The following sources are helpful in identifying films based on literary works.
Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great Stories that Have Inspired Great Films
Main Library General Collection PN 6120.2 .A33 2005
"...gathers together 35 pieces that have been the basis for films, many from giants of American literature (Hemingway, Fitzgerald) and many that have not been in print for decades (the stories that inspired Bringing Up Baby, Meet John Doe, and All About Eve)" (publisher's description). Categorized by genre.
Enser's Filmed Books and Plays: A List of Books and Plays from Which Films Have Been Made, 1928-2001, 6th ed.
Main Library Reference PN 1997.85 .B385 2003
A standard source, indexed by film title, author, and change of original title. Also has indexes for musical, made-for-television, and animated films based on literary works, and a list of production studios and distribution companies.
Encyclopedia of Novels into Film, 2d ed.
Main Library Reference PN 1997.85 .T54 2005
Includes over 300 entries, each of which provides a profile of the source novel, plot summary, major characters, and literary significance. Includes a helpful examination of how the film changed or preserved elements of the book and why the changes occurred.
International Guide to Literature on Film
Main Library Reference Collection PN 1997.85 .I67 1994
Lists some 7,500 film treatments of literature produced between 1930 and 1990 worldwide. An alphabetical author index provides form of work, nationality, literary and film titles, publication date, and director. The film index includes film title, release data, countries of production, and film number. Encompasses dramatic works, animated films, and musicals.
The Literary Filmography: 6,200 Adaptations of Books, Short Stories and other Nondramatic Works, 2 vols.
Main Library General Collection PN 1997.85 .M87 2006
According to the publisher's description, "...a guide to English-language works that have been adapted as theatrical and television films, this [set] includes books (both fiction and non-fiction), short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and poems. Entries are arranged alphabetically by literary title with cross-listings for films made under different titles."
Short Stories on Film and Video
Main Library Reference PN 1997.85 .E45 1985
Identifies over 1,300 motion picture and television adaptations, produced between 1920 and 1984, of stories by American authors or authors well-known in America.
Theatre: Stage to Screen to Television
Main Library Reference PN 2189 .L44
Lists 327 plays which, following production on British or American satges, have been adapted for film and television. Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan, and the Greek classics are excluded.
Women Writers, From Page to Screen
Main Library Reference PN 1997.85 .W58
Identifies 2,200 English-language feature films and television movies released between 1913 and 1988 that were inspired by women's writings. Listed by author, with indexes of film titles and literary sources.
Writers on the American Screen: A Guide to Film Adaptations of American and Foreign Literary Works
Main Library Reference PN 1997.85 .L28 1986