Nov 29, 2011 get shorty s shylock protagonist, chili palmer, is a truly inspired creationas memorable as another unforgettable leonard hero, u. The book that get shorty, the film starring john travolta, gene hackman, rene russo, and danny devito, was based on. Vinnie barbarino was sweathog cool and danny zuko was greaser cool, but with chili palmer, travolta gets the keys to the ultracool club, where maybe agent 007 is the only other member. Hey, he figures, it takes the same skills he already has as a mobster. I knew elmore leonard for years i used to research for some of his books, recalls. A mobster travels to hollywood to collect a debt, and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job. In get shorty, chili follows a mark whos behind in his payments to las vegas and then to hollywood where chili meets and becomes the partner of a horror film producer who desperately needs money for his next film.
The book follows chili palmer, a miami loan shark with a talent for making a slow pay come across by saying just three words. Well, hes being chased out by ray bones barboni, a mobster he once coldcocked and whos had it in for chili ever since. Aug 14, 2017 get shorty was a hit movie in 1995, part of john travoltas postpulp fiction comeback. Get shorty is a 1990 novel by american novelist elmore leonard. John travolta is the standout in this somewhat cartoonish adaptation of elmore leonards novel about a smalltime miami enforcer travolta who decides to get into the movie business in l. James as they follow chili palmers adventures in hollywood trying to get involved in the movie business. The cast sparklesgene hackman as a failing cutratemovie producer, rene russo as a failed actress, danny devito as a vain thespian, delroy lindo as a mobster who wants a cut of travoltas film actionand the script is clever. Or, you could just get lucky, like the reallife chili. The greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever. Get shorty tells the story of a loan shark in miami, chili palmer, who goes to hollywood to collect a debt and ends up a movie producer. Mobconnected loan shark chili palmer is sick of the miami grindplus his. So when he chases a deadbeat client out to hollywood, chili figures he might like t.
Heres the behindthescenes story of how get shorty got made. Get shorty s shylock protagonist, chili palmer, is a truly inspired creationas memorable as another unforgettable leonard hero, u. Collecting money for the mob isnt too different from any other job, reckons miami loan shark chili palmer. When chili gives devito the keys for a test ride, the mini van is now parked facing the other direction on the street. A 1990 novel by elmore leonard, get shorty was adapted into a 1995 film directed by barry sonnenfeld, starring john travolta as chili alongside an allstar cast including gene hackman, danny devito, and rene russo. Chili palmer goes to devitos house and parks his mini van next to the curb facing one direction. In both films, john travolta plays former miami shylock chili palmer and. Leo had been aboard a plane whose flight was delayed, prompting leo to disembark and go. Jul 20, 1990 get shorty begins in miami, with the theft of a leather jacket from a restaurant checkroom. The book that get shorty, the film starring john travolta, gene hackman, rene. Get shorty 412 movie clip my associate chili palmer.
The story centers on ernesto chili palmer, a smalltime loan shark based in miami. John travolta portrayed chili palmer in the 1995 film adaption of get shorty and its 2005 sequel be cool. The chili palmer book series by elmore leonard includes books get shorty and be cool. After a smash hit and a flop, bmovieproducer chili palmer is looking for another score. He soon finds himself ordered to collect on a bad debt from leo devoe, a guy who died in a plane crash. Elmore leonards get shorty revisited crime fiction lover. See the complete chili palmer series book list in order, box sets or omnibus editions, and companion titles. This guy named chili palmer puts his leather jacket in a checkroom and this other guy named ray bones walks off with it, for which chili palmer shoots him in the scalp, for which ray bones never forgives him. Marshal raylan givens of the hit tv series justifiedand readers will relish his moves and countermoves in this electrifying, funny, bullet trainpaced winner from the greatest crime writer of our time. Ernesto palmer first appeared as the main character in the 1990 novel get shorty by elmore leonard, and later returned in its 1999 sequel be cool by the same author, once again in the main role.
Marshal raylan givens of the hit tv series justified and readers will relish his moves and countermoves in this electrifying, funny, bullet trainpaced winner from the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever. Its a cinderella story as if written by damon runyan. The first book in elmore john leonards chili palmer series, get shorty 1990, a crime novel with thriller elements, follows a loan shark who switches careers, becoming a hollywood film producer, but a life of crime and deception might catch up with him first. That in part was recited by john travoltas character from welles film touch of.
He is really a loansharks right hand man, even though he doesnt want to be. The characters are so well developed that you love them each in turn for the brilliance they give to the story. Oct 21, 2020 the star actually passed on get shorty at first, and ultimately had to be convinced to say yes by quentin tarantino but the funny addendum to the story is that the part of chili palmer didn. Get shorty s chili palmer is back in be cool, a classic novel of suspense from new york times bestselling author elmore leonard. The cast sparklesgene hackman as a failing cutratemovie producer, rene russo as a failed actress, danny devito as a vain thespian, delroy lindo as a mobster who wants a cut of travoltas film actionand the. Jun 16, 2020 barry sonnenfelds 1995 comedic caper get shorty is widely considered on the best crime films of the 1990s. It continues the story of chili palmer, thesmall time brooklyn crook in get shorty who became ahollywood movie producer. Feb 22, 2021 john travolta who played chili palmer turned the movie down twice until quentin tarantino intervened. Aug 22, 20 so when i saw him in the big screen version of get shorty personified by john travolta, i was already along for the ride. Danny devitos martin weir character was modeled after dustin. The first elmore leonard adaptation widely considered to be as good as the book, get shorty continued john travoltas return to box office prominence. Absent from get shorty is a clearly defined obstacle character, necessary. Get shortys lead role was written for danny devito, and only. Based on the leonard elmore novel, the story concerns a miami mafia loanshark named chili palmer john travolta, desperate to go legit and break into the movie business.
See the complete chili palmer series book list in order, box sets or. A writer, critic, creative director, editor, broadcaster, and occasional filmmaker, his thoughts have appeared on radio, television, in print, and on the. With gene hackman, rene russo, danny devito, john travolta. He played chili palmer, a shylock who came to hollywood to collect a debt from a producer gene hackman. Lunching with a record company executive, chili s exploring a hot new idea. The title get shorty from both the film and the book title refers to orson welles chauffeur george shorty chirello. Get shorty had a followup in the 1999 book and 2005 film be cool. The book that get shorty, the film starring john travolta, gene hackman, rene russo, and danny devito, was based on collecting money for the mob isnt too different from any other job, reckons miami loan shark chili palmer. Craig silliphant is a dlevel celebrity with delusions of grandeur. In the film, chili palmer watches orson welles film noir touch of evil in. In the book, harry zimm tells chili palmer that he wanted to cast gene hackman as the lead in his new film.
Mobconnected loan shark chili palmer is sick of the miami grindplus his friends have a bad habit of dying there. This guy named chili palmer puts his leather jacket in a checkroom and. Get shorty by elmore leonard, first edition abebooks. Novelist elmore leonard modeled his main character in get shorty after chili palmer. Chili palmer takes power meetings with a napoleonic actor and gets his movie made. Tarantino had dated one of get shorty s producers, who gave him the script. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same title, and in 2017 it was adapted into a television series of the same title. Amazon, book depository, kindle or visit your local indie bookstore chili palmer is a shylock with mob connections working in miami. Get shortys shylock protagonist, chili palmer, is a truly inspired creationas memorable as another unforgettable leonard hero, u.
Get shorty is one of these later books, published in 1990. Get shorty begins in miami, with the theft of a leather jacket from a restaurant checkroom. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in get shorty 1995. Dec 21, 2015 get shorty is one of these later books, published in 1990. The real chili palmer made a cameo in get shorty get shorty is most famous for exploring the shady machinations of hollywood, but it also works because it feels equally authentic in its depiction. Get shorty is a 1995 american gangster comedythriller film directed by barry sonnenfeld and written by scott frank. It is based on elmore leonards novel of the same name and stars john travolta, gene hackman, rene russo, and danny devito. Marshal raylan givens of the hit tv series justifiedand readers will relish his moves and countermoves in this electrifying, funny, bullet trainpaced winner from the greatest crime writer of our time, perhaps ever. Get shortys lead role was written for danny devito, and. Both the novel and movie are an affectionate parody of the film industry, and both so wellreceived that leonard wrote a rare sequel, be cool, which also received a film adaptation.
This guy named chili palmer puts his leather jacket in a checkroom and this other guy named ray bones. Feb 26, 2021 the real chili palmer made a cameo in get shorty get shorty is most famous for exploring the shady machinations of hollywood, but it also works because it feels equally authentic in its depiction. The characters are so well developed that you love them each in. Mob connected loan shark chili palmer is sick of the miami grindplus his friends. Mobconnected loan shark chili palmer is sick of the miami grindplus h. At the time he wrote get shorty, nine of leonards novels had been. Based on the leonard elmore novel, the story concerns a miami mafia.
He has the look the writer wanted and travolta got. One of two novels from mystery grand master leonard featuring miami loan shark, chili palmer. Jul 30, 2011 now thats cool chili palmer style, and travolta fits the part as comfortably as he did in get shorty maybe even more so. Five years after the books publication, the part of harry zimm would be. It was elmore leonards favourite adaptation of one of his novels. The studio that financedget shorty agreed to do so only if devito got pulled back in to play the smaller role of martin weir, the famous, short, selfinvolved actor who chili palmer and crew want to hire for their movie. Sep 24, 2020 get shorty is a 1995 film starring john travolta, gene hackman, rene russo and danny devito about chili palmer, a smalltime loanshark from miami, who is sent to claim an unpaid loan but then moves into the movie business. Chili palmer is a miami loan shark whos getting out of the business. Absent from get shorty is a clearly defined obstacle character, necessary to provide a different world view to that of the main character. Chilis pursuit of a mark whos behind in his payments takes him first to las vegas, and then to hollywood and horrorfilm producer harry zimm. Get shorty s chili palmer is back in be cool, a classic novel of suspense from new york times. That in part was recited by john travoltas character from welles film touch of evil 1958.
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