{"id":31054,"date":"2013-10-31T22:27:24","date_gmt":"2013-11-01T02:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/?p=31054"},"modified":"2013-10-31T22:27:24","modified_gmt":"2013-11-01T02:27:24","slug":"rollerball-writer-william-harrison-79","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/2013\/10\/31\/rollerball-writer-william-harrison-79\/","title":{"rendered":"ROLLERBALL Writer William Harrison, 79"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rollerball\"<\/a><\/p>\n

William Harrison, the writer who adapted his own short story “Roller Ball Murder” for the 1975 dystopian science-fiction film Rollerball<\/strong> starring James Caan, died on October 22 of renal failure at his home in Fayetteville, Arkansas.<\/p>\n

Harrison’s story first appeared in the September 1973 issue of Esquire<\/em> magazine and told the tale of a future world where corporations controlled society and kept the populace entertained with the bread and circuses of the violent titular sporting event. Caan portrayed a a veteran star in the game whose popularity threatens the corporate power structure. Harrison reportedly was inspired to write his original short story after seeing a fight break out on the court during a college basketball game.<\/p>\n

Harrison wrote numerous short stories and nine novels, one of which, his 1982 novel Burton And Speke<\/em>, he adapted with director Bob Rafelsin into the 1990 film Mountains Of The Moon<\/strong> starring Patrick Bergin and Iain Glen.<\/p>\n