The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

 

(hb; 1934)

Review

Postman is an excellent, no-words-wasted, twisted tale of raw sexuality, adultery and murder, with two main characters who, in spite of the seeming amorality, are relatable (at least for this reader), who aren’t evil just unhappy, and willing to do what they need to do to achieve it. Simple (but not simple-minded), entertaining and darkly clever, this is one of the best pulp novels I’ve read. Worth owning, this.

#

Two film versions of Postman resulted.

The first version was released stateside on May 2, 1946. Tay Garnett directed it, from a screenplay by Harry Ruskin and Niven Busch.

John Garfield played Frank Chambers. Lana Turner played Cora Smith (in the book her married surname was Papadakis). Cecil Kellaway played Nick Smith.

Hume Cronyn played Arthur Keats. Leon Ames played Kyle Sackett. Audrey Totter played Madge Gorland. Alan Reed (who later voiced an animated Fred Flintstone) played Ezra Liam Kennedy. Jeff York played Blair.

The second version, directed by Bob Rafelson from a script by David Mamet, was released stateside on March 20, 1981.

Jack Nicholson played Frank Chambers. Jessica Lange played Cora Papadakis. John Colicos played Nick Papadakis.

Michael Lerner played Mr. Katz. John P. Ryan played Kennedy. William Traylor played Sackett. Anjelica Huston played Madge. Thomas Hill, billed as Tom Hill, played Barlow.

The Furies by Niven Busch

(pb; 1948)

From the back cover

“With his novel Duel in the Sun (1946) and his screenplay for Raoul Walsh’s Pursued (1947), Niven Busch brought the western into decidedly Freudian territory, marrying the genre’s rugged exteriors with equally untamed psychologies. First published in 1948, The Furies continued his revisionist steak with the thundering tale of Vane Jefford, tough right hand and hot-blooded heiress to her beloved patriarch, ruthless New Mexico cattle baron T.C. Jefford. But when her widower father brings home a new flame, Vance’s simmering jealousy threatens to shatter trust, draw blood, and bring ruin to the clan.”

Review

Furies is a cinematic-vivid, psychologically intense, epic and sometimes suspenseful Western tale of tempestuous familial struggles, betrayal, greed, murder and─for some of the characters─redemption. It gets chatty at times but not so much that it made me, a minimalist reader and writer, want to set it down. This is an ambitious, accomplished and memorable work, one that will stick with this reader for a long time to come. This is not only worth reading, it is worth owning.

#

The resulting film was released stateside on August 14, 1950. It was directed by Anthony Mann, from Charles Schnee’s screenplay.

Barbara Stanwyck played Vance Jeffords. Walter Huston played T.C. Jeffords. Gilbert Roland played Juan Herrera. Wendell Corey played Rip Darrow (cinematic stand-in for the book’s Curley Darragh). Judith Anderson played Flo Burnett.

John Bromfield played Clay Jeffords. Blanche Yerka played “Herrera Mother.” Thomas Gomez played El Tigre. Wallace Ford played Scotty Hyslip. Frank Ferguson played Dr. Grieve.