Westlake, Donald E. 1933- (John B. Allan, Curt Clark, Tucker Coe, Timothy J. Culver, J. Morgan Cunningham, Samuel Holt, Alan Marshall, Richard Stark, Edwin West)

PERSONAL

Full name, Donald Edwin Edmund Westlake, later Donald Edwin Edmond Westlake; born July 12, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Albert Joseph (in sales) and Lillian Marguerite (maiden name, Bounds) Westlake; married Nedra Henderson, August 10, 1957 (divorced, 1966); married Sandra Foley, April 9, 1967 (divorced, 1975); married Abigail Adams (a writer; also known as Abby Adams, Abby Adams Westlake, and Abby Westlake), May 18, 1979; children: Sean Alan, Steven Albert, Tod, Paul Edwin; stepchildren: Adrienne Adams, Patrick Adams, Katharine Adams. Education: Attended Champlain College, Harpur College (now State University of New York at Binghamton), and other colleges.

Addresses:

Agent—The Kohner Agency, 9300 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 555, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career:

Writer. Held various jobs prior to 1958; Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Inc., New York City, associate editor, 1958-59. Military service: U.S. Air Force, 1954-56.

Awards, Honors:

Edgar Allan Poe Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1967, for God Save the Mark; Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination, best motion picture, 1988, for The Stepfather; Edgar Allan Poe Award, best motion picture, Academy Award nomination, best writing—screenplay based on material from another medium, and Screen Award nomination, best screenplay based on material from another medium, Writers Guild of America, all 1991, for The Grifters; Edgar Allan Poe Grand Master Award, Mystery Writers of America, 1992; Mystery Master Award, Magna cum Murder, 1995; honorary doctorate, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1996; Edgar Allan Poe Award (with Steven Schachter and William H. Macy), best television feature or miniseries, 2000, for A Slight Case of Murder.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Himself, The Hunter: A Conversation with Author Donald E. Westlake (documentary), Paramount Home Entertainment, 2007.

Television Work; Series:

Creator, Supertrain, NBC, 1979.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Muy personal, 1988.

WRITINGS

Screenplays:

Commissaire mene l'enquete (also known as Fantaisies conjugales), 1963.

The Busy Body, 1967.

Cops and Robbers, United Artists, 1973.

(With Michael Kane) Hot Stuff, Columbia, 1979.

Slayground (based on his novel), Universal, 1984.

(And author of story with Carolyn Lefront and Brian Garfield) The Stepfather (also known as Stepfather I), New Century-Vista, 1987.

(With Leonard Mass, Jr.) Why Me? (based on his novel), Triumph, 1989.

The Grifters (based on the novel by Jim Thompson), Miramax, 1990.

Ripley Under Ground, Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2005.

Television Movies:

(Story only) A Slight Case of Murder (also known as A Travesty), HBO, 1999.

Television Pilots:

Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery, NBC, 1987.

Television Episodes:

(Story only) "Feel of the Trigger," 87th Precinct, NBC, 1962.

(Story only) "One on a Desert Island," Journey to the Unknown, 1969.

"Fly Paper," Fallen Angels, 1995.

Novels:

The Mercenaries, Random House (New York City), 1960.

Brother and Sister, Monarch Books, 1961.

Campus Doll, Monarch Books, 1961.

Killing Time, Random House, 1961.

Young and Innocent, Monarch Books, 1961.

Strange Affair, Monarch Books, 1962.

361, Random House, 1962.

Killy, Random House, 1963.

Pity Him Afterwards, Random House, 1964.

The Fugitive Pigeon, Random House, 1965.

(As Curt Clark) Anarchaos, Ace Books (New York City), 1966.

The Busy Body, Random House, 1966.

The Spy in the Ointment, Random House, 1966.

God Save the Mark, Random House, 1967.

Philip, Crowell (New York City), 1967.

Who Stole Sassi Manoon?, Random House, 1968.

Somebody Owes Me Money, Random House, 1969.

Up Your Banners, Macmillan (New York City), 1969.

Adios, Scheherezade, Simon & Schuster (New York City), 1970.

(As Timothy J. Culver) Ex Officio, M. Evans (New York City), 1970.

The Hot Rock, Simon & Schuster, 1970.

I Gave at the Office, Simon & Schuster, 1971.

Bank Shot, Simon & Schuster, 1972.

Cops and Robbers, M. Evans, 1972.

(With Brian Garfield) Gangway, M. Evans, 1972.

Help I Am Being Held Prisoner, M. Evans, 1974.

Jimmy the Kid, M. Evans, 1974.

Brothers Keepers, M. Evans, 1975.

A Travesty, M. Evans, 1975.

Two Much, M. Evans, 1975.

Dancing Aztecs, M. Evans, 1976, published as A New York Dance, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1979.

Enough! (contains A Travesty), M. Evans, 1977.

Nobody's Perfect, M. Evans, 1977.

Castle in the Air, M. Evans, 1980.

Kahawa, Viking (New York City), 1982.

Why Me?, Viking, 1983.

A Likely Story, Penzler Books, 1984.

High Adventure, Mysterious Press (New York City), 1985.

Good Behavior, Mysterious Press, 1986.

(With Abby Westlake) High Jinx, introduction by Martin Cruz Smith, Dennis McMillan Publications, 1987.

(With A. Westlake) Transylvania Station, introduction by Stephen King, Dennis McMillan Publications, 1987.

Trust Me on This, Mysterious Press, 1988.

Sacred Monster, Mysterious Press, 1989.

Drowned Hopes, Mysterious Press, 1990.

Humans, Mysterious Press, 1992.

Don't Ask, Mysterious Press, 1993.

Give Till It Hurts: A Christmas Story, Mysterious Bookshop (Hollywood, CA), 1993.

Baby, Would I Lie? A Romance of the Ozarks, Mysterious Press, 1994.

Smoke, Mysterious Press, 1995.

What's the Worst That Could Happen?, Mysterious Press, 1996.

The Ax, Mysterious Press, 1998.

The Hook, Mysterious Press, 2000.

Bad News, Mysterious Press, 2001.

Money for Nothing, Mysterious Press, 2003.

The Scared Stiff, Orion, 2003.

The Road to Ruin, Mysterious Press, 2004.

Thieves' Dozen, Mysterious Press, 2004.

Watch Your Back!, Mysterious Press, 2005.

What's So Funny, Warner Books, 2007.

Short Stories:

The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution, and Other Fictions, Random House, 1968.

Levine, Mysterious Press, 1984.

Tomorrow's Crimes (also includes the novel Anarchaos), Mysterious Press, 1990.

A Good Story and Other Stories, Macmillan, 1999.

Nonfiction:

(As John B. Allan) Elizabeth Taylor: A Fascinating Story of America's Most Talented Actress and the World's Most Beautiful Woman (biography), Monarch, 1961.

Under an English Heaven, Simon & Schuster, 1971.

Works As Editor:

(With others) Once Against the Law, Macmillan, 1968.

(With J. Madison Davis) Murderous Schemes: An Anthology of Classic Detective Stories, Oxford University Press (New York City), 1996.

(With Otto Penzler) The Best American Mystery Stories, Houghton (Boston), 2000.

Novels As Tucker Coe:

Kinds of Love, Kinds of Death, Random House, 1966.

Murder Among Children, Random House, 1968.

Wax Apple, Random House, 1970.

A Jade in Aries, Random House, 1971.

Don't Lie to Me, Random House, 1972.

Kinds of Love, Kinds of Death: The First Mitch Tobin Mystery, International Polygonics, 2001.

Novels As Richard Stark:

The Mourner, Pocket Books (New York City), 1963.

The Outfit, Pocket Books, 1963.

The Man with the Getaway Face, Pocket Books, 1963, published as The Steel Hit, Coronet (London), 1971, Berkley Publishing (New York City), 1975.

The Hunter, Pocket Books, 1963, published as Point Blank, Berkley Publishing, 1973, reprinted under original title with a new introduction by the author, Gregg Press, 1981.

The Score, Pocket Books, 1964.

The Jugger, Pocket Books, 1965.

The Handle, Pocket Books, 1966, published as Run Lethal, Berkley Publishing, 1966.

The Seventh, Pocket Books, 1966, published as The Split, Allison & Busby, 1984.

The Dame, Macmillan (New York City), 1967.

The Damsel, Macmillan, 1967.

The Green Eagle Score, Fawcett (New York City), 1967.

The Rare Coin Score, Fawcett, 1967.

The Black Ice Score, Fawcett, 1968.

The Blackbird, Macmillan, 1969.

The Sour Lemon Score, Fawcett, 1969.

Deadly Edge, Random House, 1971.

Lemons Never Lie, World Publishing, 1971.

Slayground, Random House, 1971.

Plunder Squad, Random House, 1972.

Butcher's Moon, Random House, 1974.

Stark Mysteries (anthology; contains The Hunter, The Man with the Getaway Face, The Mourner, The Outfit, The Score, and The Seventh), G. K. Hall (Boston), 1981.

Comeback, Mysterious Press, 1997.

Backflash, Mysterious Press, 1998.

Flashfire, Mysterious Press, 2000.

Firebreak, Mysterious Press, 2001.

Breakout, Mysterious Press, 2002.

Nobody Runs Forever, Mysterious Press, 2004.

Ask the Parrot, Mysterious Press, 2006.

Other Writings:

(With George S. Irving) Just One of Those Days, Durkin Hayes Publishing, 1996.

Sniff (audio book), Durkin Hayes, 1997.

The Spy in the Elevator (audio book), Durkin Hayes, 1997.

Contributor to anthologies, including Third Culprit, St. Martin Press (New York City), 1994; The Midnight Ghost Book; and The 13th Ghost Book. Contributor to periodicals, sometimes under the pseudonyms Curt Clark, Timothy J. Culver, J. Morgan Cunningham, Samuel Holt, Alan Marshall, or Edwin West, including Amazing Stories, Analog, Cosmopolitan, Galaxy, New York Times Magazine, Nova, and Playboy.

ADAPTATIONS

Several of Westlake's novels have been made into films. The Jugger was produced in France as Made in U.S.A. (also known as Nothing in the Coffers and Rien dans le coffre), 1966; The Busy Body was released by Paramount in 1967; The Hunter was adapted as Point Blank, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1967; The Score was adapted in France as Mise en sac, 1967; The Seventh was adapted as The Split, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1968; The Hot Rock (also known as How to Steal a Diamond in Four Uneasy Lessons) was released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1972; Bank Shot was released by United Artists in 1974; The Outfit was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1974; Jimmy the Kid was released by New World in 1982; Two Much was adapted in France as Le Jumeau (also known as The Twin) in 1984, and another adaptation (also known as Loco de amor) was released by Buena Vista in 1996; La divine pousuite (also known as The Gods Must Be Dancing), based on the novel Dancing Aztecs, was released by AMLF in 1997; The Hunter was adapted as Payback, released by Paramount in 1999; Jimmy the Kid was released by Buena Vista in 1999; What's the Worst That Could Happen? was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2001; The Hook was released by UGC Images in 2001, and a French adaptation, Dis-moi qui tu hais, was released in 1991; Ordo was adapted and released as a film of the same name by Gemini Films in 2004; The Axe was adapted as Le Couperet and released by Mars Distribution in 2005; The Contract was adapted as The Hook and released in 2005. The television movie A Slight Case of Murder (also known as A Travesty), broadcast by HBO in 1999, was based on the novel A Travesty; Characters in Stepfather II (also known as The Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy), released in 1989, and Stepfather III (also known as Stepfather 3: Father's Day), released in 1992, were based on characters created by Westlake. The television series Journey to the Unknown (also known as Out of the Unknown), broadcast in 1968, was based on stories by Westlake. Many of Westlake's novels have been recorded as audio books, and some of his short stories have been included in audio book collections.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series, Volume 13, Gale, 1991.

Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Volume 16, Gale, 1986, Volume 137, Thomson Gale, 2005.

Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volume 7, Gale, 1977, Volume 33, 1985.

Periodicals:

Armchair Detective, spring, 1995, p. 206; winter, 1996, p. 106.

Austin Chronicle, December 29, 1997.

Entertainment Weekly, February 28, 1992; April 2, 1993; May 12, 1995, p. 59.

Publishers Weekly, February 5, 2007, p. 25.