Born in Brooklyn in 1933, legendary mystery writer Donald Westlake published his first novel in 1960, following a stint in the Air Force and stabs at acting and editing. At first specializing in the tough, hard-boiled style, he created his first series character in 1962, with Parker, a professional thief who often gets away with murder.
Under the pseudonym of Richard Stark, Westlake has written over 20 Parker novels, from 1962 to 1974 and from 1997 to the present. Under his own name he began his most successful and popular series in 1970, comic novels about crime genius Dortmunder and his raffish pals, forever planning extremely elaborate capers that somehow never quite come off.
Many of his novels have been adapted for the screen, including Point Blank, The Hot Rock, Bank Shot, Payback, and in the case of Jimmy the Kid, three times, in decades-apart versions in the U.S., Italy, and Germany. A screenwriter himself—though not of his own novels—Westlake was Oscar-nominated for his 1990 adaptation of Jim Thompson's The Grifters (produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by Stephen Frears) and wrote the original script for the sleeper hit The Stepfather.
The author of over a hundred books under his own name and at least ten other pseudonyms, Westlake has won three Mystery Writers of America Edgars (the Pulitzers of the genre), only the second person to win in three separate categories - Best Novel (God Save the Mark, 1968); Best Short Story, (Too Many Crooks, 1990); and Best Motion Picture Screenplay (The Grifters, 1991) —and in 1993 was named Grand Master, the society's highest honor.
Made in USA was adapted by Godard from Westlake/Stark's Parker novel The Jugger (1965). Producer Georges de Beauregard's insolvency resulted in Westlake's retaining all U.S. rights to the film. Mr. Westlake died of a heart attack on New Year's Eve, 2008, while vacationing with his wife in Mexico.
Rialto Pictures
