Elmore Leonard Dies at 87; Author Had an Ear for Dialogue; Some of His Best Movie Moments (Videos) (Full Movie)
Elmore Leonard died yesterday in Detroit at the age of 87. Elmore Leonard had been hospitalized for complications from a stroke. Elmore Leonard’s novels inspired 26 movies. Elmore Leonard’s son wrote on Elmore Leonard’s Facebook page that the influential author died “at home surrounded by his loving family.” The classic films “Hombre,” “Out Of Sight,” “3:10 To Yuma,” “Get Shorty,” “Jackie Brown” and the FX series “Justified” were all based on the novels or short stories of Elmore Leonard. Gregg Sutter, Elmore Leonard’s biographer, said Leonard was “very much into his 46th novel” when he was hospitalized in August.
Elmore Leonard was born on October 11, 1925 in New Orleans. His father worked for General Motors and the family had to move around a lot. They finally wound up in in Detroit, where Elmore Leonard grew up. Elmore Leonard said when he was a kid that he was very interested in the daily headlines detailing the exploits of Bonnie and Clyde during their crime spree, and the Detroit Tigers when they rode their way to two World Series championships. They lost in 1934 and won the World Series in 1935. Elmore Leonard said the headlines sparked his lifelong interest in sports and guns.
Elmore Leonard joined the Navy where he was stationed in the South Pacific and got the nickname “Dutch” after a baseball pitcher. Elmore Leonard studied writing at the University of Detroit, where he graduated with a degree in English and philosophy. During college, Elmore Leonard submited poems and short stories to magazines. He continued writing while he wrote copy for the Campbell-Ewald Advertising Agency.
Elmore Leonard’s short story "Trail of the Apaches" was published in 1951 by Argosy. He wrote his first novel, “The Bounty Hunters” in 1953 right around the same time that “The Tall T” and “3:10 to Yuma,” two classic fifties westerns that were also based on Leonard stories were produced. Leonard continued writing pulp Westerns and expanded into mystery and crime genres and screenplays.
Besides the nickname Dutch, Elmore Leonard was also called "the Dickens of Detroit" and other writers gushed over his gift for realistic dialogue. Stephen King called him "the great American writer." Leonard said he was most influenced by Ernest Hemingway but wished Hemingway had more of a sense of humor.
Though he’s best known for his crime novels, Elmore Leonard worked in many genres including Westerns and suspense thrillers. He wrote more than 40 books in his careers and movies have never been the same since they discovered him.
“Get Shorty” from 1995 was based on Leonard’s 1990 book. The movie starred John Travolta as a gangster who goes Hollywood. Danny DeVito plays an actor wants to play the character Travolta plays in a movie.
In 1957, Leonard’s Western about a rancher trying to an outlaw to justice on a train, “3:10 to Yuma,” was produced. It was remade in 2007.
"Jackie Brown” was also based on an Elmore Leonard story.
The TV series “Justified” is based on Leonard’s story “Fire in the Hole.”