Leonard, Elmore (John, Jr)

Click a letter for the index

Or search the encyclopaedia:

 

 

Go

 

US novelist and screenwriter. A prolific writer, Leonard is the author of numerous Westerns and crime novels. His writing is marked by vivid dialogue, and his crime novels, usually set in Detroit or Florida, often reflect the peculiarities and violence of contemporary US society. His works, from the short Western stories, ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (1957) and ‘The Tall-T’ (1957), to the more recent novels, Get Shorty (1990) and Rum Punch (1992), have proved popular with filmmakers, and many have been adapted for cinema or television.

During the 1990s Leonard became an influential figure in both the revitalized genre of US crime fiction and in the cinema, inspiring such filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino. His best-known novels include Swag (1976), City Primeval (1980), La Brava (1983), Stick (1983), Out of Sight (1996), and Be Cool (1999).

Modelled on the French tricolour, the vertical stripes represent liberty and revolution. The almost square proportions of the flag are unusual. Effective date: 23 January 1831. >>