On Tue, 18 Jan 2000
kip.stratton@ni.com wrote:
> TOUCH OF EVIL immediately comes to mind. The
portrayal of Chicanos
> is curious,
> to say the least -- and casting Heston as a Mexicano
narc goes beyond
> curious to
> the bizarre. I haven't read the Whit Masterson
novel, BADGE OF EVIL,
> upon which
> Welles and Paul Monash based the screenplay. Surely
someone on the list has
> read it -- how about it, Bill Crider? Does it
have
> the same border elements?
What a coincidence: I just finished the book last night. It
doesn't have the same border elements, although Mitch Holt
(who doesn't appear in the film) has a Mexican wife. Welles
(but not Paul Monash - I think Welles rewrote the screenplay
with a very heavy hand) changed the nationalities of the main
characters: Holt became a Mexican Vargas and Holt's Mexican
Wife became a WASP Janet Leigh. Welles changed much: Hank
Quinlan became the top baddie, although in the book he's just
a bad guy's sidekick. Very interesting to read the book after
seeing Welles's movie, what, six or seven times. And not a
bad book. But the wife's Mexican nationality doesn't play big
role in the book.
Juri
jurnum@utu.fi
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