Next Friday, September 22, All the King's Men, written and directed by
Steven Zaillian (the screenwriter for Schindler's List), opens. Sean
Penn plays a character based on Huey Long of Louisiana, the Governor and then Senator who practiced an effective if bruising and
dictatorial form of populism and was assassinated in 1935. The movie
also stars Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Patricia Clarkson,
Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Baker. This is the third or fourth adaptation
of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, depending on how
one counts feature and TV movies. The tie-in edition is now out
(Harvest Books, $15, 0156031043)
Among the many books about Long:
Among the many books about Long:
- Huey Long by T. Harry Williams (Vintage, $24, 0394747909). The authoritative Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner that first appeared in 1969.
- Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long by Richard White (Random House, $26.95, 140006354X). The Louisiana State University professor's book came out in April.
- The Kingfish and his Realm: The Life and Times of Huey P. Long by William Ivy Hair (Louisiana State University Press, $23.95, 080712124X), which casts a darker light on the subject than some of the other books.
- Every Man a King: The Autobiography of Huey P. Long (Da Capo). Out of print but with the most positive take on the Kingfish.