The film was based on the novel of the same name by Edward Anderson, which also supplied source material for the 1948 film They Live by Night, directed by Nicholas Ray. The Altman film sticks much closer to the book.
The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Edward Anderson, which was also used as a source for the 1948 film "They Live By Night" directed by Nicholas Ray.  The Altman film stays more true to the book than its predecessor.