Lenard's work was first adapted for the big screen with 1957 effort The Tall T, a western from director Budd Boetticher who was himself Oscar nominated as a writer in 1951 for Bullfighter And The Lady. Randolph Scott stars in the story of a cowboy kidnapped along with an heiress and held for ransom.
Though largely forgotten at this point, The Tall T is well regarded by those who remember it and as the starting point for Leonard's work on screen it merits a fresh look.
Also released n 1957 was the original screen adaptation of 3:10 To Yuma, this version directed by Delmer Daves with the iconic Glenn Ford in the lead. As with The Tall T, 3:10 To Yuma puts an unusual twist on the typical western with its story of a rancher trying to sneak an outlaw out of town to face justice and it remains an enduring classic.
Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall and John Saxon in a western directed by The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven helmer John Sturges? And it's from an Elmore Leonard novel? Where do I sign up? This is 1972's Joe Kidd and, really, the collection of talent alone makes this essential.
Meet Charles Bronson, melon farmer. Angry melon farmer. Angry melon farmer with a rifle and a hitman gunning for him. Because, you know, hit men don't like melons or the people who grow them.
Yeah, it's an odd pitch, to be sure, but that's part of the appeal of 1974's Mr Majestyk, that and the fact that it's directed by Conan the Destoryer and Soylent Green director Richard Fleischer.
Yeah, Burt Reynolds 1985 directorial effort Stick is here largely because I cannot resist the mustache. Or the opportunity to post this particular image. You probably don't actually need to watch this one. There's a reason Reynolds didn't direct very much.
As we arrive in 1986 we star tto get more to Leonard as we know him today. Filmmakers have moved on from Leonard's westerns to his dark crime novels by this point and here we land on the John Frankenheimer directed, Roy Scheider starring adaptation of 52 Pick-Up. This is Leonard as he's best known now, in a gritty world of greed and lust and very, very untrustworthy people. And, hey, Frankenheimer's no slouch in the director's chair.
1989 effort Cat Chaser captures director Abel Ferrara in transition. Having already carved out a niche for himself as a cult figure with The Driller Killer and Ms 45, Ferrara was just a year away from King Of New York and the run of titles that would propel him to the closest thing to mainstream success he would experience in his career.
Cat Chaser is a minor title to be sure - it doesn't come up often in discussions of either Ferrara or Leonard - but it came at an interesting time for both and with its story touching on international corruption and foreign dictatorships it touches some on the politics of the day in a way that makes it worth looking up.
The most financially successful of all Leonard screen adaptations, Barry Sonnenfeld's Get Shorty captures Leonard at his most playful and also John Travolta making a joke of himself on purpose instead of making a joke of himself by accident, which is too frequently the case these days.
With its all star cast, Get Shorty is just straight up entertainment that showcases Leonard's sparkling wit as he skewers the film industry that he had been a part of for nearly forty years by this point. It's a bit Leonard-lite, sure, but still a whole lot of fun.
There is a good sized body of people out there who argue quite convincingly that 1997's Jackie Brown stands as Quentin Tarantino's finest work. And while I waver on that point personally there's absolutely no denying that it's a damn good movie, stacked from start to finish with an amazing cast handed an amazing script with a director who dreams of writing the sort of dialogue Leonard spins so effortlessly and who, therefore, treated it with the proper respect. And, as a result, if I had to choose my personal favorite adaptation of Leonard's work, it's either Jackie Brown or the one coming next on the list ...
1998's Out Of Sight marked the beginning of a remarkable run of critical and commercial successes for both director Steven Soderbergh and star George Clooney. Heck, Out Of Sight was the first time I actually believed Clooney had it in him to be a movie star at all and he hasn't looked back since. Double heck, it's such a good movie that even Jennifer Lopez is good in it. The story of a career criminal kidnapping and then falling in love with the US Marshall tracking him down was seemingly tailor made for Clooney's skill set, Soderbergh absolutely knocks it out of the park, and the overall tale balances out Leonard's many competing urges with all sides of him getting their moment in the sun. It's a good 'un.
Can you go back again? Be Cool tried to by bringing back the characters from massive hit Get Shorty but the box office returns - under 50% of what the original drew in - pretty much reflect the movie itself. Be Cool tries too hard and misses the mark as a result but it's not without its moments and fans of Travolta's Chili Palmer character should at least get a rental's worth of enjoyment out of it.
James Mangold's 2007 remake of 3:10 To Yuma may not have set the box office on fire but it didn't tank miserably, either, which automatically makes it a success when compared to pretty much any other western of the last 20 years other than Unforgiven. And while not a ton of people saw it, those who did loved it. Russell Crowe's career has been all downhill from here but Crowe and Christian Bale are dynamite together and Mangold's direction is sure.