Cat Chaser by Elmore Leonard

(hb; 1982) 

 From the inside flap

"One of the stupidest things George Moran ever did was fall in love with the wife of a Miami millionaire. The ex-Marine should have known better, but there's something about beauty and money and that seductive Miami heat that sizzles the brain and throws common sense out with the tide. Add in a con that puts Moran smack in the crossfire, and there's trouble, the kind even an ex-leatherneck knows is going to be tough to handle." 

 Review

All of Leonard's best crime-novel trademarks are on display here: slick action-pacing; snappy dialogue; characters whose intentions (at best) are murky; and plenty of who's-zooming-who twists that leave the reader guessing what's really going on until the end. Add to that a finish that's reminiscent of a Mickey Spillane tale, and you've got a sure-fire winner. Check this out. 

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 The movie version, lensed in 1989, premiered on stateside video on October 2, 1991. Abel Ferrara directed the film. One of his lesser efforts, it was strictly a director-for-hire gig.

 Peter Weller played George Moran. Kelly McGillis played Mary DeBoya. Charles Durning played Jiggs Scully. Frederic Forrest played Nolen Tyner. Tomas Milian played Andres DeBoya. Juan Fernández played Rafi. Kelly Jo Minter played Loret. Maria M. Ruperto (a.k.a. Millie Ruperto) played Luci Palma. Phil Leeds played Jerry Shea. Tony Bolano played Corky.

Breakheart Pass, by Alistair MacLean

(hb; 1974)

From the inside flap:

"... a raging blizzard in the Rocky Mountains... Murder, danger, vengeful Indians, the lust for gold, and a Federal agent pitted against as villainous a set of thieves as ever came out of the Old West -- these are the elements Mr. MacLean has woven into [this] exciting and fast-moving [novel]..."

Review:

What can I write that the above blurb didn't already cover? Breakheart Pass has all the necessary elements of an excellent action novel: plenty of twists (rooted in the characters' personalities, ably mapped by MacLean), lots of clever action, and even a hint of romance -- not enough to slow down the violence and drama, of course, but there nevertheless.

Check it out: a great, fun read for action and Old West aficionados.

The resulting film was released stateside on May 5, 1976.

Charles Bronson played Deakin. Ben Johnson played Pearce. Richard Crenna played Governor Fairchild. Jill Ireland played Marica. Charles Durning played O'Brien. Ed Lauter played Major Claremont. Bill McKinney played Reverend Peabody. Robert Tessier played Levi Calhoun.

Tom Gries directed the film, from a screenplay by source-novel author Alistair MacLean.

North Dallas Forty, by Peter Gent

(pb; 1973)

From the back cover:

"Eight days in the life of a pro-football player. Eight days of savagery, pain, drugs, drinking, laughter and raunchy sex, and haunting love between a man and a woman... Eight days that take you into the heart of a man, a team, a sport, a game and the raw power and violence that is America itself. The author, Peter Gent, former offensive for the Dallas Cowboys, has emerged as an astounding writing talent."

Review:

Laugh out loud funny in some parts, sad in others, this dark comedy is a roller-coaster ride of Dantean proportions. It's not just another football book: it's a written-from-the-gut, inside look at a sport and a country that's troubling, compromised (by power-brokers, money men and players alike) and often admirable.

The ending is one of the most shocking I've ever read. I still get upset when I think about it, all the while applauding Gent's galvanizing finish.

By all means, check it out. Avoid the lackluster book sequel, North Dallas After Forty, which posssessed none of the power and realism of the original novel.

The film version was released stateside on August 3, 1979.

Nick Nolte played Phillip Elliott. Mac Davis played Seth Maxwell. Charles Durning played Coach Johnson. Dayle Haddon played Charlotte Caulder. Bo Svenson played Jo Bob Priddy. John Matuszak played O.W. Shaddock. Dabney Coleman played Emmett Hunter.

Ted Kotcheff directed the film, from a script by Peter Gent, Nancy Dowd (uncredited) and Rich Eustis.