Eliot Chaze & Black Wings

Thanks to tips from Vince Keenan and Bill Crider I checked out the following story from Hollywood Reporter:

Wood to produce 'Black Wings'
By Borys Kit
April 19, 2007

Elijah Wood is making his first foray into producing, teaming with Anthony Moody and Rob Malkani's Indalo Prods. to bring to the big screen an adaptation of Elliott Chaze's legendary noir novel "Black Wings Has My Angel."

The script is being penned by Barry Gifford ("Wild at Heart," "Lost Highway") and writer-producer-director Christopher Peditto.

Chaze was a newspaperman and columnist in Mississippi who wrote books on the side. "Angel," published in 1953, is considered one of the shining lights of the Fawcett Gold Medal paperback line and a pulp classic.

The story centers on an antihero, an ex-convict, who stages a daring armed car robbery in Colorado with the help of a call girl whom he picked up in a backwoods Mississippi motel.

The book was out of print for about 50 years and Peditto spent 10 years chasing down and securing the film rights.

"It's the material," said Wood, summing up why he decided to dip his foot into producing waters. "I've always been intrigued by noir novels and noir films. I love that style. And to unearth something from that era that hasn't been made into a film or is not a remake is really exciting. It's a lost classic."

"Angel" reunites Wood with Indalo, the producers behind his recent "Day Zero," which is set to have its world premiere this month at the Tribeca Film Festival. That experience also helped in his decision to become a producer.

Copyright 2007 by the Hollywood Reporter

Ed here: Well, this is exciting for a couple of reasons. Not only will we get to see one of THE classic noirs on the screen but there's a very good chance that it will be done extremely well.

I know Barry Gifford from the old Black Lizard days of course. He's not only a fine novelist but an equally fine screenwriter as Wild At Heart and several other films have shown.

Five years ago or so Chris Peditto was trying to sell a noir series to cable. He adapted two of my novels and the scripts were excellent.

I only wish Eliot Chaze was alive to see this. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd spoken to him about Black Wings and inevitably I told him what a fine picture it would make. He agreed.