Edward Bunker
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Edward Heward Bunker (December 31, 1933 – July 19, 2005) was an American author of
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...
, screenwriter, actor, and a convicted felon. He wrote numerous books, some of which have been adapted into films. He wrote the scripts for—and acted in—'' Straight Time'' (1978) (adapted from his debut novel ''No Beast So Fierce''), ''
Runaway Train A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds d ...
'' (1985), and '' Animal Factory'' (2000) (adapted from his sophomore novel of the same name). He also played a minor role in ''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
'' (1992). Bunker began running away from home when he was five years old, and developed a pattern of criminal behavior, earning his first conviction when he was fourteen, leading to a cycle of incarceration, parole, re-offending, and further jail time. He was convicted of
bank robbery Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank Branch (banking), branch or Bank teller, tel ...
,
drug dealing The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types ...
,
extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...
,
armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...
, and forgery. Bunker was released from prison for the last time in 1975, after which he focused on his career as a writer and actor. The character Nate, a career criminal who fences stolen goods in the 1995 heist movie ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
'', played by
Jon Voight Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations ...
, was based on Bunker, who was consultant to director
Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...
.


Early life


1930s–1940s

Bunker was born on December 31, 1933 into a troubled family in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. His mother, Sarah (née Johnston), was a chorus girl from
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, and his father, Edward N. Bunker, a stage hand. His first clear memories were of his alcoholic parents screaming at each other, and police arriving to "keep the peace", a cycle that led to divorce. Consistently rebellious and defiant, young Bunker was subjected to a harsh regime of discipline. He attended a military school for a few months, where he began stealing, and eventually ran away again, ending up in a
hobo A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps, and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; a bum neither travels nor works. Et ...
camp. While Bunker eventually was apprehended by the authorities, this established a pattern he followed throughout his formative years. By age 11, Bunker was picked up by the police and placed in juvenile hall after he assaulted his father. Some sources cite that this incident, along with extreme experiences such as the severe beating he experienced in a state hospital called Pacific Colony (later called Lanterman Developmental Center), created in Bunker a life-long distrust for authority and institutions. Bunker spent time in the juvenile detention facility Preston Castle in
Ione, California Ione ( ) is a city in Amador County, California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population is 5,141, which is a 35.1% decrease from the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. Once known as "Bedbug" and "Freeze Out," Ione ...
, where he became acquainted with hardened young criminals. Although young and small, he was intelligent (with an IQ of 152), streetwise, and extremely literate. A long string of escapes, problems with the law, and different institutions—including a mental hospital—followed. At the age of fourteen, following his first criminal conviction, Bunker was paroled to the care of his aunt. However, two years later he was caught on a parole violation, and was this time sent to adult prison. In Los Angeles County Jail, he claimed that he stabbed convicted murderer Billy Cook, although circumstantial evidence from the
National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...
shows that Bunker and Cook did not have overlapping stays there. Some thought he was unhinged, but in Bunker's book ''Mr. Blue: Memoirs of a Renegade'' he stated this behavior was a ruse designed to make people leave him alone.


Criminal life and early writing


1950s–1960s

In 1950, while at the McKinley Home for Boys, Bunker met one of the home's prominent benefactors, Louise Fazenda, a star of the silent screen and wife of the producer Hal B Wallis, who gave him support and encouragement. Through her he met
Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley ( ; 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction novel, non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the ...
,
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
, and newspaper magnate
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...
, whose guest he was at
San Simeon San Simeon ( Spanish: ''San Simeón'', meaning "St. Simon") is an unincorporated community on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Its position along State Route 1 is about halfway between Los Angeles and San ...
. Fazenda sent him a portable typewriter, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a subscription to the Sunday edition of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', whose Book Review he devoured. He also subscribed to '' Writer’s Digest'' and enrolled in a correspondence course in freshman English from the
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
, selling blood to pay for the postage. However, the following year the 17-year-old Bunker had the dubious honor of being the youngest-ever inmate in
San Quentin State Prison San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated area, unincorporated place ...
. During his time spent in solitary confinement, Bunker was near the cell of death row inmate Caryl Chessman, who was writing his memoir '' Cell 2455, Death Row''. Chessman had sent Bunker an issue of '' Argosy'' magazine, in which the first chapter of his book was published; in 1955 the memoir was made into a movie by Fred F. Sears. Bunker—who had dropped out of school in seventh grade—said that Chessman, along with other prison writers including
Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influenti ...
and
Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his no ...
, inspired him to become a writer himself. Bunker was paroled in 1956. Now 22, he was unable to adjust to living in normal society. As an ex-convict, he felt ostracized by "normal" people, although he managed to stay out of trouble for several years. Although Fazenda attempted to help him, after she was diagnosed with a nervous breakdown her husband pronounced many of her former friends—including Bunker—''personae non-gratae'' in the Wallis household. Bunker held down various jobs for a while, including that of a used car salesman, but eventually returned to crime. He orchestrated robberies (without personally taking part in them), forged checks, and engaged in other criminal activities. Bunker ended up back in jail for 90 days on a misdemeanor charge. He was sent to a low-security state work farm but escaped almost immediately. After more than a year, he was arrested after a failed bank robbery and high-speed car chase. Pretending to be insane (faking a suicide attempt and claiming that the Catholic Church had inserted a radio into his head), he was declared criminally insane.


1970s

Although Bunker eventually was released, he continued a life of crime. In the early 1970s, Bunker ran a profitable drug racket in San Francisco; he was arrested again when the police, who had put a tracking device on his car, followed him to a bank heist. (The police expected Bunker to lead them to a drug deal and were rather shocked by their stroke of luck.) Bunker expected a 20-year sentence, but thanks to the solicitations of influential friends and a lenient judge, got only five. In the early 1970s he was a criminal associate of Sandra Good and Lynette Fromme.


Career


''No Beast So Fierce'' and early success

In prison, Bunker continued to write. While still incarcerated, he finally had his first novel ''No Beast So Fierce'' published in 1973, to which
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
purchased the film rights. Novelist
James Ellroy Lee Earle "James" Ellroy (born March 4, 1948) is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a telegrammatic prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, ...
said it was "quite simply one of the great crime novels of the past 30 years: perhaps the best novel of the LA underworld ever written". Bunker was paroled in 1975, having spent 18 years of his life in various institutions. While he was still tempted by crime, he now found himself earning a living from writing and acting. He felt that his criminal career had been forced by circumstances; now that those circumstances had changed, he could stop being a criminal.


''Animal Factory'' and film work

He published his second novel, ''Animal Factory'' to favorable reviews in 1977. The following year saw the release of '' Straight Time'', a film-adaptation of ''No Beast So Fierce''. While it was not a commercial success, it earned positive reviews and Bunker got his first screenwriting and acting credits. Like most of the roles Bunker played, it was a small part, and he went on to appear in numerous movies, such as '' The Running Man'', '' Tango & Cash'' and ''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
'', as well as the film version of '' Animal Factory'', in 2000, for which he also wrote the screenplay. In 1985, he had written the screenplay for ''
Runaway Train A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds d ...
'', in which he had a small part, as did
Danny Trejo Danny Trejo (, ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. Known for his Danny Trejo filmography, large body of work as a character actor, films in which he has appeared in have grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide. A native of Los Angeles, Tr ...
thanks to Bunker's help; the two had known each other when they were incarcerated together years before. The film helped launch Trejo's career. An obituary in the ''Los Angeles Times'' described Bunker's appearance onscreen: In ''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
,'' he played Mr. Blue, one of two criminals killed during a heist. The film's director,
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
, had studied ''Straight Time'' while attending
Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...
's
Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by actor Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and compo ...
. Bunker was the inspiration for Nate,
Jon Voight Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and four Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations ...
's character in
Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...
's 1995 crime film ''Heat''; Bunker also worked as an adviser on the film. In '' The Long Riders'', he had a brief role as Bill Chadwell, one of two members of the James-Younger Gang killed during a bank robbery in Northfield, Minnesota. Prior to his death, Bunker assisted in production of short films alongside Canadian director Sudz Sutherland such as "The Confessions of a Taxicab Man", "The Spooky House on Lundy's Lane", and "Angie's Bang". He also wrote and directed a Molson Canadian Cold Shot commercial.


Writing style

Bunker's hard-boiled and unapologetic crime novels are informed by his personal experiences in a society of criminals in general and by his time in the penal system in particular. '' Little Boy Blue'', in particular, draws heavily on Bunker's own life as a young man. He recounted in an interview, "It has always been as if I carry chaos with me the way others carry typhoid. My purpose in writing is to transcend my existence by illuminating it." A common theme in his fiction is that of men being sucked into a circle of crime at a very young age and growing up in a vicious world where authorities are at worst cruel and at best incompetent and ineffectual, and those stuck in the system can be either abusers or helpless victims, regardless of whether they are in jail or outside. Recounting Bunker's piece "The Inhuman Zoo" for '' West Magazine'', Dennis McLellan wrote: Bunker said that much of his writing was based on actual events and people he has known. In Bunker's work, there is often an element of envy and disdain towards the normal people who live outside of this circle and hypocritically ensure that those caught in it have no way out. Most of Bunker's characters have no qualms about stealing or brutalizing others and, as a rule, they prefer a life of crime over an honest job, in great part because the only honest career options are badly paying and low-class jobs in retail or manual labor. Bunker's autobiography, ''Mr. Blue: Memoirs of a Renegade'', was published in 1999.


Personal life and death

In 1977, Bunker married a young real estate agent, Jennifer Steele. In 1993, a son, Brendan, was born. The marriage ended in divorce. Bunker was close friends with
Mexican Mafia The Mexican Mafia (Spanish: ''Mafia Mexicana''), also known as ''La eMe'' (Spanish for "the M"), is a predominantly Mexican American prison gang and criminal organization in the United States. Despite its name, the Mexican Mafia has no origins i ...
leader
Joe "Pegleg" Morgan Joseph Morgan (born Joseph Međugorac; April 10, 1929 – November 8, 1993) was an American gangster who became the first non-Mexican American member of the Mexican Mafia. He received the nickname "Pegleg" by authorities because of his prosthet ...
, and
San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is ...
professor John Irwin, as well as actor
Danny Trejo Danny Trejo (, ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. Known for his Danny Trejo filmography, large body of work as a character actor, films in which he has appeared in have grossed over $3.7 billion worldwide. A native of Los Angeles, Tr ...
, who is the godfather of his son. He first met all three men while serving time in
Folsom State Prison Folsom California State Prison is a California State Prison in Folsom, California, United States, approximately northeast of the state capital of Sacramento. It is one of 34 adult institutions operated by the California Department of Correcti ...
. A diabetic, Bunker died on July 19, 2005, at
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center is a Catholic hospital in Burbank, California. The hospital has 446 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services. Its address is 501 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California 91505. On the opposit ...
in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
, following surgery to improve the circulation in his legs. He was 71. The news of Bunker's death was broken by his lifelong friend, screenwriter Robert Dellinger. The two had met in 1973 at the federal prison on Terminal Island, where Dellinger taught a creative writing class.


Filmography

* 1978 '' Straight Time'' as Mickey (also co-screenwriter, based on his novel ''No Beast So Fierce'') * 1980 '' The Long Riders'' as Bill Chadwell * 1985 ''
Runaway Train A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds d ...
'' as Jonah (also co-screenwriter) * 1986 ''Slow Burn'' as George * 1987 '' Shy People'' as Chuck * 1987 '' The Running Man'' as Lenny * 1988 '' Miracle Mile'' as The Nightwatchman * 1988 ''
Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...
'' as Lenny * 1989 '' Relentless'' as Cardoza * 1989 '' Best of the Best'' as Stan * 1989 '' Tango & Cash'' as Captain Holmes * 1992 ''
Reservoir Dogs ''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length directorial debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarant ...
'' as "Mr. Blue" * 1993 '' Best of the Best 2'' as Spotlight Operator * 1993 ''Distant Cousins'' as Mr. Benson * 1993 '' Love, Cheat & Steal'' as Old Con * 1994 '' Somebody to Love'' as Jimmy * 1996 ''Caméléone'' as Sid Dembo * 1998 '' Shadrach'' as Joe Thorton * 2000 '' Animal Factory'' as Buzzard (also co-screenwriter, based on his novel) * 2001 '' Family Secrets'' as Douglas Marley * 2002 ''
13 Moons ''13 Moons'' is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by Alexandre Rockwell. The title is a reference to the saying of a minor character's mother, who suggested that if nights of the full moon are strange, then "this must be the night of thirteen m ...
'' as Hoodlum #1 * 2005 '' The Longest Yard'' as "Skitchy" Rivers * 2005 '' Nice Guys'' (AKA: ''High Hopes'') as Joe "Big Joe" * 2010 ''Venus & Vegas'' Micky, The Calc (filmed in 2004; released posthumously) (final film role)


Books

* ''No Beast So Fierce'' (1973) * ''The Animal Factory'' (1977) * '' Little Boy Blue'' (1981) * ''Dog Eat Dog'' (1995) * ''Mr. Blue: Memoirs of a Renegade'' (1999)—issued in the U.S. as ''Education of a Felon'' (2000) * ''Stark'' (2006) * ''Death Row Breakout and Other Stories'' (2010)—published posthumously


References


Further reading

* Edward Bunker (2000). ''Education of a Felon: A Memoir''. New York: St Martin's Press. .


External links

*
Author page, UK publisher (No Exit Press)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunker, Edward 1933 births 2005 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American bank robbers American convicts who became writers American crime fiction writers American drug traffickers American escapees American extortionists American male film actors American male novelists American male screenwriters American people convicted of robbery American people convicted of theft Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Criminals from California Forgers Male actors from Los Angeles Novelists from California People from Hollywood, Los Angeles Inmates of San Quentin State Prison Screenwriters from California Writers from Los Angeles