Western and young adult author Gordon D. Shirreffs would have celebrated his 100th birthday today. Leigh Brackett scripted one of my favorite movies,
Rio Bravo, from Shirreffs 1956 novel (and then she wrote the novelization of her script). Wikipedia lists 79 books by Shirreffs; you could do much worse than to pick one up and give it a try.
When it comes to tough, gritty Westerns, it doesn't get much better than Shirreffs. By all means, anyone who hasn't read his work should correct that pronto.
ReplyDeleteActually Gordon D. Shirreffs' RIO BRAVO has nothing to do with the movie. RIO BRAVO is the ultimate Army fort on the frontier under siege novel. It would make for a great movie.
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