Elkin dabbled in acting and playwriting in college and was a dedicated movie goer all his life. Given these interests and his gift for writing dialogue, it is not surprising that he continued to write scripts after becoming a novelist. He published two scripts as books, one meant for film and the other for radio—the former never produced, the latter produced twice. He wrote or edited three other film scripts: “The Art of War” about Frank Capra and Ernest Hemingway, “Mudshow” about a small-time circus, and “The Demon Seed,” an adaptation of Dean Koontz’s sci-fi novel. Only the latter was produced, and his credit was taken out. With those experiences as well as the displeasing Alex and the Gypsy, and the long-promised-but-never-delivered  adaptations of other novels, Elkin found working for Hollywood frustrating but lucrative.