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Travis McGee Says a Long Goodbye (Not FR's Travis McGee)
American Spectator ^ | 8-27-04 | Lawrence Henry

Posted on 08/27/2004 5:27:39 PM PDT by Temple Owl

Travis McGee Says a Long Goodbye

By Lawrence Henry

Published 8/27/2004

My old college roomie from time to time cusses me out roundly for introducing him to the Travis McGee novels of John D. MacDonald. Like me, Mike was raised reading quality lit (he majored in classics, and teaches Greek and Latin), and we both came to popular literature -- indeed, to the very idea of reading for fun -- late in life. Like me, Mike was stunned by McGee and MacDonald -- by the sheer quality, the go-to-hell abandoned narrative mastery (MacDonald rejoiced in digression, and his readers rejoiced with him, as he threw his storytelling loops out into the universe and then reeled them back in, fast or slow, inevitably to the story, always the story), by the settings, the crimes, the characters (some of the most chilling villains ever), the social commentary. The last McGee appeared in 1985.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature
KEYWORDS: johndmacdonald; travismcgee
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To: ken5050

Are you referring to "Casino Royale"?
I thought David Niven played Bond in that one.

Cheers!


61 posted on 08/27/2004 6:08:34 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers
LOL. It was Woody Allen.

I'm surprised somebody hasn't tried to remake that one a little closer to the way it was written.

The most painful Bond book.

62 posted on 08/27/2004 6:10:20 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: cyborg
Go here and make him sign yer copy!

Check the acknowledgment page.

63 posted on 08/27/2004 6:11:45 PM PDT by Eaker (R.I.P Tony Webb 10-Aug-04 - Phudd 28-Jun-04)
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To: Eaker

Wow how long have I been here and didn't know he wrote that book! I LOVE that book.


64 posted on 08/27/2004 6:16:40 PM PDT by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: Eaker

I noticed that the thread heading now says not FR Travis McGee LOL duh :o)


65 posted on 08/27/2004 6:18:03 PM PDT by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: ken5050

Sam Elliot? With Katharine Ross (his real-life wife) in the lead feminine role?

I was living in Germany in the early eighties and took a Travis McGee novel out of a pile of books at work, just out of boredom, and read it an proceeded to read the whole series from DRESS HER IN INDIGO to THE LONELY SILVER RAIN, and
The Dreadful Lemon sky
The Quick Red Fox
Cinnamon Skin

and on and on.....


66 posted on 08/27/2004 6:18:58 PM PDT by Rummyfan
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To: Tribune7
Click Ye Here for a look at the movie Travis, as assayed by Mr. Taylor.

"Dark Of The Sun" is one of my alltime favorite Mercenary movies. The others are "The Wild Geese", "The Dogs Of War", and "Ronin".

67 posted on 08/27/2004 6:20:54 PM PDT by Long Cut (The Constitution...the NATOPS of America!)
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To: Temple Owl

It was Roderick Thorpe, as I understand (who only wrote a few other novels).


68 posted on 08/27/2004 6:21:15 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Rummyfan
With Katharine Ross (his real-life wife) in the lead feminine role?

I think she was.

69 posted on 08/27/2004 6:24:10 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Long Cut
Click Ye Here for a look at the movie Travis, as assayed by Mr. Taylor.

Darker Than Amber!! That was it. Yeah, Taylor's just about the perfect McGee.

My brother saw the movie. He said it wasn't great but wasn't that bad.

70 posted on 08/27/2004 6:25:53 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Tribune7

Woody Allen played the bad guy, Bond's nephew,
Dr. Noah.

A movie so bad...it's good.


71 posted on 08/27/2004 6:26:26 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers
A movie so bad...it's good.

With a great theme song.

72 posted on 08/27/2004 6:28:34 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Tribune7
Dirk Pitt is a Clive Cussler character
73 posted on 08/27/2004 6:30:26 PM PDT by Temple Owl
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To: Tribune7
Hehe. I'd set it up somewhere FAR removed from Hollywood, in a right-to-work state, for openers, maybe Florida. Actors, directors, screenwriters and the like would all be employees on salary plus a cut of the take based on past performance as draws. None of that gadzillion-dollar-per picture nonsense, renegotiated each time. I'd hire actors and directors out of film school if I had to to avoid it.

There'd be no catered meals or lavish personal trailers or facilities onset, either. No "entourages" for the principles on my payroll. Reduce the overhead, and the cost of the film is reduced and can be spent on script and production.

I'd make movies that had the unmistakable element of COOL. I wouldn't allow unecessary elements, like a romance or a cute kid, to interfere with a good story. If I'm doing a war movie, it's gonna have square-jawed tough guys kicking the enemie's a$$, with no apologies, and afterwards having a beer and a smoke under a Flag. No nonsense would be the motto. I would fire any director who asked what the "message" was going to be...it's to entertain the audience, always. Leave your personal "messages" at home.

If I do a horror movie, it's gonna be two things...scary and brutal. Forget the young, silicone-enhanced actresses cracking jokes with the monster or killer...either they shoot him, or they'll get the chainsaw.

If it's a cop movie, plan to see gunfights, car chases, hard-drinking, two fisted cops and REALLY bad guys, not the PC, "sensitive" crap we see all too often. Oh, and plan to see the good guys WIN.

I'd create an entire department just for the production of war movies (based on the CURRENT war), with films of the Air Force, Army , Marines, and Navy all being well-represented. NONE of them would cast the troops as anything other than the heroes they are.

In my sci-fi department, forget the current trend towards heroes who "must find their inner powers" to defeat the Evil Overlord. What they must find is their ammo, and their courage. My heroes won't be talkers...they'll be DOERS.

Hey, that formula worked well enough for Hollywood for 50-odd years.

74 posted on 08/27/2004 6:36:23 PM PDT by Long Cut (The Constitution...the NATOPS of America!)
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To: Tribune7

The only version available now is a drastically-cut one. That's probably why it wasn't so great.


75 posted on 08/27/2004 6:38:18 PM PDT by Long Cut (The Constitution...the NATOPS of America!)
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To: bitt

Ah, my two favorite male fictional characters -- Dirk Pitt and Travis McGee. Definite swoon!


76 posted on 08/27/2004 6:47:34 PM PDT by padfoot_lover
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To: Tribune7

then that eliminates Springfield, Ma.


77 posted on 08/27/2004 6:51:24 PM PDT by bitt
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To: Temple Owl

OK thanks.


78 posted on 08/27/2004 6:53:46 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: bitt
then that eliminates Springfield, Ma.

Not Ma but Pa

79 posted on 08/27/2004 6:55:11 PM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Tribune7

Clive Cussler's character, Dirk Pitt, is an updated, more adventurous and slightly James Bond-y kind of guy. If you liked John D. MacDonald, you will like the Clive Cussler books. And there are maybe 15 of em.

Padfoot and I think Dirk is cute.


80 posted on 08/27/2004 6:55:54 PM PDT by bitt
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