This month marks the 36th anniversary of the 1985 comedy Fletch, which stars Chevy Chase as journalist Irwin Maurice Fletcher, who used assumed names like Ted Nugent, Harry S. Truman and Don Corleone to get to a story. Some of you may know the film was actually based on a 1974 novel by journalist-turned-author Gregory Mcdonald, who ultimately wrote more than 10 books featuring the character. Unfortunately, it’s been a pain in the ass getting the other novels made into movies. Clerks director Kevin Smith spent most of the Aughts trying to get Fletch Won, the 1985 prequel in which Fletcher investigates the death of a lawyer in his newspaper’s parking lot, on the big screen. Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski and Dave Chappelle have been some of the leading men considered to play the titular character. And just last year, it was announced that Jon Hamm would be the lead in an adaptation of Confess, Fletch, the 1976 sequel that introduces Inspector Frances Xavier Flynn, another popular Mcdonald character. At this point, you’re better off reading the books — who knows when the hell they’ll ever become movies. You can order them through local bookshops like Parnassus and The Bookshop, or check them out via the Nashville Public Library. CRAIG D. LINDSEY
Go Read Some Fletch Books
