| Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Realism, crime fiction |
| Published in | Different Seasons, Stephen King Goes to the Movies |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Publication date | 1982 |
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a realist novella by Stephen King. It was first published in 1982 by Viking Press in his collection Different Seasons. It was later included in the 2009 collection Stephen King Goes to the Movies. The plot follows former bank vice president Andy Dufresne, who is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and ends up in Shawshank State Penitentiary, where corruption and violence are rampant.
Stephen King described "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" as a prison escape story in the vein of old Warner Bros. films. The work, written in a genre unusual for King, is considered one of his best works. The story was adapted to film in 1994 by Frank Darabont. The film, The Shawshank Redemption, was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1994, including Best Picture,[1] and has been regarded as one of the best films of all time. The main roles were played by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. In 2009, the story was adapted for the stage as The Shawshank Redemption.[2]