Re: Movie Rights To Catcher
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@hotpop.com)
Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:41:59 +1000
Tim wrote:
> I would imagine that show-biz then was not much different than show-biz
> now. A lot of the game is bluff, and I suspect that if this story is
true,
> the fellow was bluffing. JDS made it clear a long time ago that he would
> never permit anyone to make anything of Catcher other than what it is: a
> novel, nothing more, certainly nothing beyond the caretaking hands of its
> author.
Absolutely. I'd be very surprised if the guy was telling the truth
(although I had heard a rumour that Dylan had been asked to play Holden
from several sources).
A couple of examples I can think of - Alec Guinness asked for the rights
to `For Esme' as a radio play with himself as Sergeant X and was refused
(Salinger joking that the role of Esme would probably go to Edward G.
Robinson (: ). Elia Kazan (director of `On The Waterfront', `A Streetcar
Named Desire' etc) asked for the stage rights - probably anticipating film
rights as happened with many of his successful productions - to `Catcher in
the Rye' but this was also refused. There was however the bizarre
suggestion Salinger had of playing Holden onstage himself but that also
fell through (what a doozy though!). All of which is thought to result from
how `Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut' was fed through the sentimental wringer
before appearing onscreen as `My Foolish Heart'.
Your friendly Salinger archivist, (Oh! And a mighty hello to Matt along
with all the rest of 'em: gentlemen, restart your engines!)
Camille
verona_beach@hotpop.com