Michael Sykes
Staff Writer
This year celebrates two significant anniversaries: the 35th anniversary of Walter Mosley’s acclaimed novel “Devil in a Blue Dress” and the 30th anniversary of its compelling film adaptation starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, and Tom Sizemore, directed by Carl Franklin.
The original 1995 movie poster From Fictiondb.com
Published in 1990, “Devil in a Blue Dress” introduces Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, who the mysterious Mr. Albright hires to find the missing Daphne Monet in late 1940s Los Angeles. The story intricately weaves themes of race, class, and identity, exploring the moral dilemmas of a tense postwar America. In the 1995 film, Washington’s portrayal of Rawlins and Sizemore’s interpretation of Albright breathe life into this unforgettable narrative.
The book and the movie show different tones and character developments. Easy Rawlins, the main character, shares more of his thoughts and feelings in the book. This helps readers understand his motivations, struggles, and moral challenges, especially about race. In the movie, Denzel Washington’s performance as Easy is strong, but some of his more profound thoughts and complexities are shortened or missed. Because of time limits, the film does not explore his inner life as thoroughly.
The Original 1990 hard cover novel. from toshen website
In 1991, Walter Mosley won the Shamus Award for Best First Private Eye Novel. The Private Eye Writers of America gave the Shamus Award, and Mosley’s first book in this genre was well received. The book also won the Gumbo Ya-Ya Book Award in 1991, which honors great fiction by African American authors. Additionally, it was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Fiction in 1990. Although the book received much praise, it did not win major awards like the Pulitzer Prize or the National Book Award. However, it made a significant cultural impact, especially in establishing the character Easy Rawlins, who is an important figure in African American literature and crime fiction.
The movie may not have won any awards, but garnered significant recognition with multiple nominations. At the NAACP Image Awards, Washington was nominated for Outstanding Actor, while Cheadle received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Mouse, Easy’s unpredictable friend.
In a compelling 1995 interview with Bobbie Wygant (A Houston, Texas talk show host), Denzel Washington reflected on his role as Easy, saying, “It was a remarkable chance to be part of something significant. Easy is a relatable character – a man trying to make a living. The film explores the African American experience and the complexities of navigating a white-dominated world. This story resonates on many levels.
This is Mosley’s first book ever written. Mosley created this book to highlight the positive aspects of African American life. In a 1995 interview with Wygant, he said, “I wanted to write about a Black man who is not a criminal or gangster, but an ordinary individual striving to make a living. My goal was to show Black people not as victims or perpetual sufferers, but as resilient individuals navigating life’s challenges and celebrating their victories.”
Author of the book Walter Mosley. From Wikipedia website
Mosley has crafted a gripping series of 16 novels and a short story collection featuring the iconic detective Ezekiel ‘Easy’ Rawlins. The journey starts with Devil in a Blue Dress (1990), a noir classic that launched Easy into the literary spotlight, and continues through Farewell, Amethystine (2024), proving his story is far from over. Along the way, Six Easy Pieces (2003) adds even more depth to the saga, offering a collection of short but powerful mysteries that showcase Mosley’s masterful storytelling.
