Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest, Kurosawa's film, and a 1962 TV show episode share one surprising link

Hindustan Times

a day ago

It might surprise some movie fans, but Spike Lee's latest film, Highest 2 Lowest, Akira Kurosawa's High and Low, and an old 1962 TV episode all come from the same source material. The crime novel King's Ransom by Ed McBain. The novel came out in 1959 and is part of McBain's long-running 87th Precinct series. The stories are set in a made-up city and follow a group of detectives solving tough crimes. Denzel Washington stars in Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest.(YouTube/A24)
Lee's film, which stars Denzel Washington, keeps the main idea from the book, a tense kidnapping and ransom, but updates it for today. The setting, the style, even the social themes feel modern, though the bones of the story are still there.
King's Ransom inspires 3 different adaptations
Kurosawa's classic 1963 High and Low also took inspiration from King's Ransom. He moved the action to Japan and told it in his own way, but the moral struggle at the heart stayed the same.
Before either of those films, the story had already hit TV. In 1962, the NBC series 87th Precinct aired an episode called King's Ransom according to IMDb. It followed the book closely. That show did not last long, just one season, but it was known for showing police work in a more realistic way than most dramas at the time.
The cast included Robert Lansing, Gena Rowlands, and Norman Fell. Despite its short run, the show built a small but loyal fan base.
Also read: Movie Review: Spike Lee's 'Highest 2 Lowest' finds its groove in New York's streets
Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest inspired by cult classic novel
Ed McBain- real name Evan Hunter- became one of the most important crime writers of his time. His books did not just sell well; they kept inspiring directors for decades. You can see it clearly here: one book leading to a Japanese classic, a new Spike Lee movie, and a forgotten TV episode from the early '60s. Three very different takes, all born from the same 1959 crime novel. Shows how a strong story can live on in so many forms.
FAQs
Q1. What is Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest about?
It's a modern take on the kidnapping drama High and Low, set in New York and starring Denzel Washington.
Q2. What novel inspired these films and the TV episode?
The 1959 crime novel King's Ransom by Ed McBain.
Q3. Who else adapted the book before Spike Lee?
Akira Kurosawa adapted it in 1963 as High and Low, and NBC made a TV episode in 1962 for 87th Precinct.
Q4. What is the 87th Precinct series?
It's a police procedural book series by Ed McBain, later turned into a short-lived TV series in the early 1960s.
Q5. Why is King's Ransom important?
It's an example of how one crime novel can cross cultures and decades, inspiring very different screen versions.