William P. Wingate (1939 – August 2012) was an author. His work includes the novel ''Shotgun'', which was adapted into the 1987 film '' Malone'' starring

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as '' ...

Life and works

Wingate was born Ronald Ivan Grbich in South Africa. He was a lawyer as well as a writer. The book ''Malone'' was based on was originally published as ''Hardacre's Way''. The U.S. edition was published under the title ''Shotgun''. Kirkus gave ''Shotgun'' an unfavorable review calling it a retread of '' Shane''. A review of the book in ''New York Times'' states that "There is nothing at all new in the book, but Mr. Wingate tells his story very well, and there is something in all of us that responds joyously to the sight of an avenging angel destroying bullies and the forces of evil." The book takes place in the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsy ...

, but the movie is set in

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

Bibliography

*''Fireplay'' (1977) *''Blood Bath'' (1978) *''Shotgun'' (1981), also known as ''Hardacre'' or ''Hardacre's Way'' *''Crystal'' (1983) *''The Don: How to Run a Mafia Family'' *''Hong Kong, Let Candice Go!'' *''Doneska'' *''Wake Up Late, Read This ... Play Winning Poker Before Noon'' (2011), non-fiction book about playing poker

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wingate, William 1939 births 2012 deaths 20th-century South African lawyers South African male writers