On this day in movie history - The Getaway (1972 movie & novel):

The Getaway

directed by Sam Peckinpah,

written by Walter Hill,

based on the novel by Jim Thompson,

was released in the United States on December 13, 1972.
Music by Quincy Jones.

Cast:

Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Sally Struthers, Al Lettieri, Slim Pickens, Richard Bright, Jack Dodson, Dub Taylor, Bo Hopkins, Roy Jenson, John Bryson.

Recommended reading:

The Getaway

By Jim Thompson.

First published 1958.

Published by Mulholland Books.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0316403970

ISBN-13: 978-0316403979

Description:

Doc McCoy is the most skilled criminal alive. But when for the first time in Doc's long criminal career, his shot doesn't hit the mark, everything begins to fall apart. And Doc begins to realize that the perfect bank robbery isn't complete without the perfect getaway to back it up.

THE GETAWAY is the classic story of a bank robbery gone horribly wrong, where the smallest mistakes have catastrophic consequences, and shifting loyalties lead to betrayals and chaos. The basis for the classic Steve McQueen film of the same name, as well as a 1994 remake with Alec Baldwin, Thompson's novel set the bar for every heist story that followed - but as Thompson's proved time and again, nobody's ever done it better than the master.

On this day in movie history - Marathon Man (1976 movie & novel):

Marathon Man

directed by John Schlesinger,

written by William Goldman,

based on the novel by William Goldman,

was released in the United States on October 8, 1976.
Music by Michael Small.

Cast:

Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane, Marthe Keller, Fritz Weaver, Richard Bright, Marc Lawrence, Allen Joseph, Tito Goya, Ben Dova, Lou Gilbert, Jacques Marin, James Wing Woo, Nicole Deslauriers, Lotte Palfi Andor, Lionel Pina, Church Ortiz, Tricoche, Jamie Tirelli, Wilfredo Hernández, Harry Goz, Michael Vale, Fred Stuthman, Lee Steele, William Martel, Glenn Robards, Ric Carrott, Alma Beltran, Daniel Nunez, Anthony Pena, Chuy Franco, Billy Kearns, Sally Wilson, Tom Ellis, Bryant Fraser, Igor Dega, Gene Bori, Annette Claudier, Roger Etienne, Raymond Serra, John Garson, Charlott Thyssen, Estelle Omens, Madge Kennedy, Jeff Palladini, Scott Price, Abebe Bikila, S.C. Dacy, Bobra Harris, Robert Hitchcock, Shawn McAllister, Irving Metzman, Monty O'Grady, N.J. Osrag, Harrison Ressler, Louis Tanno, Mark L. Taylor, Treat Williams.

Recommended reading:

Marathon Man

By William Goldman.

First published 1974.

Published by Random House Publishing Group.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0345439724

ISBN-13: 978-0345439727

Description:

William Goldman's remarkable career spans more than five decades, and his credentials run the gamut from bestselling novelist to Oscar-winning screenwriter to Hollywood raconteur. He's beloved by millions of readers as the author of the classic comic-romantic fantasy The Princess Bride. And he's notorious for creating the most harrowing visit to the dentist in literary and cinematic history – in one of the seminal thrillers of the twentieth century. . . .

MARATHON MAN

Tom "Babe" Levy is a runner in every sense: racing tirelessly toward his goals of athletic and academic excellence – and endlessly away from the specter of his famous father's scandal-driven suicide. But an unexpected visit from his beloved older brother will set in motion a chain of events that plunge Babe into a vortex of terror, treachery, and murder – and force him into a race for his life . . . and for the answer to the fateful question, "Is it safe?"

"Superb . . . One hell of a read." – The Washington Post.

“An exciting – often funny, often sad – chase … Goldman does a masterly job.” – Associated Press.

“Well-plotted, expertly characterized, and fast-paced." – Los Angeles Times.