Spenser For Hire, Jesse Stone, Longmire: Books Brought to Life

It's been said that some of the best mysteries and films come from books, and plays which is true, since I said it, ha.  Take the Raymond Chandler books and his eponymous character of Philip Marlowe, Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade.  Turned into some of the best movies going in terms of film noir and the '40's and brought even more closer to life by portrayals from Humphrey Bogart to Robert Montgomery, Dick Powell and James Garner.

This trend continued way into the 1980's and beyond to present day.  Spenser For Hire, based on the novels of Robert B Parker was another show with intelligence and aplomb. The books have been likened to pulp fiction.  Brought to life so wonderfully and amiably by the late and talented Robert Urich.  You may recall him from shows such as Vega$ and the early and original TV series of S.W.A.T. from the '70's.  Spenser was a private detective in Boston who had a knack for getting to the heart of the case and solving the mystery, as well as living and suffering his own personal problems.  Helped along the way with Hawk (Avery Brooks) Wonder if anyone asked Avery about his time on the show at all those Star Trek Conventions?  Something I would have done.

                                            

Spenser had charm, wit and intellect, accompanied by an on screen narrative, which was poignant at times, funny at others.  Thing is Spenser was once a cop and we even got to see how he lost his badge in 3.21 Haunting when he investigates a kidnapping case, which was very close to home.

Spenser For Hire truly has become a classic in its own right.  DVDs are available if you missed this first time round on TV.  Writing this listening to the theme tune of Spenser For Hire (of which there were many variations) very inspiring and great for reminiscing too!

Following on from this, adapted for movies was the other Robert B Parker novels, of Jesse Stone.  Starring Tom Selleck in a role which was far removed from his earlier stint as Magnum PI.  As he now played a former cop too with a drinking problem, divorced, who now moves to Paradise, Massachusetts as its new Police Chief.  Met by hostility from the locals and the officials alike, it's hard for him to garner any form of respect or support from the locals.  He's even removed from his job too when he gets too close to home in one of his cases.  That's small town politics for ya!

                                                          

 The storylines are gritty, where everyone seems to be hiding secrets.  Though not all the books have been filmed since Tom is on Blue Bloods, but once again the casting was just perfect, as he realistically portrays hardened Jesse, who still has a heart and just can't seem to let go of his ex wife.
Jesse: "I'm the Police Chief I know everything."

Some of the characters from the Spenser novels do manage to make it into the Jesse Stone books too, such as Gino Fish who was originally played by Vincent Guastaferro in Spenser, played here by William Sadler. DA Rita Fiore, played by Catherine McCormick in Spenser For Hire first appeared in the book, Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes and played by Mimi Rogers in Jesse Stone.  Captain Healy was also a character from Spenser.

2012 saw another incarnation of a character from novels in the TV series, Longmire, adapted from the novels of Craig Johnson.  A fabulous read and a smart and fitting (thinking of fit here, ha) exemplary casting choice in Robert Taylor, as if he walked right out of the pages of the novels.  The Western genre has long been on our screens in some form or another, but these books and the show take that one step further into a more modern and in many ways, realistic setting.  The themes are relevant.  There'll always be friction between cultures and communities, no matter how far we may have come with Equality legislation.  People are people and no laws will change them or their behaviour.

                                               

Walt Longmire is sheriff of fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming.  But is filmed in New Mexico.  He suffers a broken heart with the death of his wife and even though it has been a year still struggles to come to terms with it.  So being back at work is tough, especially with the cases that he must investigate.  Walt prefers to use the old fashioned method and is loathe to rely on forensics.  We can relate to the characters and their surroundings, understanding their lives and woes and of course everyone has secrets.  With just a hint of romance.

If you loved the books, you'll love the show even more. Or if you haven't read the books yet, well what's stopping you?  There's plenty of conflicts, underhandedness and problems which are more shades of moral ambiguity than just one easy ride into resolving issues and personal hardships and rivalries and that's just from Walt's Deputy, the ambitious Branch Connolly (Bailey Chase) who's also vying for Walt's job by being in the running for elected sheriff himself, so the gloves are off.  That'll prove hard for him since Walt is exceptional at his job.  Yet so strong, silent and stoic.  Rob's so great in the role, he can convey so much emotion by just a look or a stare!  Who needs words when facial expressions are just as good, if not better.

Walt's right hand gal is his other Deputy Vic Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) who stands by Walt through thick and thin.  Aided along the way by rookie, Ferg (Adam Bartley) who's eager to impress and to learn at the same time.  Not forgetting Walt's daughter, Cady (Cassidy Freeman) who's headstrong and has given up a year of her life to help him too.  She's a chip off the old block in many ways.

So a brooding Walt's gotta have a best friend who is humanized in the form of Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) always there to keep him in check and offer valuable advice.  After all, "it is what it is!" Right? Ha. With a nearby Indian reservation, there's bound to be untold trouble and here Walt also has a nemesis in the form of Mathias, Tribal Police Chief who's not shy about being vocal.  Animosities run high and boil over.  Just a few of the multi-faceted characters which grace our screens in this excellent show.

I like that unmistakable twang in the short opening credit music, it's just so atmospheric, you know you're in for something special and in it for the long haul too.  It's a breath of fresh air to actually watch something where we go back to grass roots and little or no technology is involved, in a rapidly changing world where high tech is everything.  It's good to sit back, relax and take the scenic route into solving crimes.

Miss it and there'll be pistols at dawn!

Also check out  http://mila255h.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/robert-taylor.html