Them's Fighting Words

DAHL WAS HARDLY THE ONLY AUTHOR PREPARED TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE FILM ADAPTATIONS OF THEIR WORK

RAYMOND CHANDLER

During his time as a screenwriter, the creator of detective Philip Marlowe often fell out with his collaborators, calling Alfred Hitchcock a “fat bastard” and Billy Wilder a “Nazi”. In a piece for The Atlantic, Chandler wrote that Hollywood was “an endless contention of tawdry egos.”

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

In 1937, the broke Great Gatsby author moved into screenwriting but struggled, working on numerous films that went nowhere. “Isn’t Hollywood a dump — in the human sense of the word,” he said in 1940. “A hideous town... full of the human spirit at a new low of debasement.”

TRUMAN CAPOTE

For the adaptation of his 1958 novella Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe for society girl Holly Golightly. When Audrey Hepburn was cast, he said, “Paramount double-crossed me in every conceivable way.” Of the film he said, “It made me want to throw up.”

P. L. TRAVERS

As you’ll know if you’ve seen Saving Mr. Banks, the Mary Poppins author battled Disney throughout its production. As you won’t know if you’ve seen Saving Mr. Banks, she detested the result. “I was so shocked I felt that I would never write — let alone smile — again!” she wrote to her lawyer.

ALAN MOORE

The author of Watchmen, From Hell and V For Vendetta refuses cash or credit for any of the adaptations he so loathes, and has little time for the industry. Example: “It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms.”