Lionel White

For the English cricketer, see Lionel White (cricketer). For the American musician, see Lionel White (musician).
Lionel White
Born(1905-07-09)July 9, 1905
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 26, 1985(1985-12-26) (aged 80)
Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationJournalist, novelist
GenreCrime fiction, journalism

Lionel White (9 July 1905 – 26 December 1985) was an American journalist and crime novelist,[1] several of whose dark, noirish stories were made into films. Also known as L.W. Blanco, White had been a crime reporter and began writing suspense novels in the 1950s. His more than 35 books were all translated into several languages. His earlier novels were published as Gold Medal crime fiction, but when E. P. Dutton began a line of mystery and suspense books, he also wrote for them. He was best known as what a New York Times review called "the master of the big caper."

White's novels included Clean Break (adapted by Stanley Kubrick as the basis for his 1956 film The Killing),[2] Obsession (adapted by Jean-Luc Godard as the basis for his 1965 film Pierrot le fou and by the Finnish director Seppo Huunonen for the 1974 film The Hair), The Money Trap (made into a 1965 movie by Burt Kennedy starring Glenn Ford and Elke Sommer), The Snatchers (made into a 1969 film as The Night of the Following Day directed by Hubert Cornfield and starring Marlon Brando), and Rafferty, adapted by 1980 Soviet Lenfilm production of the same title. Seven years after White's death, director Quentin Tarantino credited him, among others, as an inspiration in his 1992 film Reservoir Dogs.[3]

  1. ^ Hubin, Allen J. (2010). Crime Fiction IV. A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1749–2000 (Revised ed.). Locus Press. ISBN 978-1-55246-499-1.
  2. ^ Weiler, A.H. (May 21, 1956). "The Killing: New Film at the Mayfair Concerns a Robbery". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Gallagher, Simon (2013-01-16). "Quentin Tarantino: Definitive Guide To Homages, Influences And References". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.