Get Shorty

CHICAGO – Elmore Leonard was so much a part of the entertainment landscape that many people don’t even realize the extent of his influence and reach on, of course, literature, but also film and television. The same man created the characters you love in “3:10 to Yuma,” “Get Shorty,” “Out of Sight,” and “Justified.”

CHICAGO – Former Chicago police officer turned notable character actor, Dennis Farina has passed away at the age of 69, as confirmed by his publicist today to Indiewire. The actor will probably be most remember for a stint on “Law & Order” but he had a notable film career, working all the way to the end and doing great work in just the last few years.

CHICAGO – Dennis Farina is Chicago. Born and raised in the Windy City, his persona and manner is everything Chicago – bold, classy and the true urban Midwest. His latest film is “The Last Rites of Joe May,” which features another actor who got his start in Chicago theater, Gary Cole.

CHICAGO – Well into his eighties, the great Elmore Leonard continues to churn out accomplished crime novels at a pace and skill level that shames men one-quarter his age. Time has not slowed one of the best crime writers of the last fifty years in any way and while his latest, “Djibouti,” may not stand as one of his best, it certainly does nothing to sully his amazing reputation.