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When a film makes it big in the box office it's customary to honor the actors and directors, but often the initial masterminds behind the blockbusters can be overlooked. The original visionaries behind the film—the writers—created the storyline that that tantalizes audiences and sends teenagers into a tizzy.
Penguin Classics authors Emily Bronte, Ken Kesey and John Steinbeck are among the few whose novels were converted into some of the most prestigious American films of all time.
The American Film Institute, founded in 1967 with the intention of preserving America's film heritage, is now the premier school for aspiring filmmakers. AFI's eminent list, "100 Years...100 Movies", celebrates the top 100 films in American history. Ten of these noteworthy films were spawned from Penguin books.
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Read more...The Godfather
This cult film started out as a New York Times bestselling novel. The book debuted in 1969 and had a 69-week run on the bestseller list. Three short years later, Mario Puzo's classic American novel became Francis Ford Coppola's classic American film. The award-winning cast featuring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan, helped push The Godfather to number three on AFI's list.
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The Wizard of OZ
Before Dorothy's ruby red slippers sparkled on screen, they lit up the pages of a popular children's book series. At the turn of the 20th century, L. Frank Baum wrote the first in the OZ series, The Wonderful Wizard of OZ. After major success on the page and on the stage, Baum's stories were adapted to film. In 1939, The Wizard of OZ was released on the big screen. Judy Garland starred as Dorothy in the Oscar-winning film, which secured the number six spot on AFI's list.
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Living legend Jack Nicholson kick-started his career with his Oscar-winning performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The acclaimed novel, written in 1962 by Ken Kesey, was adapted to film in 1975. The story of an asylum patient and his moral and mental struggles was influenced by Kesey's stint working in a mental hospital in the 1950s. AFI crowns this film as number 20 on their list.
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The Grapes of Wrath
Few stories sum up an era as superbly as The Grapes of Wrath. Published in 1939, Steinbeck's classic captured the horrors of the Great Depression through the tale of one Oklahoma family's struggle to succeed. The book was adapted to film one year after its release and proved to resonate as much with its audiences as it did with its readers. The film was awarded two Oscars—John Ford won for best Director and Jane Darwell for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The Grapes of Wrath is number 21 on AFI's list.
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2001: A Space Odyssey
Debatably one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was way ahead of its time. Now, in the year 2007—nearly 40 years after the film's release—we're truly in "the future" and the film is still viewed as a masterpiece. Based on Arthur C. Clarke's novel which was published in 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey secured the number 22 spot on AFI's list.
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Streetcar Named Desire
This Pulitzer Prize winning work spoke to the masses with the advent of stock characters Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. An aging beauty's search for happiness is terminated by the brutal force of a barbaric male—a theme that's since proved to be both universal and timeless—was brought to life through Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh's performances in the 1951 film. Tennessee Williams' text, adapted by Oscar Saul and directed by Elia Kazan, won a total of four Oscars, placing it at number 45 on AFI's Top 100.
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The Third Man
In 1949 Graham Greene adapted his novel The Third Man into a screenplay. The film was awarded an Oscar for Best Cinematography and was also largely celebrated at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Film legend Orson Welles starred in the film alongside Joseph Cotton and Alida Valley. Greene converted his other novels The End of the Affair and The Quiet American to film as well, but The Third Man was his only book-to-film that made it to AFI's list, at number 57.
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Ben-Hur
Gladiator, Troy, Braveheart—all examples of the epic modern day War film—were inspired by the classic Ben-Hur. In 1880, Major General and state governor Lew Wallace wrote this Ancient Roman story that chronicled one's fight for freedom. The book was an instant bestseller upon its publication in the late 19th century. In 1959, Wallace's text was adapted to film and won an astounding 11 Oscars. Among the awards was Best Actor in a Leading Role, which was granted to Charlton Heston. Ben-Hur sits at number 72 on AFI's list.
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Wuthering Heights
Ninety years after Emily Bronte's untimely death, her sole novel, Wuthering Heights, was adapted to film. This tumultuous love story found a second life with the release of the film. Its numerous nominations, and one win at the 1940's Oscars, awarded Bronte a second wind of much deserved posthumous success. Film icon Laurence Olivier starred as Heathcliff, alongside Merle Oberon as Cathy to make the movie a classic, and number 73 on AFI's list.
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Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a staple in the English literature curriculum, was adapted into one of the first horror films in the year 1931. An instant classic, the movie strayed slightly from Shelley's original story, but kept the major themes intact. Colin Clive starred as Dr. Henry Frankenstein, Boris Karloff as the monster and Mae Clark played Elizabeth; the film was directed by James Whale. The epic story of love, friendship and horror holds the number 87 spot on AFI's list.
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