Dibs on Catcher in the Rye Film
T
hey say those who like The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger do not like The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. And then they say those who like The Great Gatsby do not like The Catcher in the Rye. I don’t know who actually says that. I say it. But for almost everyone I know, it’s true: you either like one or the other.
I’m a Catcher fan. What lacks in conflict makes up for an excellent character study. There’s a little Holden Caulfield in every teenager. And ever since I first read the book in my junior year of English, I knew it could translate into a great film. Every classic piece of literature has been turned into a film (many of which have then been turned into novelizations of said films, but that’s a story for another day). So what’s been stopping this one from hitting the silver screen since it was published about 60 years ago?
The answer is simple: the author said NO. Trustworthy source Wikipedia says:
Early in his career, J. D. Salinger expressed a willingness to have his work adapted for the screen. However, in 1949, a critically panned film version of his short story “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was released; renamed My Foolish Heart and taking great liberties with Salinger’s plot, the film is widely considered to be among the reasons that Salinger refused to allow any subsequent movie adaptations of his work. The enduring popularity of The Catcher in the Rye, however, has resulted in repeated attempts to secure the novel’s screen rights.
Everyone from Sam Goldwyn to Jack Nicholson to Steven Spielberg has tried to get the rights to the story. But all bids were denied. However about one month ago, the world was unfortunate to hear about the passing away of J.D. Salinger. It is unfortunate that the great writer became so secluded in his later years because who knows what other words of wisdom (or creepiness) he had to share with the world.
Now the reason I bring this up is because I did some snooping in the copyright office to figure out when Catcher would enter the public domain. It appears Mr. Salinger first published the book in the 1951, so it seems the book’s copyright would expire 95 years after its original publication. Do the math. It’s 2046, pronounced “twenty-forty-six” not “two-thousand-and-forty-six” (although this webpage claims it’s 2044, though I’m not sure how).
Why is this so significant? Unless the Salinger estate leases movie rights beforehand, filmmakers will have to wait until 2046 to make a Catcher in the Rye adaptation. And I call dibs on it. That’s right, Spielberg. Catcher is mine. Hopefully by then I’ll be an established filmmaker with a library of classics such as Super Ninja Cop Extravaganza and N-word Jim Goes to Auschwitz.
Dibs. Fivesies. Shotty. Whatever you call it, it’s mine.
And in case I haven’t made myself clear, I have my claim in writing.
As you can see, I wrote this on a piece of scrap paper with my Razzle Dazzle Rose crayon from a 96-pack of Crayolas. It was the first writing utensil I could find.
Hmm… I wonder what 2040s teen sensation I could cast as Holden Caulfield…
