The nation was saddened today by the passing of legendary author and recluse J. D. Salinger, whose seminal 1951 novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' remains required reading for each new generation of rebels and iconoclasts. But for the film industry, Salinger's death marks just the latest twist in the strange saga of Hollywood's half-century attempt to adapt 'Catcher' for the big screen.

Film versions of popular novels, of course, have been a staple of the business ever since 'Gone With the Wind' became the most popular movie in history. And from the moment of its publication, studios, directors and actors have tripped over themselves in an attempt to secure the rights to 'Catcher in the Rye,' only to be consistently rebuffed by the author, whose desire for anonymity overshadowed any possible financial or artistic gains such a project might bring. With Salinger's death, however, a Hollywood adaptation suddenly becomes a possibility again, begging the question: who will land the rights? The nation was saddened today by the passing of legendary author and recluse J. D. Salinger, whose seminal 1951 novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' remains required reading for each new generation of rebels and iconoclasts. But for the film industry, Salinger's death marks just the latest twist in the strange saga of Hollywood's half-century attempt to adapt 'Catcher' for the big screen.

Film versions of popular novels, of course, have been a staple of the business ever since 'Gone With the Wind' became the most popular movie in history. And from the moment of its publication, studios, directors and actors have tripped over themselves in an attempt to secure the rights to 'Catcher in the Rye,' only to be consistently rebuffed by the author, whose desire for anonymity overshadowed any possible financial or artistic gains such a project might bring him. With Salinger's death, however, a Hollywood adaptation suddenly becomes a possibility again, begging the question: who will land the rights?

Of course, such speculation is certainly premature; the estate may very well choose to respect Salinger's wishes and keep 'Catcher in the Rye' off the market, while studios are also faced with the delicate task of expressing their interest without appearing to be ambulance chasers or circling sharks. But there can be no doubt that if Salinger's estate does greenlight a film version (and it should be noted that Salinger's will may prohibit such an action), there will be no shortage of interest, as the list of rejected suitors reads like a who's who of Hollywood talent, beginning with the legendary mogul Samuel Goldwyn himself.

Goldwyn, who attempted to pick up the rights upon the book's release, no doubt (rightly) felt that the film would be a perfect vehicle to express the growing teen angst of the post-war era; when Salinger, whom Goldwyn had previously worked with on a panned adaptation of the author's 1949 work 'Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut,' rejected Goldwyn's offer, the opportunity to define the generation was instead left to later movies such as 'Blackboard Jungle' and 'Rebel Without a Cause.'

But as the book's popularity remained undiminished through the decades, so too did Hollywood's ardor, with everyone from Jerry Lewis and Marlon Brando to Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio expressing interest in playing counter-culture icon Holden Caulfield. Producers and directors haven't fared any better; 'On the Waterfront''s Elia Kazan was shut out by Salinger in the 1960's, as was 'Double Indemnity''s Billy Wilder, while more recently Stephen Spielberg, Harvey Weinstein and Terrence Malick are among those who have failed to gain approval for an adaptation.

Now those efforts have all gained a second life with the passing of the 91-year-old Salinger, who died of natural causes at his secluded New Hampshire home, far from the bustle of Hollywood. And even more ironic, depending on the disposition of his estate (which may be more amenable to releasing Salinger's work than he was; his daughter Margaret, for instance, slammed her father in a 2000 memoir), it's possible that the publicity-shy Salinger and the works he fought so long to protect may be at the heart of a public feeding frenzy unlike anything in recent memory.

As Salinger himself put it so succinctly in 'Catcher in the Rye:' "Goddam money. It always ends up making you blue as hell."