Writing A Nero Wolfe Mystery

s amazing how many writers got wrong, said head writer sharon elizabeth doyle. mean writers, too. either or don t. s important have relationships right, , tone of relationships right, s language , not story. characters in these books aren t modern human beings. have believe in characters , respect formality of way characterized.

consulting producer nero wolfe mystery, doyle show s full-time writer — overseeing work of freelance screenwriters , writing 11 of teleplays herself. devoted of attention dialogue: stout writes sounds when out loud, stuff makes laugh out loud , fall on floor in books doesn t work of time when transpose directly actors mouths. end moving words — tenderly , respectfully — retaining of language possible. feel great belief in rex stout. see script process writing second draft.

relationship literary source

in preface second edition of book @ wolfe s door: nero wolfe novels of rex stout, j. kenneth van dover assessed fidelity of nero wolfe mystery literary source:

a quarter century after death, nero wolfe books remain in print … and, result of popular a&e television series premiered in 2000, continuing presence seems assured. ... success of series significant because scripts remained remarkably faithful novels. programs set in period, , of dialogue lifted directly novel. effective novelistic dialogue not effective screen dialogue, raymond chandler discovered when worked on script 1944 film of james m. cain s double indemnity. a&e series able adopt verbatim both sharp exchanges between wolfe , archie, , archie s narration in voiceover. credit goes skills of repertory actors played roles, , maury chaykin , timothy hutton; stout supplied language , characters speak it. , stout created in words real pleasures of novels: voices , ideas, rooms , routines. producer michael jaffe realized this, , great care recreated pleasures on film.

nero wolfe should pleasing has @ least casting scripts, wrote author , cultural critic terry teachout in national review:

timothy hutton plays archie goodwin, , can t see how better job. not catch archie s snap-brim thirties tone sharp-eared precision, bears uncanny physical resemblance dapper detective-narrator ve been envisioning these years. no sooner did hutton make first entrance in golden spiders melded archie of mind s eye. can no longer read stout novel without seeing him, or hearing voice.


still, archie have wandered out of number of screwball comedies; nero wolfe far more complicated proposition. ... maury chaykin has doubtless immersed himself in wolfe novels, brings interpretation of part both detailed knowledge of stout wrote , unexpectedly personal touch of insight. plays wolfe fearful genius, aesthete turned hermit has withdrawn world (and opposite sex) in order shield himself — against what? stout never answers question, giving chaykin plenty of room maneuver, uses enviable skill.

production of nero wolfe mystery coincided rex stout s becoming top-selling author 30 years after death. bookfinder.com, web-search service reports most-sought out-of-print titles, reported in march 2003 top 4 most-wanted mysteries nero wolfe novels: there s (1940), rubber band (1936), red box (1937) , league of frightened men (1935). red box most-searched mystery title in august 2003, , novel remained number 2 on list in 2004. in 2006, many women (1947) fifth on bookfinder.com s list of most-sought out-of-print thrillers, whodunits, classics , modern mystery titles. in 2007, black mountain in number 5 position.

most of nero wolfe stories adapted nero wolfe mystery became available through bantam s rex stout library, series of paperbacks featured new introductions , memorabilia. bantam volumes, prisoner s base, emblazoned words, seen on tv. audio partners publishing corporation promoted bestselling line of rex stout audiobooks, unabridged on cd , audiocassette, seen on a&e tv.