On this day in movie (1972) and book (1970) history - The Hot Rock

The Hot Rock

directed by Peter Yates,

written by William Goldman,

based on the novel by Donald E. Westlake,

was released in the United States on January 26, 1972.

Music by Quincy Jones.

Cast:

Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn, Zero Mostel, William Redfield, Topo Swope, Christopher Guest, Graham Jarvis, Lynne Gordon, Charlotte Rae, Harry Bellaver.

Recommended reading:

The Hot Rock

by Donald E. Westlake.

Book # 1 in the Dortmunder series.

Published by Simon & Schuster.

First published 1970.

First Edition.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 0671205412

ISBN-13: 978-0671205416

Description:

John Archibald Dortmunder is the archetypal criminal manque. Brought up in an orphanage in the Midwest, he is 37 years old, served in the "police action" in Korea, was arrested twice for robbery following his release from the service, and was briefly married to a nightclub entertainer named Honeybun Bazoom from whom he was granted an uncontested divorce. For reasons totally beyond his comprehension, Dortmunder is chosen to lead a gang of master hoodlums. Their job: to steal an emerald valued at $500,000. Their employer: Major Patrick Iko, a mustached African diplomat whose country has just lost the gem through a thoughtless political decision. The specialists Dortmunder selects for his impossible mission include: Kelp: an ex-con with a penchant for stealing cars with MD license plates. Stan Murch: a crook who lives with his mother, a cab driver, and collects stereo records of "Sounds of Indianapolis." Roger Chefwick: the railroad nut, a skinny man of late middle age, whose three H-O gauge trains constantly couple and uncouple on H-O gauge track in a waist-high plywood platform in his basement. What follows in this delightful new novel by Donald E. Westlake is an unparalleled mixture of laughter and thrills, featuring a car crash into the New York Coliseum, a free-swinging helicopter attack on a police station, and a wild breakout from an insane asylum on a Tom Thumb locomotive stolen from a nearby amusement park.

On this day in movie history - A Few Good Men (1992)

A Few Good Men

directed by Rob Reiner,

written by Aaron Sorkin,

based on the play by Aaron Sorkin,

was released in the United States on December 2, 1992.

Music by Marc Shaiman.

Cast:

Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, James Marshall, J.T. Walsh, Christopher Guest, J.A. Preston, Matt Craven, Maud Winchester, Wolfgang Bodison, Xander Berkeley, John M. Jackson, Noah Wyle, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lawrence Lowe, Joshua Malina, Oscar Jordan, John M. Mathews, Aaron Sorkin, Alex Wexo, Frank Cavestani, Jan Munroe, Ron Ostrow, Matthew Saks, Harry Caesar, Michael DeLorenzo, Geoffrey Nauffts, Arthur Senzy, Cameron Thor, David Bowe, Gene Whittington, Christopher Coffel, Richard Lasting, Bernard Madrid, Jack Serino.

On this day in movie history - Death Wish (1974)

Death Wish

directed by Michael Winner,

written by Wendell Mayes,

based on the novel by Brian Garfield,

was released in the United States on July 24, 1974.

Music by Herbie Hancock.

Cast:

Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, William Redfield, Chris Gampel, Steven Keats, Stuart Margolin, Stephen Elliott, Fred J. Scollay, Kathleen Tolan, Jack Wallace, Robert Kya-Hill, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Logan, Gregory Rozakis, Christopher Guest, Hank Garrett, Helen Martin, Olympia Dukakis, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Edward Grover, Saul Rubinek, John Herzfeld, Eric Laneuville, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Sonia Manzano, Tom Hayden, Al Lewis, Billy Curtis, Paul Dooley, Robert Miano, William Bogert.

On this day in movie history - This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

This Is Spinal Tap

a.k.a. This Is Spinal Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi,

directed by Rob Reiner,

written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner,

was released in the United States on March 2, 1984.

Music by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Rob Reiner.

Cast:

Rob Reiner, Kimberly Stringer, Chazz Dominguez, Shari Hall, R.J. Parnell, David Kaff, Tony Hendra, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Bruno Kirby, Jean Cromie, Patrick Maher, Ed Begley Jr., Danny Kortchmar, Fran Drescher, Patrick Macnee, Memo Vera, Julie Payne, Dana Carvey, Sandy Helberg, Robin Menken, Zane Buzby, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Child, J.J. Barry, George McDaniel, Paul Benedict, Anne Churchill, Howard Hesseman, Paul Shortino, Cherie Darr, Lara Cody, Andrew J. Lederer, Russ Kunkel, Diana Duncan, Gina Marie Pitrello, June Chadwick, Victory Tischler-Blue, Joyce Hyser, Gloria Gifford, Paul Shaffer, Archie Hahn, Charles Levin, Wonderful Smith, Anjelica Huston, Chris Romano, Daniel Rodgers, Fred Willard, Fred Asparagus, Rodney Kemerer, Robert Bauer, Raechel Donahue, Lindsay Doran, Sean Frye, Helen Kelly, Paul Korda, Blackie Lawless, Artie Ripp, Claudia Sloan, Spinal Tap, Brinke Stevens, Sam Whipple.

Recommended reading:

 

A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap

by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer.

Published by Gallery Books.

Published 2025.

ISBN-10: 1668079143

ISBN-13: 9781668079140

Description:

Since its original release in 1984, This Is Spinal Tap has evolved from a beloved cult film into a cinematic landmark: an all-time comedy classic that pioneered an entire genre, the mockumentary. Now, director Rob Reiner and his cowriters and costars, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, tell the complete story of the movie and its fictitious band – how they met, how Spinal Tap came to be, and how their low-budget indie film took on a life of its own. Years after the movie first came out, the Library of Congress selected This Is Spinal Tap for inclusion in the National Film Registry and Tap went on to play The Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, and to over 100,000 fans at the Glastonbury Festival in England.