Dr Hunter S. Thompson’s horrible letter opener: A study in object identity, adaptation and prop selection

Abstract

Objects can have rich, complex stories of themselves as items or play a crucial role in telling the tale of another. This article traces the hunting knife from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as it is contacted by sources of influence and experiences transitions and re-definitions starting with the original tapes recorded by Thompson during the trip, through his original article and book and continuing to include spec scripts, the final movie script and performances on both stage and screen. The hunting knife plays a significant role in certain scenes across all these mediums, one that is a mix of form vs. function and is so complicated that no visual depiction yet has used the actual knife noted in the text because its appearance does not match the emotional dread conjured by the text. This article engages questions of accuracy and narrative truth as it explores the depiction of the weapon and the complicated interface of object identity and adaptation in the material culture of literature and visual performance.