Film & TV source books
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES: ANOTHER ADVENTURE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES.
London: George Newnes, Limited. 1902. Octavo, original red cloth, front cover stamped in gold and black, spine stamped in gold. First edition. Sherlock Holmes on the Moors. Filmed numerous times.
THE DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE.
New York: Avon Publishing Co., Inc., [1949]. Octavo, pictorial wrappers. First paperback edition. Basis for the film noir directed by Felix Feist with Lawrence Tierney.
TRUE CONFESSIONS.
New York: E.P. Dutton, [1977]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Filmed in 1981 from a screenplay by the author, starring Robert DeNiro and Robert Duvall.
THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (SEQUEL TO FRANKENSTEIN).
London: The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd., n.d., [1936]. Small octavo, pp. [1-6] 7-252 [253-256] [note: first and last leaves used as front and rear paste-downs], original decorated blue-green boards, spine and front cover stamped in gold. First edition. Copies bound in cloth with the Queensway Press imprint were intended for the library market while this simultaneous cheaper issue with the Readers Library imprint were sold in Woolworth's for 6d. Novel based on the James Whale film "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) starring Elsa Lanchester and Boris Karloff. From George Locke's introduction to the American edition from Bookfinger, he provides the following information: After the movie was completed it was realized that no book existed for a tie-in. The Hutchinson (U. K.) publishing group which owned the Readers Library imprint commissioned author Michael Harrison to produce a novel. Mr. Harrison was given three weeks to produce a finished work. Harrison started working from a shooting script for the film which contained not only the dialog but the shooting details also. After getting bogged down following the script and working under deadline Harrison decided to ignore the script (but not the story). "...the remaining work represented so radical a departure from the script that the finished book was to all intents and purposes original fiction." Harrison took his pseudonym from a public house, "The Egremont Arms." Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 77. Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, pp. 53-4. Bleiler (1978), p. 68. Reginald 04717.
FEDERAL BULLETS...
New York: The William Caslon Company, Inc., [1936]. Octavo, pp. [1-8] 9-256, original black cloth, front and spine stamped in orange, fore edge untrimmed, bottom edge rough trimmed, top edge stained orange. First edition. The author's first mystery novel. Dan Fowler, special agent of the Department of Justice fights crime. "Tireless, vigilant and daring, Dan faces the sinister forces of the underworld..." - from the front flap copy. The authors first novel to feature Dan Fowler, G-Man.Fowler was the main character in G-Men Detective pulp magazine (1935-1953). George Eliot wrote the majority of the stories under the C. K. M. Scanlon house pseudonym. Eliot also wrote for other pulp fiction magazines. This is one of the few if not the only pulp hero type character to have stand alone novels written and published contemporary to also appearing in magazine. Major Eliot served in World War I and was a reserve U. S. military intelligence officer in the 1920s and early 30s. He started writing pulp fiction in the mid-20s and also wrote a book with recommendations on the national defense. During WW II he worked as an analyst CBS news and continued to write articles on military matters which continued after the war. Filmed in 1937 with the lead character's name changed. Hubin, p. 263.
DREADFUL SUMMIT.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1948. Octavo, cloth. First edition. The author's first novel. Suspense novel of a teenage boy who plans to avenge his disgraced father. Basis for the 1951 film noir "The Big Night." Hubin, p. 263. Johnson, The Dark Page (2), p. 52. Silver and Ward (eds.), Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style (3rd edition), pp. 31-33.
THE BLACK DAHLIA.
New York, London: The Mysterious Press, [1987]. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. A novel based on the famous unsolved murder mystery in L.A. of the late 40’s. The first book in his L.A. Quartet series of novels. Main basis for the 2006 film directed by Brian De Palma with Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hillary Swank.
THE BLACK DAHLIA.
New York, London: The Mysterious Press, [1987]. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. Generic inscription by Ellroy on the front free end paper. A novel based on the famous unsolved murder mystery in L.A. of the late 40’s. The first book in his L. A. Quartet series of novels. Main basis for the 2006 film directed by Brian De Palma with Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hillary Swank. Hubin, p. 265.
SECONDS ...
New York: Pantheon Books A Division of Random House, [1963]. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. The story of a man caught up by a nameless organization that uses advanced managerial and technological methods to achieve its singular aim -- lifting the moral and physical barriers to personal liberty and self-indulgence. Brilliantly filmed by John Frankenheimer with Rock Hudson as the hapless victim of a shadowy organization which ultimately kills him and recycles his body parts. "Like David Ely's slender, nightmarish novel, SECONDS has a thinly science-fictional rationale, but it is actually an exercise in Kafkaesque horror ... Outstandingly photographed by James Wong Howe, extremely well played by the whole cast (the choice of Hudson as every man's self-image is inspired), and directed with the imaginative flair John Frankenheimer brought to The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May, and 99 and 44/100% Dead, SECONDS is perhaps the scariest movie of the 1960s." - Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, p. 374. Reginald 37728. Hubin (1994), p. 266.
SECONDS ...
New York: Pantheon Books A Division of Random House, [1963]. Octavo, cloth-backed boards. First edition. The story of a man caught up by a nameless organization that uses advanced managerial and technological methods to achieve its singular aim -- lifting the moral and physical barriers to personal liberty and self-indulgence. Brilliantly filmed by John Frankenheimer with Rock Hudson as the hapless victim of a shadowy organization which ultimately kills him and recycles his body parts. "Like David Ely's slender, nightmarish novel, SECONDS has a thinly science-fictional rationale, but it is actually an exercise in Kafkaesque horror ... Outstandingly photographed by James Wong Howe, extremely well played by the whole cast (the choice of Hudson as every man's self-image is inspired), and directed with the imaginative flair John Frankenheimer brought to The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May, and 99 and 44/100% Dead, SECONDS is perhaps the scariest movie of the 1960s." - Sullivan (ed), The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural, p. 374. Reginald 37728. Hubin (1994), p. 266.
METHINKS THE LADY.
New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, [1945]. pp. [1-6] [1-2] 3-282, original brown cloth, front and spine panels stamped in blue, top edge stained brown. First edition. First printing with "I" printed on copyright page. Psychological mystery involving a woman married to a psychologist who is a kleptomaniac and a murderer. Filmed in 1949 as "Whirlpool," directed by Otto Preminger. Barron (ed), Fantasy and Horror (1999) 4-50. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 3-66. Bleiler (1948), p. 109. Johnson, The Dark Page, p. 90. Selby, Dark City: The Film Noir, 470. Silver and Ward (eds.), Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style (3rd edition), pp. 385-386.
THE VIRGIN SUICIDES.
New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, [1993]. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. The author's first novel. Filmed in 1999 with Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett.
A FAN'S NOTES: A FICTIONAL MEMOIR...
New York, Evanston, and London: Harper & Row, Publishers, [1968]. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. The author's first novel. A young man as an obsessed fan of the New York (football) Giants. Filmed in 1972.
THE REIVERS: A REMINISCENCE.
New York: Random House, [1962]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Winner of the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Filmed in 1969 with Steve McQueen.
THE BIG CLOCK.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, [1946]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Classic crime novel. "This quintessential tale of psychological suspense is so good, in fact, that labeling it a small masterpiece would not be unjustified." - Pronzini and Muller, 1001 Midnights, The Aficionado's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction, pp. 242-243. Basis for two films The Big Clock (1948) and No Way Out (1987). The 1948 film is one of the best noir films of the 1940s. Johnson, The Dark Page, p. 94. See also St. James Guide to Crime and Mystery Writers (pp. 345-46), Magill (ed.), Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction, pp. 592-98.
THE BIG CLOCK.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, [1946]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Classic crime novel. "This quintessential tale of psychological suspense is so good, in fact, that labeling it a small masterpiece would not be unjustified." - Pronzini and Muller, 1001 Midnights, The Aficionado's Guide to Mystery and Detective Fiction, pp. 242-243. Basis for two films The Big Clock (1948) and No Way Out (1987). The 1948 film is one of the best noir films of the 1940s. Johnson, The Dark Page, p. 94. See also St. James Guide to Crime and Mystery Writers (pp. 345-46), Magill (ed.), Critical Survey of Mystery and Detective Fiction, pp. 592-98.
ICE PALACE.
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, & Company, Inc., 1958. Octavo, cloth. First edition. A novel set in Alaska.
THE SARATOGA TRUNK.
Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1941. Octavo, original blue cloth stamped in blind to front cover, stamped in cream and gold to spine panel, top edge stained blue. First trade edition. Filmed in 1945 with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman.
5 AGAINST THE HOUSE.
London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, [1954]. Octavo, boards. First U.K. edition. Author's first novel. Signed inscription by Finney on the title page "Best wishes-/ -- from/ Jack Finney". Made into a film noir in 1955 directed by Phil Karlson, with Guy Madison, Kim Novak and Brian Keith.
ASSAULT ON A QUEEN.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959. Octavo, cloth backed boards. First edition. Filmed in 1966 with Frank Sinatra in the lead role.
THE BODY SNATCHERS.
London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1955. Octavo, boards. First British and first hardcover edition. "Seed-pod aliens take over a small American town, replacing people with will-less simulacra. A memorable piece of paranoia, similar to Heinlein's THE PUPPET MASTERS (1951)." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 45. "A chilling classic..."- Barron (ed.) Horror Literature 4-116. This novel has now been filmed four times, a classic of the genre. The first film version directed by Don Siegel starring Kevin McCarthy was released at the height of the Red scare of the 1950s. The latest version appeared in 2007 titled "Invasion". Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-401. Barron, ed., Fantasy and Horror (1999) 6-136. King list, p. 390. Winter list, p. 269.
THE BODY SNATCHERS.
London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1955. Octavo, boards. First edition. "Seed-pod aliens take over a small American town, replacing people with will-less simulacra. A memorable piece of paranoia, similar to Heinlein's THE PUPPET MASTERS (1951)." - Pringle, The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction, second edition (1995), p. 45. "A chilling classic..."- Barron (ed.) Horror Literature 4-116. This novel has now been filmed four times, a classic of the genre. The first film version directed by Don Siegel starring Kevin McCarthy was released at the height of the Red scare of the 1950s. The latest version appeared in 2007 titled "Invasion". Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-401. Barron, ed., Fantasy and Horror (1999) 6-136. King list, p. 390. Winter list, p. 269.
THE HOUSE OF NUMBERS.
[New York: Dell Publishing Company, Inc., 1957]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First edition. Dell # A139. Paperback original. Filmed in 1957 with Jack Palance.
TIME AND AGAIN.
New York: Simon and Schuster, [1970]. Octavo, cloth. First edition. Correct first printing. Excellent novel of time travel-to New York of the 1880's. "Excellent historical detail and a compelling plot make this the outstanding work of the [time travel] sub-genre." -Anatomy of Wonder (1995) 4-167. "...it's a classic modern timeslip romance, detailed and moving...(the) author's best book." - Pringle (ed.)-The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-403. Barron (ed), Fantasy Literature 4A-105. Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 47. Survey of Science Fiction Literature V, pp. 2283-86. King list, p. 390.
I WAKE UP SCREAMING.
[New York: Quinn Publishing Company, Inc., 1944]. Small octavo, pictorial wrappers. First paperback edition. Handi-Book #27. Classic hardboiled mystery novel.