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Why KEPT? The Inspiration and the Notes. . .

I had the pleasure of re-watching the 1946 version of “The Postman Always Rings Twice” again last night. This wonderful example of early post-war film noir stars the luminous Lana Turner (how does one get that silky platinum hair?)  and the quite studly John Garfield, (as well as Hume Cronyn, Cecil Kellaway and Leon Ames in supporting roles) in the James Cain story.

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The Postman Always Rings Twice

 

 

 

 

 
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Like in his “Double Indemnity,” this story involves getting rid of an inconvenient third wheel who happens to have some money. These two stories, as well as Cain’s fabulous “Mildred Pierce,” are all basically about greed and our susceptibility to letting it drive our actions. This is usually at the hands of someone who uses sex as a convincing argument, if you have or had any scruples to begin with. Traditionally, this role was played by a woman, who became known as the femme fatale.

So these Cain movies/books and the additional “After Dark, My Sweet” – a similar type of noir story, set in the SoCal desert of around 1990 and from a book by Jim Thompson, are the inspiration for the screenplay I wrote of “Kept,” which I turned into this novel.

Having spent so much time in Palm Springs myself, I wanted to set a crime story there. Also, I wanted to remake the femme fatale role into an homme fatale, and make male-male gay attraction the driving force behind the greed this time around.

I’d often felt that the Palm Springs area was a crucible – where people from many backgrounds mixed. You had your gays, your old white Republican retirees, retired movie stars, Mexican immigrants, Marines from 29 Palms, the Native American Tribes, tourists from all over, real estate speculators, and everyone else as well. I thought there’d be lots of stories and potential for dramatic conflict in them.

And there is! It’s all in KEPT.

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New Project I’m Working On: Kept

2365800428_0cc260e6a8 The new book I’m working on – at least at this point I think it’ll be a book — is a rework of a movie script I’d written a few years ago, called “Kept.” As in, a “kept” woman or in this case, a “kept” man.

As this photo suggests to those who know some Southern California desert geography, the story does indeed take place in Palm Springs (thank you, unknown Flickr photographer, for sharing this great shot). There’s even a confrontational scene amongst the windmills out there.

What is the process of adapting a screenplay to a novel? I’m finding that some things which work in one art form definitely don’t translate that well to another. For instance, there’s a lot of action in “Kept,” which I assumed in a movie would be covered by editing, special effects, and perhaps a really healthy dose of suspension of disbelief. This won’t work on the novel page too well, if, let’s say, something’s not exactly believable, or is a real stretch.

That’s where some research has come in, to try to find some basis in reality for the actions these characters go through. One definite plus to the novel form is that you’ve got a lot more space to explain things. I think that’s more fun for the writer, too.

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Some of the themes to be explored in the novel “Kept” are, in no particular order: Hubris, Lust (both straight and gay), Greed, and these memes: Crime Doesn’t Pay. Passion is a Deadly Trap. Things Are Not Often What They Seem.

Some of it might be a bit noir-ish. After Dark, My Sweet, the 1990 James Foley film starring Jason Patric, Rachel Ward and Bruce Dern, which is based on a Jim Thompson  novel, was a big influence on me in the development of the script. (It’s also set in the desert, and features a major shootout at the Palm Springs Airport – see it if you haven’t. It also majorly stars Jason Patric’s well-formed ass, but I digress. . .)

My story is updated and centers on real estate crimes and is inclusive – meaning it covers the gamut of desert-y characters you’d find out there today: retired men and women, casino-owning Native Americans, Mexican immigrants, gays, WASP Republican politicians, drug dealers, US Marines, tourists, etc.

I hope to have it done next year. Questions?

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