Denzel Washington as Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Huh. That Denzel Washington movie looks good.

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) Carl Franklin joined forces with Denzel Washington to respectfully adapt Walter Mosley’s noir class to film. This is the origin myth for Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, a WWII vet who is thrown out of work for purely racist reasons, and has to find a way to make money to pay the mortgage on his American dream of house and car. He stumbles into detective work, and through his…

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I wanted to kiss her. She wanted to kiss me. But there had been too much kissing lately and none of it had come to any good.

Walter Mosley, A Little Yellow Dog

HBO estrena Perry Mason el 21 de junio de 2020. Es el ejemplo más reciente en una larga lista de sagaces investigadores privados que resuelven crímenes en películas y series.

@therealej86 giving me those Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins vibes. We have to do more of this, soon. • • • #jefw1f #EthanTate #portrait #easyrawlins #portraitphotography #portrait_vision #portrait_perfection #portrait_shots #portrait_mood #pursuitofportraits #portrait_captures #myfujifilmlegacy #fujifilmx_us #fujifilm_northamerica #fujifilm_portraits #fujifeed #fujilove #bw_lover #bw_society #bw_addiction #bw_perfect #bw_shotz #bw_captures #blackandwhitephotography #bnw_captures #bnw_fanatics #bnw_zone #bnw_demand #studiolife #artlife (at Cleveland, Ohio) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbr9-M8gNsO/?utm_medium=tumblr

anonymous asked:  im v curious, how did Em get the nickname 'Easy'/how did you come up with it?

first of all, I’ve probably never been so pleased to receive an ask as I was to get this, so... thank you... [cracks knuckles] let’s get down to business then.

we’ll start with the end of your question and work backwards— how did I come up with it? to be frank, I have these... trace memories from when I was very young of a military character who used the same nickname. my memory wants to say they might have been a pilot, but I can’t pin down any piece of media which fits that description.  I did eventually remember that I’d read some old hard-boiled detective novels set from the 1940s through the early 60s which followed a detective named ‘Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins.’ I’ve loved mystery fiction my whole life, and I’d often pilfer books from my grandfather’s/great-grandmother’s collection to read while sitting on the beach. If I had to bet, (even long after I’d forgotten about the book itself), that nickname stuck with me from there—

there’s just something I like so much about it. Easy. it feels old-fashioned, it feels like “Goose” or “Buck” or “Shorty,” the kind of moniker you get assigned by fellows-in-arms or a rambunctious bunch of teens in a vintage movie. and somewhere along the way, that idea morphed in my mind to a gang of ‘stand by me’ style kids in the countryside, running through the thickets and along the creek, causing (wholesome) trouble and romping around as one does in the too-tall grass and wildflowers. kids who would whittle their own wooden swords and catch fireflies in jars.

“Easy” came first, and I figured it should be a nickname which both represented that character as a person— their attitude, their mien, their habits— and have a logical reason it came up in the first place.

so, in Em’s case: it’s derived from her initials. her parents, after having four boys in a row, were prepared for a fifth, and had already planned to name their youngest “Zachariah,” after Clyde’s grandfather— they were genuinely surprised when they turned out to have a baby girl. not that they’re terribly tied to convention, but her parents decided that a daughter outright named “Zach” would be too much; so it got bumped to the middle name slot, and “Emily” was chosen because... well, they liked the name.

she’s the one who started going by her initials— writing out the full name got to be tedious, but she’s always been terribly fond of her middle name (and the legacy which came with it). school assignments donned “E.Z. Cromwell” long before it became regular on tongues, but her parents thought it was cute. “E.Z.” her mum read, giving each letter it’s proper stress, before humming a chuckle and letting the word form with leisure. “Easy?”  

honestly, it just... took off from there. because it suited her. Easy, like laying in a meadow on a warm afternoon. like cutting through a freshly frosted cake, or wrapping oneself up in a fluffy blanket. relaxed, pleasant, natural, soft. as fierce as her dedication may be and how hard she would work, there has always been something about the youngest Cromwell that was warm; something comforting, simple, and effortless. 

Easy. 

she understands when some people don’t take to the nickname, and doesn’t mind at all being called “Em” or “Emily” or anything of the sort... but she’s very fond of it, nonetheless, and happily introduces herself by it more often than not. it’s nostalgic in a way, but it also makes her feel just that slight-bit endeared, straight off the bat. 

and a very short answer: it’s cute and i like it

Black History Month Books: Devil in a Blue Dress

Black History Month Books: Devil in a Blue Dress

In 2004 Walter Mosley changed my life, for the second time. My Missus introduced me to his work in 2001. Sure, I’d heard of the movie, Devil in a Blue Dress. But I had not seen it or read the book it was based on.  Published in 1990, Devil in a Blue Dress is the story of Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, a transplant from Houston’s Fifth Ward, living in 1947 Los Angeles. Easy is a black man making a place…

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‘Devil in a Blue Dress’ is a Heaven Send

**** This my s#!+! 

FILM TITLE: Devil in a Blue Dress

Date released: September 29, 1995

Written/Directed: Carl Franklin

Based on the 1990 novel ‘Devil in a Blue Dress’ by Walter Mosley 

In 1948 Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, Denzel Washington stars as Ezekiel ‘Easy’ Rawlins. A Houston native, who gets laid off from his job at Champion Aircraft, he needs money to pay his mortgage. Easy's friend Joppy introduces him to a white man named DeWitt Albright. Albright is looking for a missing white woman, Daphne Monet who is known to frequent juke joins along Central Avenue. Monet’s wealthy fiance, Todd Carter, is running for mayor of Los Angeles at the time but drops out when she goes missing. 

Easy begins his search at a speakeasy. While there, he learns that his friends’ girlfriend, Coretta knows Daphne. Easy spends the night with Coretta and gets more information about Daphne. Returning home, Easy is arrested by LAPD homicide detectives, who reveal that Coretta has been murdered.  Eventually, he receives a call from Daphne herself. They meet at the Ambassador Hotel,  and she asks him to drive her to meet Richard McGee, a white man from the club. They arrive to find McGee’s house looted and McGee dead. A pack of Mexican cigarettes catches Easy’s eye as they are the same brand smoked by Junior, a field hand Easy knows from Texas. In a panic, Daphne flees the scene, abandoning Easy in the process.

Easy manages to make it home, but not after another encounter with Albright and his partner. This time they are demanding he finds Daphne or he’ll face murder charges. Enter Easy’s old Houston buddy, Raymond 'Mouse' Alexander, an enforcer and all-around ‘OG’ as we would call him. Mouse and  Easy confront Joppy about Daphne and then meet with Todd Carter. Easy then realizes Albright works for Terell and secures more money to find Daphne. He is attacked by Frank Green but rescued by Mouse. Frank escapes after Mouse shoots him in the shoulder, and Easy misses a call from Daphne in the process. Easy and Mouse end up confronting Junior – the owner of the cigarettes. He admits to driving McGee home and being given a letter for Coretta to deliver to Daphne. They visit Dupree and inside Coretta's Bible, Easy finds the contents of the letter: child pornography including Terell. Easy finds Daphne waiting at his home, at which time she reveals that Frank is her half-brother. Their mother was Creole, and Daphne's father was white, while Frank's was black. Terell learned of Daphne's lineage, and the potential for scandal forced Todd Carter, her fiance, to abandon his campaign. Daphne, however, had bought the pictures from McGee to blackmail Terell into silence. When Coretta threatened to sell the pictures to Terell, Daphne sent Joppy to intimidate her but did he ended up killing Coretta.

Albright and his men catch up with Easy and end up kidnapping Daphne. Easy enlists Mouse in abducting Joppy at gunpoint. They force him to take them to Albright's cabin in the Hollywood Hills. Easy and Mouse kill Albright and his men. Mouse kills Joppy while Easy is rescuing Daphne, devastating Easy a bit. Daphne pays Easy and Mouse $7,000 for the pictures, and Mouse returns home to Houston with his share. Daphne reveals that Carter's family paid her $30,000 to leave town, but plans to use the photos to regain her fiance’s Mayoral hopes and ultimately secure her marriage. When Daphne finally meets Carter, he rejects her proposition.  Easy receives the rest of his payment in exchange for the pictures from Carter, whose election is assured as a result. Daphne and her brother leave town, while Easy considers starting his own business as a private investigator.

What it is: A wonderful tapestry of fiction that has been translated beautifully to film in the form of a noir classic. I truly enjoyed the cinematic beauty and subtle nuances of each scene. The chemistry of Washington and his castmates are delightful and sensuous. The soundtrack pulls you in much like the story. 

What it isn’t: A replica of the book. If you want to get the essence of Easy Rawlins in his most natural state, Mosley’s books are must-reads. Yes, I said books. Easy Rawlins appears in a 14 novel series written by Walter Mosley so there is plenty of material to fall in love with repeatedly. 

This is normal? Themes/Ideas/Social Commentary: The biggest themes pinpointed throughout are the ideas of classism and race.  Easy Rawlins living in 1940s Watts filled with Black homeowners that had arrived via the Great Migration. Daphne Monet’s passing and the consequences thereof make for a deeply complex story open for interpretation by all depending on your current class status and never changing racial identity. I strongly suggest taking a deep dive into the issues of racism and classism in their former and current states as they are integral parts of navigating this land called America as a Black person. Even if we were to solve all the problems this Nation has rooted in race, we would still have to contend with the issues rooted in classist ideology. 

“ The 1940s and 50s was the first growth spurt in homeownership for Black people. In 1940, the Black homeownership rate (22.8%) was nearly half of the White homeownership rate (45.6%). “Despite these discriminatory housing policies, Black homeownership from 1940 to 1960 increased from 22.8% to 38%,[7] albeit home and neighborhood values were unequal, contributing to unequal return on investment and wealth creation.” (https://ncrc.org/60-black-homeownership-a-radical-goal-for-black-wealth-development/)

Passing is the ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group or category, often different from their own, which may include racial identity, ethnicity, caste, social class, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age and/or disability status. In Daphne’s case, passing was used as a form of self-preservation as revealing her true or prior identity could and was ultimately dangerous. (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/mixed/onedrop.html)

Initial Reaction by public/media to film: Roger Ebert look and tone of the film: "I liked the movie without quite being caught up in it: I liked the period, tone and look more than the story, which I never really cared much about. The explanation, when it comes, tidies all the loose ends, but you're aware it's arbitrary – an elegant solution to a chess problem, rather than a necessary outcome of guilt and passion." https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/devil-in-a-blue-dress-1995

The film was a box office bomb, grossing only $16 million from a $27 million budget. 

My take: **** This my s#!+! 

A nod to film noirs of old, you can easily see the similarities to The Maltese Falcon or Saboteur. The Netflix Original ‘Passing’ based on Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name, is a great current example. The ease of the dialogue and the sensuous nature of the shots mixed with a honey-dripping soundtrack makes for a delicious bite of cinema sweetness.

"The Devil Has a New Blue Dress to Wear—Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins Books Are Being Adapted for TV"

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Devil in a blue dress (1995)

Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, a decorated war hero who returns home to the segregation of post-war America. Forced to accept an under-the-table job finding a missing socialite, Easy is caught between the white power elite and the vibrant black community of Central Avenue. And as soon as Easy and his trigger-happy friend Mouse find the mysterious Daphne Monet, trouble follows.

T-Bone Walker’s “Westside Baby” plays on the jukebox as Easy takes a final drag off his cigarette and stubs it out. THE FRONT PAGE of the LOS ANGELES TIMES lies face up on the table beneath the ashtray displaying A PHOTOGRAPH of a middle-aged white man and his pretty young woman companion smiling and waving.

Devil in a blue dress, by Carl Franklin adapted from the novel by Walter Mosley  (1990)

BOOK 172: DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS: WALTER MOSLEY

 This is a 1990 hardboiled mystery novel by Walter Mosley, his first published book. The text centers on the main character, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, and his transformation from a day laborer into a detective.

 Set in 1948, in the Watts area of Los Angeles, the story begins with Easy out-of-work and unable to pay his mortgage. He is sitting in a bar run by Joppy, a friend from Texas, when a man named DeWitt Albright walks into the bar and offers him a job finding a young woman named Daphne Monet. Monet, a young white woman, is rumored to be hanging out in bars frequented mostly by African Americans, although white women are allowed inside.

 The book was adapted into a 1995 film of the same name, which starred Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins, and also featured Jennifer Beals, Tom Sizemore, Maury Chaykin, and Don Cheadle as the unhinged "Mouse."

I considered asking her to come back but that milestone was behind us, in the distance

Walter Mosley, Charcoal Joe