1/4/1991 The Grifters is released

January 4, 1991.  It was typical of Jim Thompson's luck that his work became hugely popular years after he died.  No better example is this great movie made from his novel The Grifters, a grim tale of a family of con artists.

In his posthumous book The Getaway Car Donald E. Westlake talks about his reluctance to turn the book into a movie.  Director Stephen Frears won him over by explaining that it is the mother's story and he should write it that way. 

Frears also wanted the writer on the set, which is almost unheard of and allowed Westlake to fix a line as soon as he heard an actor having trouble with it. 

The result worked, catching four Academy Award nominations, including ones for Frear, Westlake, Anjelica Huston (who played Lilly, the mother), and Annette Bening.