RORY CALHOUN – The Man from Padera. Major Books, paperback, 1978. Novelization of the film The Domino Kid (1957)

   Years ago, Bill Crider gave me The Man from Padera by Rory Calhoun, and it’s interesting to compare Calhoun’s writing to Errol Flynn’s [follow the link]: just as virile, a bit more violent, but not nearly so graceful.

   This is adapted from a story Calhoun wrote for a movie he starred in back in ’57. And why he waited twenty-one years to novelize it is anyone’s guess. It’s a pretty standard thing, probably a bit old-fashioned by ’78 but still fun and quite violent, with a vengeful rancher out to get the owlhoots what killed his family.

   No surprises, but I never felt like putting it down, either.