Well, here's a quick summary! If you want the full
deal, visit the site maintained by Glendon's son, Miles Swarthout:
The
Glendon Swarthout Web Site
Buy Glendon's Books through the link below to
Amazon.com and help support this web site!
Glendon
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Born in 1918 in Michigan, he taught at Michigan
State University until 1959 and received his Ph.D.there in
1955. His first book, Willow Run was published in 1943.
His awards include an O Henry Prize in 1960, a National Society
of Arts and Letters gold medal in 1972 and the Owen Wister
Award in 1991 from the Western Writers of America. His
major genre's: Western Fiction, Children's and/or Juvenile,
General Fiction - Glendon has published 19 books and 3 short
stories, at least three of which have been made into movies:
Bless the Beasts and Children, Where the Boys Are (Made
twice!), and The Shootist (John Wayne's last
movie, with Ron Howard).
"Whenever I have an idea for a book, I take two aspirin,
drink lots of liquids, go to bed, and call my wife in the
morning," he was quoted as saying.
He died of emphysema in Scottsdale, Arizona on September
23, 1992, survived by his son, Miles and his wife Katheryn.
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Easterns
and Westerns
The latest book, Miles, Glendon's son,
has edited a number of stories in this new collection.
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Books, Screenplays and
Stories by Glendon Fred Swarthout
In no specific order!
Willow Run, Crowell, 1943
Bless the Beasts and Children, 1970
Luck and Pluck, Doubleday, 1973.
The Button Boat
Cadbury's Coffin with Kathryn Swarthout
- Doubleday - Nominated for the 1983 Edgar Award - Best Juvenile
Mystery
Whales to See the - Donald Fine, 1983.
239 pages.
The Cadillac Cowboys
The Shootist
Whichaway with Kathryn Swarthout
A Christmas Gift
The Eagle and the Iron Cross
Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming
Ghost and the Magic Saber
The Homesman, Weidenfeld &
Nicolson, 1988 - This novel is a head-long narrative of the
frontier in the 1850s, and of two ornery, strong willed individuals
- one a woman homesteading on her
onw, the other a drifter and claimjumper - yoked together in the
most unlikely of undertakings.
The Melodeon - A nice Christmas story
set in the woods in Michigan. They did a TV movie from it,
but it wasn't as good as the story.
The Old Colts - Bat Masterson and
Wyatt Earp tell the whole truth and nothing but about their last
glorious assault.
Where The Boys Are - Book and Screen Play - Four
teenager girls travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on their spring
vacation in hope of finding excitement and romance. With the hordes
of available young men around, the girls eventually discover what
they really want from a relationship.
Skeletons
They Came to Cordura
The Tin Lizzie Troop
TV Thompson
Mulligans! - A movie short.
Writer/Director: Miles Swarthout . Based on a story by Glendon
Swarthout Producers: Lisa Greene & Peter Barnett
Cinematography: David West Principle Cast: Tippi Hedren, Marcia
Rodd (22 min / color) WINNER Best Comedy Short, Houston Worldfest
*The Director is originally from Michigan. Tippi Hedren
(Alfred Hitchcock’s "The Birds"), takes the lead in this comedy
about two widows fulfilling the last wish of one of their husbands.
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Bless the Beasts
and the Children
1994 Genesis Award Winner, For Outstanding Film Classic
Columbia Pictures
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Order from Amazon.com Now!
Bless
the Beasts and Children
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The producer/director Stanley Kramer changed motion pictures
forever with this adapted of Glendon Swarthout’s off beat novel.
Some of his credits include: "High Noon," "Death of a Salesman,"
"Caine Mutiny," "Home of the Brave," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,"
"Ship of Fools," "The Defiant Ones," "On the Beach," and "Judgment
at Nuremberg."
"Bless the Beasts" was certainly not the best known film of Kramer.
It was not a commercial success. The musical score from the film
was written by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. and is better
known than the film itself. But for individuals concerned with
the protection of animals, it was a movie classic ahead of its
time. In the hands of Stanley Kramer, the novel was turned
into an anti-hunting statement, protesting the needless slaughter
of buffalo.
The movie concerns six troubled adolescent boys, social misfits
who find themselves caught up in the redneck culture of a summer
camp which advertised, "Send us a boy, we'll send you a cowboy."
Shocked after witnessing the gunning down of captive buffalo by
the camp leaders, the boys vow to liberate the rest of the herd
and thus save the majestic beasts from certain death. In the process,
they discover new values and put their own lives on the line.
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The
Shootist
Starring John Wayne
and James Stewart
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Order Now from Amazon.com
The
Shootist
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1976 - Co-Stars; Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard, Hugh O'Brian, Richard
Boone, Harry Morgan, John Carradine, Sheree North, Scatman Crothers,
Melody Thomas, Kathleen O'Malley.
This was the last movie John Wayne made. An aging gunfighter,
J.B. Books (played by John Wayne) has been told that he has "a
cancer." He comes to Carson City to seek another opinion from
an old friend, a doctor played by James Stewart, who confirms
the diagnosis. The doctor recommends a quiet boarding house run
by a widow, Mrs. Rogers, delightfully played by Lauren Bacall.
He checks into the boarding house and tells the widow Rogers,
he'll pay extra if needed, but he wants his meals in his room,
he doesn't want to be a burden.
The word of his arrival has spread through the town. The milkman,
Cobb, actor Bill McKinney, thinks he's pretty good with a gun.
There is a gambler at the local saloon, played by Hugh O'Brian,
stages gunfights from time to time to prove how good he is with
a gun. A third man that lives in the area named Sweeney (Richard
Boone) has it in for Books for killing his brother several years
ago. The Sheriff discusses the difficulty he has with these
characters and confronts Books about his reasons for being in
town. He later confirms Book's story with the doctor.
Mrs. Rogers' son, Gillum, (played by Ron Howard) discovers who
Books really is, and is proud that the famous J.B. Books is living
in his house. His mother really wants Books to leave. Books tells
her of his illness and says he is in no condition to leave.
He wins her over and the two of them actually go for a "buggy
ride" in which they learn to respect each other. Books rides
the trolley, and carries a cushion for comfort when he rides it
into town.
One thread of the story deals with the livery stable owner (played
by Scatman Crothers) is known to be the best haggler in town,
he and Books do a bit of haggling to see how much he's going to
have to pay Books for his horse and saddle, knowing that they
will bring a good price as relics of the bygone era of the gunfighter.
Books, not wanting to lay around waiting to die, has young Gillum
go to each of the gunmen, Cobb, Sweeney and the gambler and tell
each one of them to meet him at the saloon. After riding the trolley
down town, he leaves the cushion with the trolley man. He
walks calmly into the saloon and orders a drink, telling the bartender
that it is his birthday. Cobb was the first to try his luck, but
after the smoke cleared, Books stood alone, the other three were
all dead.
Books was standing, looking towards the door, when Gillum peeks
in and shouts "look out", but not in time, the bartender shoots
Books in the back. Gillum then picks up Books' gun and shoots
the bartender. The dying Books looks on in satisfaction
as Gillum throws the gun down, knowing he has not created another
gunman. The Sheriff is relatively happy at the outcome,
knowing that several of the biggest troublemakers in town are
gone, removed by the violent means that he could no longer use.
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Where
The Boys Are
1960 Version Starring
Connie Francis
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Co-Stars; Dolores Hart, George Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux,
Jim Hutton, Barbara Nichols.
This was Connie's movie debut. She also sang the
title song. Spring Break frolic in Florida.
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Order now from Amazon.com!
Where
the Boys Are
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1984
Version
Stars; Lisa Hartman, Russell Todd, Lorna Luft,
Lynn-Holly Johnson, Wendy Schall, Howard McGillin, Louise Sorel.
R rated version of this Spring Break frolic in
Florida, it was rated as a turkey by most critics.
