# What is your favorite adaptation of a short story? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888 "2004-09-24T15:54:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/21 "2004-09-25T06:26:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation of “Lamb to the Slaughter” is also a great one (and a great story). There was also a superb adaptation of “The Man from the South,” though that may have been in the series revival (or some other show). Both of those were indeed done on the original version of _Alfred Hitchcock Presents_. I believe all of the newer episodes were remakes of the originals. These two were also redone for _Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected_, an anthology series based on Dahl’s short stories. The DVD set of the first two seasons will be available this coming Tuesday, with both of those episodes included. Each episode includes a brief introduction by Dahl himself, which could be helpful for a class on adaptations. _Tales From the Darkside_ adapted a lot of short fiction also, so you might be able to find some material there. For movies, I’d suggest _The Secret Life of Walter Mitty_. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/22 "2004-09-25T08:12:51Z")
The short film version of Shirley Jackson’s **The Lottery** is outstanding. The full length film version is crap. On Tales from the Darkside, they adapted Stephen King’s Word Processor of the Gods. Good story and a good adaptation. That is a show that needs to be released in season sets on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/23 "2004-09-25T08:34:56Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > The short film version of Shirley Jackson’s **The Lottery** is outstanding. The full length film version is crap. > > On Tales from the Darkside, they adapted Stephen King’s Word Processor of the Gods. Good story and a good adaptation. That is a show that needs to be released in season sets on DVD. I remember reading a short story in Playboy called “The Red Button”. A destitute couple is given the chance of pushing a red button and being given a million dollars. The catch: Someone will die. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/24 "2004-09-25T13:07:23Z")
Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Great adaptation by Evan Hunter. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/25 "2004-09-25T13:42:09Z")
Christopher Nolan based **Memento** on his brother Jonathan’s short story **Memento Mori**. Interesting note - according to IMDB, the screenplay is still considered to be original because the movie was finished before the story got published. Anyway, they’re both very cool, although they’re very different entities. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/26 "2004-09-25T18:25:50Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > I remember reading a short story in Playboy called “The Red Button”. A destitute couple is given the chance of pushing a red button and being given a million dollars. The catch: Someone will die. This was adapted for _The Twilight Zone_ in the mid 80’s, which will be released on DVD later this year. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/27 "2004-09-25T19:11:23Z")
[The Swimmer](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0063663/), from the story of the same name by John Cheever. Terrific performances from Burt Lancaster and Janice Rule. Also Joan Rivers’ film debut (not comedic). ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/28 "2004-09-25T19:42:30Z")
I can’t believe I’m the first one to mention **2001: A Space Odyssey** , based on the short story _The Sentinel_ by Arthur C. Clarke. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/29 "2004-09-25T22:34:43Z")
**Trio** by W. Somerset Maugham. Adapts “The Verdure,” “Mr. Know-All” and “The Sanitorium.” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/30 "2004-09-27T14:04:33Z")
Okay, then, **Alien**. ---
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/31 "2004-09-27T17:19:50Z")
Thanks for all the suggestions! I’m going to be looking into several of them, seeing if I can track down the stories, and the films. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/32 "2004-09-27T23:08:31Z")
A couple of the subplots in _For Your Eyes Only_ are based on Ian Fleming short stories. “Risico” , in which Bond encounters a pair of Greek smugglers, was one. I don’t remember the title of the one in which Bond’s target was killed by a crossbow-wielding woman. Fleming’s short story “The Living Daylights” became the pre-credits sequence in the movie. _Octopussy_ contains two Fleming stories: the auction scene is loosely based on “Property of a Lady”; when Bond and Maud Adams first meet, she briefly alludes to the events in the short story “Octopussy”. _Alien_ is said to be a ripoff of an old A.E. van Vogt story. I can’t remember the title. The TV mini-series \*The Martian Chronicles \* lumped together a lot of Ray Bradbury short stories. The anthology series _Ray Bradbury Theater_ filmed many of his stories. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/33 "2004-09-27T23:32:24Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I’d recommend Joyce Carol Oates’ “Smooth Talk” and the film made from it featuring Laura Dern and Treat Williams–except that they messed up the ending. Yes, but the ending was changed quite deliberately, so this can be the basis of an interesting discussion or assignment. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/34 "2004-09-27T23:57:21Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > _Alien_ is said to be a ripoff of an old A.E. van Vogt story. I can’t remember the title. Is it? I’ve always thought it was inspired by a Joseph Conrad deal in which a nasty colonialist completely mucks over an African village, prompting one local (who’s family has been murdered or disgraced?) to stow-away aboard the booty-laden ship, spending the voyage picking off the crewmembers one by one, and skillfully hiding during the day. Trouble is, I can’t remember the title of the story, and only dimly recall it. Hell, maybe my memory is being tricked by the coupla Conrad references (_Nostromo_ and _Narcisuss_) and the story I’m thinking of is actually by Kipling or something and only coincidentally similar? One could argue that O’Bannon was reworking a few of the ideas he developed for _Dark Star_, of course. **_🙂_** ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/35 "2004-09-28T00:16:13Z")
Alien – I’ve been over this at length on the Board a few times. It’s an original screenplay by Dan O’Bannon Walter Giler, and a bunch of other guys. Fans of old SF movies (like me) couldn’t help noticing a particularly strong resemblance between it and Jerome Bixby’s underappreciated 1950s movie **It! The Terror from Beyonf Space** , one of the gens of 1950s SF cinema. In it, the second spaceship to Mars picks up an unwanted hitchiker who hides out in the air ducts, picks off the crew one by one, and is ultimately killed when they open the airlock (asphyxiating the creature, rather than blasting it into space). Some other visual elements seem lifted from Mario Bava’s Italian SF/Supernatural film [B[Planet of Vampires\*\* – The derelict alien spacecraft, the skeleton of the alien pilot still in the ship. The idea of the alien implanting its young in the bodies of the spacemen could have come from everal places, but I’m willing to bet the immediate inspiration was the Roger Corman 1950s cheapie **Night of the Blood Beast** (which was featured on MST3K). Bixy can’t have been unaware of an A.E. Van Vogt short story entitled **Black Destroyer** (It’s in the seminal anthology “Adventures in Time and Space”, among others), bu the only resemblance between the two is that Black Destroyer is about an alien monster that gets aboard a starship and begins eating the phosphorous out of the crew. But the crew is aware of the alien, and regards it as benign at first. Later on, the aien ttempts to escape in a lifecraft, showing it’s got technical savvy. Another Van Vogt story, “Discord in Scarlet”, features an alien that comes aboard a spaceship and implants its eggs in the bodies of the crew. Interestingly, both these stories were later incorporated into a novel, “The Voyage of the Space Beagle”. As far as I know, Van Vogt was the first to use both ideas. So, Alien uses ideas first used in two van Vogt stories, but I wouldn’t say it was an adaptation of them. Certainly the writers didn’t say it was. (Although they have mot8ivation not to. And, to be fair, I’ve seen adaptations that had even less to do with the source material. Look at **I, Robot**.) I think Alien was largely inspired by It!, to which it bears a much greater resmblance. But oficially, Alien is a original story. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/36 "2004-09-28T00:25:36Z")
Oh, yeah, about **Dark Star** – DS startede as a short student film. They remade or revamped it for the commercial screen, but i as too short. So they came up with an extra story line about an alien loose aboard the space ship. The thing is, it as a “beachball” – an incedibly unlikely creature that looked like a… well, a beachball. Painted in realistic skin tones and given unlikely monster feet. The crewman Pinback (played by Dan O’Bannon) chases it all over the ship. At one point it attacks him in an elevator shaft by tickling him (The onster is definitely played for laughs). In the end, Pinback fires a tranquilizer dart at the monster. And it blows up. When I saw the trailer fr the film, back at iyt initial New England release (it showed first at MIT), I was sure that this was some weird remake of It! Turns out I was just a bit early. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/37 "2004-09-28T00:47:29Z")
Not a movie of anything, but a song: **Red Barchetta** by Rush, based on the short story _A Nice Morning Drive_, by Richard S. Foster. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/38 "2004-09-28T03:52:06Z")
Other Sommerset Maugham adaptations: [quartet](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040335/) The _Lord Mountdrago_ segment of [Three Cases Of Murder.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047579/maindetails) The segment _The Picture_ is also brilliant. Don’t bother with the other segment, it’s very forgettable. My absolute \*\*least \*\* favourite adaptation is Roger Moore’s point-missing version of the _Saint_ stories. Awful, just simply unbearable. You can use that as an example of an original being altered almost beyond recognition. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/39 "2004-09-28T04:07:52Z")
How about **Apocalypse Now** , which is an adaptation of **Conrad’s** \*Heart of Darkness. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-adaptation-of-a-short-story/265888/40 "2004-09-28T04:08:54Z")
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