“HARD TWISTED” A Killing Spree with Ties to Utah’s Valley of the Gods

Set In Dust Bowl Oklahoma is the story filled with mysterious disappearances, and a killing spree set in the western frontier during the Great Depression. “Hard Twisted,” a screenplay penned by Chuck Greaves, takes us on a journey unveiling the harrowing story of a homeless man, Dillard Garrett his 13-year-old daughter, Lucile and the “Skeleton Murder” trial of 1935.

The screenplay begins when a charismatic drifter, James Clinton Palmer, freshly released from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, befriends the struggling father-daughter duo. The trio embarks on a fateful journey to Texas, where Dillard mysteriously vanishes, and Lucile finds herself ensnared in a year-long ordeal of captivity and crime.

Chuck Greaves shares that the inspiration for “Hard Twisted” dates back to a chilling encounter in Utah.

“In November of 1993, my wife and I travelled from L.A., where I was practicing law, to meet friends at a remote bed & breakfast inn in southeastern Utah’s Valley of the Gods” said Greaves. “While hiking in nearby John’s Canyon, we stumbled, quite literally, upon two human skulls.  That event would lead, almost twenty years later, to the 2012 publication of my second novel HARD TWISTED (Bloomsbury), which the Los Angeles Times called “A gritty, gripping read, and one that begs to be put on film.”  It fictionalizes the true-crime saga of James Clinton Palmer, a psychopath and career criminal, and Lucile “Lottie” Garrett, the thirteen-year-old girl he kidnaps from Texas after murdering her father.”

As Greaves refined the screenplay, the two main characters, Palmer and Lucile, underwent profound transformations. Palmer, initially portrayed as a charming drifter, unravels into a murderous sociopath, while Lucile evolves from a credulous victim to a Stockholm Syndrome accomplice and, ultimately, a star witness in Palmer’s notorious 1935 “skeleton murder” trial in Greenville, Texas.

“Hers is, I believe, one of the great, untold stories of the American West – a tale of survival, perseverance, and ultimate redemption.”

The most significant challenge for Greaves was condensing the rich narrative of his 300-page novel into a concise two-hour screenplay. However, the seasoned writer found the process of screenwriting refreshingly easy.

“I feel that screenwriting plays to my core strengths as a writer, which are plotting and character development through dialogue.”

For Greaves, the joy of screenwriting lies in its visual nature. He approaches each scene with a vivid visualization, relishing the challenge of bringing them to life within the structural constraints of the screenplay format.

“Hard Twisted” has earned its place as an official selection at the Utah International Film Festival. Greaves, open to diverse genres and formats, invites filmmakers interested in optioning the screenplay or collaborating on new projects to reach out directly through his email, chuck@chuckgreaves.com, or visit his website www.chuckgreaves.com.