On this day in movie history - Charley Varrick (1973):

Charley Varrick

directed by Don Siegel,

written by Dean Riesner and Howard A. Rodman,

based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese,

was released in the United States on October 19, 1973.
Music by Lalo Schifrin.

Cast:

Walter Matthau, Joe Don Baker, Felicia Farr, Andrew Robinson, Sheree North, Norman Fell, Benson Fong, Woodrow Parfrey, William Schallert, Jacqueline Scott, Marjorie Bennett, Rudy Diaz, Colby Chester, Charlie Briggs, Priscilla Garcia, Scott Hale, Charles Matthau, Hope Summers, Monica Lewis, James Nolan, Tom Tully, Albert Popwell, Kathleen O'Malley, Christina Hart, Craig R. Baxley, Al Dunlap, Virginia Wing, Don Siegel, John Vernon, Robert D. Carver, Joe Conforte, Art Cribbs, Carol Daniels, Thom Dunbar, Richard R. Hogan, Fred Little, Holly Nutter, Fred Scheiwiller, Bob Steele, Carlos Velasquez, Walt Wallace.

On this day in movie history - Bullitt (movie & novel):

Bullitt

directed by Peter Yates,

written by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner,

based on the novel Mute Witness, by Robert L. Pike,

was released in the United States on October 17, 1968.
Music by Lalo Schifrin.

Cast:

Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, Georg Stanford Brown, Justin Tarr, Carl Reindel, Felice Orlandi, Vic Tayback, Robert Lipton, Ed Peck, Pat Renella, Paul Genge, John Aprea, Al Checco, Bill Hickman, Mal Alberts, Scott Beach, Mary Benoit, Barbara Bosson, Roger Bowen, Joy Carlin, Brandy Carroll, Joanna Cassidy, Julie Christy, Robert Cleaves, Tony Dario, Michael L. Davis, Jim Demarest, Chuck Dorsett, Thomas Duncan, Marjorie Eaton, Walker Edmiston, Sam Edwards, Mimi Fariña, Shirley Fitzgerald, Dick Geary, Frank Gerstle, Dennis Gribbon, Bob Harks, Stacy Harris, Bill Jones, Stu Klitsner, Jean Le Bouvier, Margo Lungreen, Larry D. Mann, Claire Merrill, Kathleen Morrissey, Ned Moss, Vic Perrin, Charlene Polite, Angel Sanchez Jr., Suzanne Somers, Eron Tabor, Liz Treadwell, John Vick, Erick Vinther, Regina Waldon.

Recommended reading:

Mute Witness

By Robert L. Pike.

Filmed as Bullitt (1968), directed by Peter Yates.

Paperback.

First published 1963.

Published by Bloomsbury Paperbacks

ISBN 13: 9780747578628

ISBN 10: 0747578621

ASIN: 0747578621

Description:

'Rossi isn't dead yet. And from what I hear, the Rossi brothers are pretty tough monkeys.' Clancy's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. 'Yeah,' he said. 'They're all tough monkeys. Until they lose those precious ten pints...' Lieutenant Clancy, a tough cop from New York's 52nd Precinct, has been handpicked for an assignment. Assistant District Attorney Chalmers needs him to protect a witness whose testimony is vital. That man is Johnny Rossi, an infamous gangster involved in every West Coast racket from prostitution to gambling, who has turned into a whistle-blower. Shacked up in a fleabag hotel, Rossi should be safe. But when a hood with a shotgun breaks past the police guard and blasts Rossi into a critical condition, Clancy has just seventy-two hours to find out why Chalmers can't keep his mouth shut about his so-called secret case, why Rossi came to New York in the first place, who else knows where he is and when they are coming to finish the job off.

On this day in television history – Johnny Staccato (TV show & book):

Johnny Staccato

Season 1. Episode 1.

Episode entitled: The Naked Truth.

Released September 10, 1959.

Directed by Joseph Pevney.

Written by Richard Berg.

Music by Elmer Bernstein.

Cast: John Cassavetes, Eduardo Ciannelli, Chick Chandler, Michael Landon, Stacy Harris, Nick Cravat, Ruta Lee, Robert H. Harris, Frank Sully, Shelly Manne, Pete Candoli, Red Norvo, Red Mitchell, John / Johnny Williams, Barney Kessel, Monica Lewis, Joe Ploski.

Recommended reading:

Johnny Staccato

By Frank Boyd.

Published by Gold Medal Books.

Published 1960.

ASIN: B0DSZXQGML

Description:

A smooth man on the ivories, hot on the trigger, and cool in a jam – he’s the toughest private eye to hit America in a decade.

On this day in movie history - The Stone Killer (1973):

The Stone Killer

directed by Michael Winner,

written by Gerald Wilson,

based on the novel A Complete State of Death by John Gardner,

was released in the United States on August 8, 1973.
Music by Roy Budd.

Cast:

Charles Bronson, Martin Balsam, Jack Colvin, Paul Koslo, Norman Fell, David Sheiner, Stuart Margolin, Ralph Waite, Alfred Ryder, Walter Burke, Kelley Miles, Eddie Firestone, Charles Tyner, Byron Morrow, Lisabeth Hush, Frank Campanella, Gene Woodbury, Robert Emhardt, David Moody, John Ritter, Mary Cross, Harry Basch, Tom Falk, Jan Arvan, Barry Cahill, Richard Armbruster, Ed Madsen, Arthur French, William J. Daprato, Hy Anzell, Ta-Tanisha, Hoke Howell, Hunter von Leer, Sam Locante, Norman D. Wilson, Larry J. Blake, Frenchia Guizon, Denny Arnold, Roberta Collins, Jack English, John Hudkins, Ernie F. Orsatti, Christa Raines, Chuck Roberson, Angelo Rossitto, Lew Sleeman, Robert Snively.