that mystery writer Mickey Spinane died today. I had just pulled a couple of his titles for a mystery book display this past weekend. The display was entitled "The Modern Masters of the Mystery Genre" and Spillane makes the cut as a recipient of a "Grand Master" category during one year for a national mystery book award series.

I've never read a Spillane title and I didn't think his books with his hero, detective Mike Hammer would appeal to me for 200 pages or so. And I remember the TV show of Mike Hammer with actor Stacy Keach only holding mild appeal. All the same, I do fondly remember the 1950s film Kiss Me Deadly as a different, out there movie. It did have a neat film noir take with the rarely pleasant Hammer. Ralph Meeker started in the movie. And watching it on the big screen while in college, made for a fun evening.

Spillane certainly had a varied but truly successful career. Only after googling him, did I find out that he also wrote comic books at one time and even starred as his fictional detective in the movies. Here's an old pix of Spillane.