Andrew L. Erdman's "Queen of Vaudeville"

Andrew L. Erdman is the author of Blue Vaudeville: Sex, Morals, and the Mass Marketing of Entertainment, 1895–1915.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of his new book, Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanguay:

In 1952, Twentieth Century-Fox released The I Don’t Care Girl, a movie putatively about the life of Eva Tanguay. Alas (as you can read in my book Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanguay) they didn’t get it much right. It had Mitzi Gaynor and Oscar Levant and lots of flashy sets and Bob Fosse-style choreography. But it ended up really being about a bunch of movie producers on the Fox lot trying to cobble together Eva Tanguay’s history. It was their story, not hers.

If I could have some say in a film about the actual life of the Twentieth Century’s first true lady megastar, it’d be different. Who would I cast? Here are some thoughts…

As Eva Tanguay, I could see Renée Zellweger, her shiny blonde mane all curled up and her demeanor nothing but up-and-down wild, crazy, lovely, and sad. There is also the comic Maria Bamford, who I adore. Not sure if she can sing, dance, or act—but then, Eva Tanguay considered that she herself could in fact do none of those things.

Eva never got along very well with men. But the women in her life—her sister and nieces, and her lady vaudevillians—formed her closest-knit sorority of intimates. As the corpulent comedienne Trixie Friganza, I could see Roseanne Barr or maybe Leah Remini (if she packed on a few more pounds).

As Eva’s matronly, husband-chasing sister, Blanche, how about Carrie Fisher?

Her niece, Lillian, could be played by Robin Weigert, and her other niece, Ruth, Emma Stone.

Eva negotiated hard with vaudeville’s biggest impresarios, B. F. Keith and E. F. Albee. David Cross could play Keith and Edward Norton, Albee.

Of course, the most famous impresario was legendary showman Florenz Ziegfeld, played by Ricky Gervais.

Eva liked her men, too—in some ways. She had an illicit but well-publicized affair with journalist C. F. Zittel, who could be played by Tony Shaloub.

From 1913 to 1917, Eva was quite unhappily married to the drunken clog-dancer Johnny Ford, who could be played by Hugh Jackman. Later, in the 1920s, Eva was briefly married to her piano accompanist Al Parado, who could be played by brilliant BBC funnyman David Mitchell.

She allegedly had an affair with African-American comedian George Walker, but race relations then were not so liberal as they are now. Common (Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.) could play Walker.

Edward Darling, to be played by Giovanni Ribisi, loved Eva and took good care of her as her manager and sometime fiancé, but she dumped him.

The only man Eva truly loved, it is rumored, was composer Melville Collins, to be played by Michael Bublé. But he married her niece, Lillian.

Speaking of nieces, Eva had one more, Florence. Of course, Florence was really, in all likelihood, Eva’s illegitimate daughter. Ellen Page could do the honors.

There were a few other characters in her life, including a “Wanderer” with whom she had a disastrous affair. He was probably named Albert Donald Walk—Eva never revealed his identity. How about John Hawkes? She had an equally disastrous coupling with vaudevillian Roscoe Ails, whom Robert Pattinson could play.

Eva’s French-Canadian mother, who died when the actress was just eleven, could be played by Mélanie Laurent.

As for Eva’s father, he was a distant figure in her life. He died when Eva was six and left the family penniless. Maybe Adrien Brody?

Learn more about Queen of Vaudeville at Andrew L. Erdman's website.

The Page 99 Test: Queen of Vaudeville.

--Marshal Zeringue

Stephanie Chong's "The Demoness of Waking Dreams"

Stephanie Chong worked as a lawyer at a top-tier Canadian firm and completed five university degrees before landing her dream job: romance novelist. Her degrees include a J.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Oxford University.

Here she shares some ideas about the cast and film location of an adaptation of her latest novel, The Demoness of Waking Dreams:

Luciana Rossetti, Rogue demoness, is the novel’s heroine. The noble daughter of an 18th century silk merchant, she’s as headstrong as she is beautiful. For centuries, she has survived on her wits and her skill as an accomplished seductress. Luciana will stop at nothing to get whatever – and whoever – she wants. At the beginning of the novel, she returns to her home city of Venice to embark on her annual hunt for a human sacrifice.

As Luciana: A young Monica Belluci would be perfect. Megan Fox has the right look. Keira Knightly with an Italian accent would be fun – she can pull anything off.

Guardian angel Brandon Clarkson arrives in Venice to track down Luciana. An ex-cop with a tough-guy exterior, Brandon is also highly intelligent and an expert at his job: safeguarding humankind from the most dangerous demons on the planet. His rain-grey eyes and tattoo-covered, rock-hard body fascinate Luciana, even though he’s her sworn enemy.

As Brandon: Channing Tatum at his most intense and brooding. Wentworth Miller during his Prison Break days.

When Luciana and Brandon meet, fireworks ignite. In the lavish and labyrinthine city of Venice, a forbidden desire sparks between them. It is a passion that changes each of them profoundly, but threatens to destroy them both.

Just as important as casting the movie is the cinematic vision of Venice. Here are a few of my favorite movies set here: Death in Venice (1971); Italian for Beginners (2000); and The Italian Job (2003).

Learn more about the book and author at Stephanie Chong's website, blog, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

My Book, The Movie: Where Demon’s Fear To Tread.

--Marshal Zeringue

David Rich's "Caravan of Thieves"

David Rich has sold screenplays to most of the major studios, and to production companies in the U.S. and Europe. He wrote the feature film, Renegades, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Philips, as well as episodes of MacGyver and other shows. He wrote three plays: The Interview, The Rescue, and W.A.R. (Women's Armed Resistance). Forsaking Los Angeles for small town Connecticut, Rich turned his attention to fiction. Caravan of Thieves, his new novel, is the result. Raised in Chicago, he received his B.A. from Tulane, spent one rainy, Withnail-esque year in Wales, and earned his M.A. in English from University of Colorado.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of Caravan of Thieves...and suggests a few directors for the job:

My wife claims that when I used to tell her the stories I was working on or thinking about working on I always said Jeff Bridges would be perfect for the lead. I don’t remember it that way, though, looking back, I can’t think of one role he wouldn’t have been great in. I know I thought of lots of actors at various times and thought I was writing a role that would be just perfect for so and so. Then I got to know some actors and took some acting classes myself and I found out that if I wrote a good part lots of actors could play it. Many of them are astoundingly good at their jobs. I stopped thinking of specific actors while I write; it’s too limiting.

Tommy Lee Jones would be great as Dan in Caravan of Thieves. So would Jack Nicholson. Same for Woody Harrelson. Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford: you bet. And, yes, Jeff Bridges. The list could go on and on. Dan is a charmer and these guys are all experts at turning that on. If any one of them wouldn’t be great as a conniving, charming con artist, he would have been forgotten long ago.

Rollie is tougher to cast. Colin Farrell and Ryan Gosling are both like boxers: reading their adversaries, waiting, feinting. They keep a hint of humor behind their eyes. That’s Rollie. Are there other young stars out there with a hint of Robert Mitchum or Kirk Douglas or Lee Marvin? Someone who can turn a quiet “I’m fine,” into a threat or a promise? That’s what it’s going to take: a young Jeff Bridges.

A few directors consistently deliver interesting movies. Stephen Frears can do no wrong (look it up; he’s batting close to 1000). Caravan of Thieves would be a change for him but he can handle it. Joe Wright is a master. Steven Soderbergh, David O. Russell and Ed Zwick – each one would bring something special. And then there is the fantasy choice: Clint Eastwood.

Learn more about the book and author at David Rich's website.

Writers Read: David Rich.

--Marshal Zeringue

Andrew Porter's "In Between Days"

Andrew Porter is the author of the story collection The Theory of Light and Matter. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, he has received a Pushcart Prize, a James Michener/Copernicus Fellowship, and the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. His work has appeared in One Story, The Threepenny Review, and on public radio’s Selected Shorts. Currently, Porter lives in San Antonio, where he is an Associate Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Trinity University.

Here he shares some ideas for the main characters and director of an adaptation of his new novel, In Between Days:

In Between Days is about a family torn apart by divorce and is told through the alternating perspectives of each of the four family members: Elson (the father), Cadence (the mother), Richard (the son) and Chloe (the daughter.)

Since this is purely an exercise in fantasy, I’m going to go straight to the top of the “A-list” and say that George Clooney would make a perfect Elson, especially after seeing his amazing performance in The Descendents. And while we’re sticking with the A-list, I’d also love to see Julianne Moore as the mother, Cadence. Her ability to play characters that appear composed on the surface, while falling apart just beneath would make her an excellent fit for this role. For Richard, the son, I could imagine someone like Hunter Parrish, who plays Mary-Louise Parker’s eldest son on Weeds. Richard is a character with a very firm moral compass, though he doesn’t always follow it, very much like Parrish’s character on Weeds. And finally, for Chloe, maybe a newcomer like Mia Wasikowska, who did a great job in The Kids Are All Right—someone who could evoke both innocence and strength.

In terms of a dream director, I’d have to go with Sofia Coppola, who is probably my favorite contemporary filmmaker. No one captures the feeling of being listless and lost better than her!

Learn more about the book and author at Andrew Porter's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kim Fay's "The Map of Lost Memories"

Born in Seattle and raised throughout Washington State, Kim Fay lived in Vietnam for four years and still travels to Southeast Asia frequently. A former independent bookseller, she is the author of the historical novel The Map of Lost Memories and Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam, winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards’ Best Asian Cuisine Book in the United States.

Here Fay dreamcasts an adaptation of The Map of Lost Memories:

When I started writing my novel, I was twenty-nine years old, the same age as my main character, Irene Blum. When I finished, fourteen years later, I was … well, you can do the math. The same goes for Cate Blanchett, the actress I had envisioned playing Irene. The problem with the latter, at least when it comes to The Map of Lost Memories making its way to the big screen, is that Irene will forever be twenty-nine, just as her partner-in-crime/rival Simone will always be in her early twenties, and her love interest Marc Rafferty in his early thirties. This knocks my supporting role original choices of Emily Mortimer and Clive Owen out of the picture, as well.

So my first round of casting isn’t feasible, just as the director of my dreams is no longer an option. When I heard the news that Anthony Minghella had died, I mourned not only for his family and friends, but also for the film version of my novel. The sense of place he created in The English Patient and the suspense he built in The Talented Mr. Ripley anchored him in the center of my fantasies about my book being made into a movie.

Granted, I didn’t have this fantasy often while I was writing the novel, but it did pass occasionally through my mind. I have it more now that the book is published and movie rights are an actual possibility. I really do think it would make a terrific film, my story about a young American woman on the hunt for a lost Cambodian treasure. The action takes place in 1920s Shanghai, Saigon and the Cambodian jungles, and each of the characters has contradictory motives and a secret past. With her Scandinavian coolness and hard-won resistance to emotion and vulnerability, Irene offers much for an actress. Naomi Watts would be great in this role. But there I go again. I can’t seem to let go of my own generation in my hunt for my leading lady. And so it continues to be for the rest of the cast, as I latch onto Daniel Craig for the hardened but still hopeful Marc and Marion Cotillard for the mercurial Frenchwoman Simone.

The only consolation is that some of my favorite actors have aged into suitability for two of my most memorable characters. Sigourney Weaver would be brilliant as Anne, a scholar in her sixties who left her husband and moved to Shanghai. And Anthony Hopkins, with his gravitas and ability to cast doubt with just a glance, would be ideal as Mr. Simms, the Machiavellian father figure who sets the entire story in motion.

As for the others, I will leave them to the casting experts in the hope that one day I will walk into a movie theater to watch my story and characters—larger than life—and find myself pleasantly surprised.

Learn more about the book and author at Kim Fay's website and Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: The Map of Lost Memories.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ellen Booraem's "Small Persons with Wings"

Teen fantasy writer Ellen Booraem lives in coastal Maine with artist Robert Shillady, in a house they built with their own hands. She was an editor for weekly newspapers before quitting her job to write The Unnameables, her first fantasy for young teens.

Here Booraem shares some ideas for casting an adaptation of her latest book, Small Persons with Wings:

My second middle-grade fantasy, Small Persons with Wings, features a snarky, smart, and weighty girl named Mellie, who discovers that her family has a thousand-year-old relationship with the equally snarky Small Persons with Wings (who hate being called “fairies”). The perfect Mellie would be Ariel Winter, who plays the younger sister in Modern Family—she’s nailed the snark factor, although she’d have to put on a few pounds. Her partner in crime, the scrawny and freckled Timmo, could be Dawson Dunbar, a kid I found online who’s done a bunch of short films.

Mellie’s best friends among the Small Persons are Fidius and Durindana, who also require attitude. James McAvoy would be a perfect Fidius, and Christina Ricci could pull off Durindana without even breathing hard.

As to the older generation: I’d see Charlize Theron as Gigi Kramer, the evil and spike-heeled real estate agent/plumbing inspector. Robert Duvall would be amazing as Grand-père (again with the snark factor), as would Melissa McCarthy (of the television show Mike & Molly) as Mellie’s magnificent mother, Nick. Mellie’s father, Roly, is the only one of the characters whom I visualized in real life as I was writing: John Hodgman, from the get-go.

Booraem's next book will be Texting the Afterlife, due out in August, 2013. Find out more at Ellen Booraem's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Flynn Meaney's "The Boy Recession"

Flynn Meaney is an alumna of the University of Notre Dame; she also earned a M.F.A. in the Creative Writing program at Hunter College.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her latest novel, The Boy Recession:

My second YA novel, The Boy Recession, is narrated by two different characters. Hunter is a laid-back slacker who’s smart and musically talented, but lazy. When writing Hunter, I pictured him with long, shaggy blonde hair and a low-key vibe. I saw a few episodes of the American version of Skins, and Stanley, played by Daniel Flaherty, reminded me of Hunter. But I didn’t realize just how perfect Daniel would be for the role of Hunter until I did some online research…his MTV biography says Daniel “spends his free time skateboarding, playing guitar and singing in his band,” which is exactly like Hunter! Apparently Daniel even sang on an episode of Skins, so he could definitely play Hunter in a Boy Recession movie—no skateboarding stunt doubles or lip-synching needed!

The female narrator, Kelly, is down-to-earth, sarcastic, and the voice of reason for her crazy friends. Someone like Emma Stone would be great as Kelly, and I think a Boy Recession movie would have a similar tone to Emma’s movie Easy A, which I really loved. I could also see Ariel Winter from Modern Family as Kelly; in her TV role, she is overshadowed by an older sister, and Kelly is overshadowed by her friends.

And of course the actors playing Hunter and Kelly would have to screen test together to make sure they have chemistry, because they spend a lot of The Boy Recession flirting and falling for each other!

Learn more about the book and author at Flynn Meaney's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Enid Shomer's "The Twelve Rooms of the Nile"

A widely published fiction writer and poetry, Enid Shomer is the author of seven books. Her work has been collected in more than fifty anthologies and textbooks, including POETRY: A HarperCollins Pocket Anthology, Best American Poetry, and New Stories from the South: The Year’s Best.

Here Shomer shares some suggestions for the lead actors and director of an adaptation of her new novel, The Twelve Rooms of the Nile:

Since the protagonists of The Twelve Rooms of the Nile —Florence Nightingale and Gustave Flaubert—are well-known historical figures, I’m sure every reader will have his or her own idea about which actors could ideally tackle these roles. But in my mind, Emily Blunt would make a perfect Nightingale. She has the right kind of face and coloring and, more importantly, a great gift for intensity as well as comedy. Nightingale had a killer wit, a mischievous streak that surfaced regularly as part of her rebelliousness. She was also incredibly passionate and probably the best-educated Englishwoman of her day. Blunt has the glamour and the grit for this role.

It is more difficult to imagine who might portray Gustave Flaubert. My current fantasy is that the role should go to a sexy unknown with a great deal of animal magnetism. Since there are only two photographs of Flaubert (he detested having his picture taken), the public doesn’t have a preconceived notion of what he looked like. One of the extant photos of him was taken by his traveling companion, the journalist Maxime Du Camp, on the trip through Egypt described in my novel. Flaubert is wearing native garb and his face is covered by a hood with pom-poms. Whoever the actor is, he should be slightly fleshy and sensuous-looking, with a mobile face to convey the alternately sensitive and lewd thoughts Flaubert was entertaining at any given time. A young Marlon Brando is the sort of man I have in mind.

As for directors: a novel set in the ancient monuments of Egypt and on the Nile calls out for a team like Merchant and Ivory, who are, alas, no longer with us or making films. If I could pick anyone in the world, it would probably be Jane Campion, whose films have the visual beauty that this story cries out for. Egypt should be as much of a character in the movie as it is in the novel. I’d also love to see what Werner Herzog could do with this story. He has the intensity and genius to match the characters’.

Learn more about the book and author at Enid Shomer's website and Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: The Twelve Rooms of the Nile.

Writers Read: Enid Shomer.

--Marshal Zeringue

Michelle Gagnon's "Don't Turn Around"

Michelle Gagnon has been a modern dancer, a dog walker, a bartender, a freelance journalist, a personal trainer, and a model. Her bestselling thrillers for adults have been published in numerous countries and include The Tunnels, Boneyard, The Gatekeeper, and Kidnap & Ransom.

Here she shares some ideas for casting an adaptation of Don't Turn Around, her first novel for young adults:

I actually had photos of each of my main characters posted alongside their descriptions in Scrivener, which helped dramatically with framing the plot. But some of those were of actors who would be too old to play the part now, and others are better known for modeling than acting.

So when it comes to actual casting, I have other people in mind... I really love Dylan Minnette, the actor who played the son in the (sadly) short-lived series Awake. He didn’t have much of a chance to display humor in that role, but he’s such a talented actor that I believe he’d be a perfect Peter.

Then there’s Amanda Berns, Peter’s erstwhile girlfriend who never met a cause she didn’t love: Amanda Seyfried would be fantastic. I’ve loved her work ever since I first saw her in Big Love, and she definitely has the chops to make self-righteous Amanda likeable.

Noa is a tricky one. Christian Serratos has the right look, but I’m not sure if she has the edge. I’d really love a slightly younger Rooney Mara.

For Cody, who so far has been the fan favorite, I’d love to see Michael B. Jordan in the role. He pretty much broke my heart as Wallace in The Wire, and I think he’d be perfect in this role.

Learn more about the book and author at Michelle Gagnon's website.

The Page 69 Test: Don't Turn Around.

--Marshal Zeringue

Joanne Dobson & Beverle Graves Myers's "Face of the Enemy"

Joanne Dobson is a former English professor, having taught for many years at Fordham University, also at Amherst College and at Tufts University. Beverle Graves Myers made a mid-life career switch from psychiatry to full-time writing. A graduate of the University of Louisville with a BA in History and an MD, she worked at a public mental health clinic before her first Tito Amato novel was published in 2004.

Here they dreamcast an adaptation of Face of the Enemy, their first novel in the New York in Wartime mystery series:

Face of the Enemy opens just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor that changed America forever. In New York City, neighborhood boys lined up for blocks at recruitment centers, Times Square and the famous skyline were dimmed out, U-boats skulked just off Long Island, cabbages grew in Victory gardens outside Rockefeller Center. As World War II dragged on, black-and-white images from the movies kept New Yorkers spirits up. Since our characters walk Manhattan’s mean 1940’s streets, it only seems right to cast our film with stars from the period.

For those who don’t relish old movies the way we do, we surveyed the actors working today and added a Modern Clone (MC).

Louise Hunter: a nurse who vows to help her patient’s Japanese wife fight charges of espionage and murder. Louise has sworn off men for the war’s duration, but that doesn’t keep them from trying. She’s tall and slender with an elegant pompadour of honey-colored hair. Only one actress fits the bill: Lauren Bacall. MC: Charlize Theron.

Cabby Ward: Louise’s roommate, an ambitious, Bronx-born reporter who defines the word moxie. Cabby can be annoying, but she always comes through for her friends. Physically, she’s shorter than Louise, gamine—a word she hates—with a cap of untamable dark curls. Our choice: Judy Garland. MC: Mila Kunis.

Lt. Michael McKenna: a middle-aged homicide detective. Until the world went mad, he was looking forward to retirement and spending his days fishing on Shinnecock Bay. He’s not happy to see the younger guys joining up. He’s furious that he has to fight the Feds who are muscling into his cases. But “Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.” This one’s easy. Bev had this actor in mind when she wrote his first scene: Spencer Tracy. MC, going out on a limb here: Edward Norton.

Masako Fumi Oakley: a brilliant Japanese artist raised in Paris and married to a Columbia University professor. Unfortunately, the cultural atmosphere of the early 1940s prevented many Asian actresses from working in Hollywood. The stereotypes of “the dragon lady” and “the china doll” were still in force, usually played by a Caucasian actress wearing Oriental make-up. Fast forwarding to today’s crop of talented Asians actresses, we like: Jamie Chung.

Robert Oakley: Masako’s husband, a middle-aged professor of Asian History who spends most of the book seriously ill with pneumonia. The grumbling professor is not an easy patient for Louise and tries to direct Masako’s defense from his bed. Only one choice for him, too: Monty Woolley. MC: Christopher Walken.

Arthur Shelton: a 57th Street art dealer and the murder victim. He’s discovered in his gallery with his head bashed in, posed beneath Masako’s signature canvas, “Lion After the Kill.” Arthur is very much a part of New York’s artsy, underground gay scene—underground because 1940s New York amounted to one big closet. We had to think about this one. Leslie Howard looks the part, but by 1941 was too old to play the young tyro Arthur. Our final choice, if he could tone down the boy next door vibe: Van Johnson. MC: Tom Felton.

Learn more about Face of the Enemy at Joanne Dobson and Beverle Graves Myers's websites.

The Page 69 Test: Face of the Enemy.

--Marshal Zeringue