Compulsion (Levin novel)
 | |
| Author | Meyer Levin |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Crime |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
Publication date | 1956 |
| Media type | |
Compulsion is a 1956 crime novel by the American writer Meyer Levin. Set in the 1920s, it is inspired by the real-life Leopold and Loeb trial, and was a bestseller.[1] Two college students kidnap and kill a boy in order to prove they can get away with the perfect crime.
The following year it was adapted by Levin into a stage play of the same title, which premiered at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway and ran for 140 performances between October 24, 1957 and February 24, 1958. The lead roles were played by Dean Stockwell and Roddy McDowall.[2]
Film adaptation[]
In 1959 the novel was made into a film Compulsion by Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox. Directed by Richard Fleischer it starred Orson Welles, Diane Varsi and Bradford Dillman with Stockwell reviving his role from the stage play.[3]
References[]
Bibliography[]
- Niemi, Robert. History in the Media: Film and Television. ABC-CLIO, 2006.
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- 1956 American novels
- American crime novels
- American novels adapted into films
- Novels set in the 1920s
- 1950s crime novel stubs