It was loosely based upon donald e westlakes novel of the same name, which was the second book of his dortmunder series. Wood a bank temporarily housed in a mobile home while a new building is built, looks like an easy target to break into. Bank shot is a 1974 film directed by gower champion and written by wendell mayes. I am new to the dortmunder series and i have been listening to several as books on tape dont ask, the hot rock, good behavior, bank shot, nobodys perfect jimmy the kid all in the last few months as well as put a lid on it and the axe i had never.
Scott as walter upjohn ballantine dortmunder in the book also starring joanna cassidy. Westlake had seen a bank housed temporarily in a mobile home trailer, which inspired him to write this story in which dortmunder and his gang get a truck cab, sneak up and hitch it up one night, and drive the trailer away stealing the bank instead of the money. Versatile mystery author donald westlake aka richard stark was born today in brooklyn in 1933. Bank shot 1972 the second dortmunder novel, and the best of the early ones. Jimmy the kid 1983, united artists based on the novel by donald westlake directed by gary nelson starring paul lemat as dortmunder. He won three edgar awards along the way and was named a grand master by the mystery writers of america in 1993. A few hours later, unlucky thief john dortmunder, expecting a routine robbery, steals it again. Westlake s novel of the same name, which was the second book of his dortmunder series.
Instead of robbing a bank, dortmunder tries to steal the whole building. Bank shot 1974, united artists based on the novel by donald westlake directed by gower champion starring george c. I recently finished the first book, the hot rock, and loved it. For those readers looking to get into novels by donald e. I wont give any spoilers but the dortmunder books are in essence about dortmunder the planner. While in between jobs, the persistent heistplanner is working an encyclopediaselling scam thats about to blow up in his face. Two years later came bank shot, the second dortmunder novel, starring george c. Stealing a bank is more of a story than robbing a bank, and with all that goes wrong, its a very funny story if you like mishap upon mishap. The only real flaw in the developing dortmunder formula is that westlake has difficulty resisting broad comedy.
The complete series list for john dortmunder donald e. Bank shot is one of the most entertaining books i have read in years. Bank shot is more nutty and much better than the hot rock which is pretty witty in it of itself. If youre not familiar with dortmunder, you really should be. Bank shot is the second in a series of dortmunder tales. Bank shot is the story of the dortmunder crew planning and executing a heist of a temporary bank. Bank shot dortmunder, book 2 by donald e westlake book cover, description, publication history.
John dortmunder is a master criminal in new york city. Like parker, dortmunder is a career criminal, although he is a nonviolent criminal who prefers to plan out elaborate schemes, which of course never work out exactly the way he plans. He first appeared in the novel the hot rock, published in 1970. Scott, who decides to pull a bank heist by removing an entire. A kidnapping plan cribbed from a crime novel goes hilariously wrong for gang boss john dortmunderfrom the edgar awardwinning author of bank shot. If you own the to this book and it is wrongfully on our website, we offer a.
However, the plot involves a precious gem that is stolen, lost, reacquired, stolen again, lost again, which seemed too comic a situat. Parker, a hardboiled criminal and john dortmunder, a fun flipside of parker are a couple of famous characters who feature in most of his novels. A harebrained scheme from the start when andy kelp approaches dortmunder with a harebrained scheme to steal a bank, you just know things will go wrong. The first novel in the series, the hot rock was originally intended to be a parker novel. Bank shot 1972 dortmunder and crew scheme to stealnot roban entire bank. Westlake, bank shot 1972 in the second dortmunder novel, dortmunder steals a bank, and the results are consistently entertaining. With that said, bank shot is a satisfying read that has a fantastic end. Bank shot the dortmunder novels book 2 kindle edition by westlake, donald e download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. When i first read the third dortmunder novel, i knew very much less about donald e westlake that i do now, so i was ignorant for years of the magnificent injoke that underwrites jimmy the kid. Scott but changing the characters name to walter ballentine due to legal issues. Just like the dortmunder, inspector porfiry is yet another entertaining series by stuart m. Whatever can go wrong in dortmunders elaborate attempts at larceny invariably does, and in the most amusing and unexpected ways possible. Donald westlake decided to write humorous crime stories about a master planner called dortmunder. Westlake, and who is the protagonist of 14 novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009.
Westlake pretty much invented the comic caper novel with the gloomy john dortmunder the first was the hot rock, also an excellent audiobook and his group of somewhat misfit pals. The best part of the book is once his gang steals the trailer, they have to hide it from the police which involve stealing a few cars and trucks, along. John archibald dortmunder is a fictional character created by donald e. When john dortmunder sets out to rob a bank, he shelve bank shot. Jimmy the kid is the third novel in the dortmunder series and was released in the year 1974. Bank shot the dortmunder novels book 2 kindle edition by. Bank shot is the second book in the dortmunder series from donald westlake. Westlake originally intended the hot rock to feature his character parker and to publish it under his richard stark pseudonym. Instead of robbing a bank, dortmunder tries to steal the whole building encyclopedias are heavy, and john dortmunder is sick of carrying them. It will go over the novels the hot rock and bank shot. Westlake passed away in 2008, leaving behind more than 100 published novels and nonfiction books. Westlakes novel of the same name, which was the second book of his dortmunder series. John archibald dortmunder is the thief whose shelve the hot rock.
Westlakes novel of the same name, and was the second book of his dortmunder series. The dortmunder series began in 1970 with the aforementioned novel the hot rock. John dortmunder is a character featured in a series of novels by american novelist donald e. Kelps nephew is an fbi washout whos addicted to oldtime pulp novels and. In other respects, however, scotts character is a bit closer to. Yes, the deal is, they dont steal money from a bank. The hot rock was adapted in 1972 with dortmunder being played by robert redford, and bankshot was adapted in the year 1974, with george c. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading bank shot the dortmunder novels book 2. This is the first novel in the dortmunder series and was released in the year 1970. Somebody must be dialing an extension somewhere else in the house. Dortmunder is a master planner of elaborate schemes and is stuck with a gang that is made up of incompetent accomplices.
John dortmunder page 3 martin crookall author for sale. Donald westlake is a master of farce, and bank shot certainly doesnt disappoint. George c scott, joanna cassidy, sorrell booke, bob balaban, bibi osterwald, frank mcrae, and that 1970s rock of incompetence. Dortmunder is a master planner, so theyve got that bit covered, unfortunately the luck side of the equation is a tad skinny, and this is where the laughs are provided. Kelps schemes, no matter how well intentioned, tend to spiral quickly out of control. Scott is approached while doing time in a desert penitentiary and asked to participate in a bank. Westlake, and it is another westlake novel that provides the inspiration this time around, as gower champion takes to the directorial chair for bank shot. When john dortmunder sets out to rob a bank, he really means it. This is a great diversion with an interesting caper brought to us by likable, amusing characters.
Jimmy the kid 1974 dortmunder is convinced to use the plot from a. The bank shot was westlakes second dortmunder novel, the first of which was adapted as the hot rock 1972, starring robert redford as the same if barely recognizable character scott plays here, though for the movie of bank shot hes been renamed walter upjohn ballantine. But when the safe wont open and the cops get close, dortmunder realizes hes. For dortmunder, the mission is simple and quite impossible. Below is a list of donald westlakes dortmunder books in order of when they were originally released also their chronology. Bank shot, the second book in the series, is one of the best. We get to meet a couple of new characters in this one and there are tons of funny lines. He first appeared in the novel the hot rock, published in 1970 dortmunder is a career criminal and a planner. A year has passed since the events of bank shot and dortmunder has been studiously avoiding kelp. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A hilarious crime novel featuring dumb criminals mal. Having unsuspectingly lifted the hottest gem in town, john dortmunder becomes the prey of the fbi, the new york city police, terrorist groups from three nations, and all of new yorks petty and notsopetty crooks.
Several novels of westlake have been adapted into motion pictures. While moving the story about the dortmunder gang or string, if youre into a robert stark mode, westlake doesnt ignore the misadventures of the hamfisted cops whore looking for the. Dortmunder or ballentine, bank shot is a zany film with a fine cast of actors that deserves another look. So, i was very pleased when my father sent me a gently used copy of this one, bank shot. Its not that he blames kelp for the last two disasters. Bank shot the dortmunder novels book 2 kindle edition. There are also some cups of coffee, hapless crooks, bumbling law enforcement, and even a neck brace.
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