Thanks!
----- Original Message ---- From: Michael S. Chong <
menglish47@yahoo.com> To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, March 15,
2008 2:49:02 AM Subject: RARA-AVIS: Maltese Falcon
screenplay
Film
to books....
From The Wit and Wisdom of Hollywood:
ALLEN RIVKIN:
John Huston and I were officemates at
Warners---shared a secretary between us . One day he came in,
tossed a book on my desk, took a stance, pointed a finger at
the book and said "Kid, Warner said if I could get a
screenplay out of this Dash Hammett thing, he'll let me
direct it."
"He's already made it once," I reminded
John.
"Never used the book the first time. You and
I---we'll do the screenplay, huh, kid? Read it?" I did. John
was right. The first Maltese Falcoln hadn't touched the story
Hammett had written, I went into John's office to give him my
reaction. "Let's go," I said, eager for another
assignment.
"Fine, kid, fine. But first, before we do
that---let's get it broken down. You know, have the secretary
recopy the book, only setting it up in shots ,scenes and
dialogue. Then we'll know where we are. Okay, kid?"
"Fine with me," I said.
About a week later, John ambled into my office,
looking very puzzled. "Goddamnest thing happpened, kid," he
said, giving each word a close-up. My eyes asked what.
"Something maybe you didn't know," he said. "Everything these
secretaries do, a copy's got to go to the department. This
Maltese thing our secretary was doing, that went there
too."
"That's routine," I said.
"But the department has to send everything to
Warner---and he reads it!" John said. The look on his face
said that Warner was a Peeping Tom, invading our privacy. "He
read this Hammett book we had broken down and he just called
me on the phone," John said,
Now I was really worried. "Are we closed out," I
asked, "for getting this done without an okay from
somebody?"
"Closee out, hell," he boomed. "Warner said he
wants me to shoot it---and I start next Monday!"
(from Hello, Hollywood!, by Allen Rivken and
Laura Kerr, Doubleday, 1960)
Side note: just finished (Kerry Schooley) John
Swan's Sap... I have been looking for Toronto noir
(desperately) and I have found one. HB, dark, and full of the
Big Smoke. James Crumley-esque with lowlives and a touch of
the madness that is TO.
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