Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

Over the weekend, award-winning author and screenwriter Larry McMurtry passed away at the age of 84. Mr. McMurtry holds an esteemed place at the Library of Congress with three of his works inducted into the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

His first novel, Horseman, Pass By, was published in 1961, and was turned into the 1963 film Hud, starring Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Brandon deWilde and Patricia Neal. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won three; Patricia Neal for Best Actress, Melvyn Douglas for Best Supporting Actor, and James Wong Howe for best Cinematography. Hud was inducted into National Film Registry in 2018.

His 1967 semi-autobiographical novel, The Last Picture Show, was made into the 1971 film by Peter Bogdanovich, and stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, and Cybill Shepherd. The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, with Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman winning the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards respectively. The Last Picture Show was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1998.

And, it was for the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain that Mr. McMurtry, and his long time writing partner Diane Ossana, won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for best-adapted screenplay. Directed by Ang Lee and starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the movie follows the emotional relationship between two cowboys as they begin a complicated sexual relationship spanning decades. The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and seven Golden Globe Awards. Brokeback Mountain was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2015, its first year of eligibility.

Notably, McMurtry won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for Lonesome Dove, a historical saga about two Texas Rangers and a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. After winning the Pulitzer Prize, the book was turned into an epic four-part TV miniseries starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.

McMurtry’s novel Terms of Endearment was adapted into the 1983 Academy Award winning film of the same name starring Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels and John Lithgow.

Each year, the Librarian of Congress selects 25 films for induction into the National Film Registry. Public nominations play a key role when the Librarian and National Film Preservation Board are considering their final selections. To be eligible for the Registry, a film must be at least 10 years old and be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Judy795

Brokeback Mountain was first written as a short story by Annie Proulx.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

Lonesome Dove, in my opinion, was his very best work.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

I concur. Lonesome Dove is my all-time favorite movie/series. Perfectly cast and adapted for film. And I am not much of a movie watcher but I have seen it many times.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

I have lost count of the times I have read the book.

Tdearing Loc: Rockport, TX

Truly remarkable talent, I may just have to pull up one of his old ones again. Thanks for posting

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

Last Picture Show is my favorite movie of all time, and it follows the book very closely.

Anthony padua Loc: Ireland

Horse man pass by is part of the inscription on.W B YEATS headstone

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

A true loss of a rare talent.

Old Coot

Before reading "Lonesome Dove," suggest you first read "Dead Man's Walk " and " Commanche Moon" in that order. They start the life story of the two main characters giving you the background of Gus and Call. and complete the saga that enda with " Lonesome Dove"

Old Coot

Suggest you also read "Dead Mans Walk" and "Commanche Moon " in that order. They are the beginning books of the Saga that ends with "Lonesome Dove" and give you much more detail about the characters Gus and Call.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

I read Lonesome Dove about 20 years back.............Thanks for pointing me to the other two.

have just purchased them !!

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

I loved that movie. The rest of that (trilogy?) was also superb.

Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

Okay, some books to orderalso, movies to buy. Thanks for posting.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

book depository has free P and H worldwide.