ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY
Elmore Leonard: But Don’t Try to Write examines the life, work and writing process of Elmore Leonard. The program was distributed nationally in the United States by American Public Television and aired on PBS stations. It has also aired on PBS America in the United Kingdom.
The documentary is narrated by Campbell Scott, written and directed by John Mulholland, and produced and edited by Richard Zampella.
LEONARD IN HIS OWN WORDS
The film includes more than half an hour of previously unseen interview footage with Leonard discussing how he began writing, the subjects that interested him and the development of his spare prose style.
It also uses home movies, family photographs and interviews with relatives, colleagues, writers and literary specialists.
A CAREER OF MORE THAN FORTY NOVELS
Leonard wrote more than forty novels and numerous short stories. He began with western fiction and later became closely associated with crime novels set in Detroit, South Florida and other American settings.
His books include Glitz, Get Shorty, Maximum Bob, Rum Punch and Tishomingo Blues. PBS America describes the documentary as an exploration of the work and legacy of one of the leading crime novelists of the past half-century.
WRITING PROCESS AND INFLUENCE
The documentary focuses on Leonard’s approach to dialogue, character and revision, and on the influence his work had on later writers and screen adaptations. Leonard’s own comments remain central to the program rather than being treated only through outside interpretation.