 Ellin co-wrote the screenplay for the 1951 film "The Big Night" along with Joseph Losey, Hugo Butler and Ring Lardner, although Ellin and Losey were the only ones credited for it up until the year 2000.He also wrote book reviews for such venues as "The New York Times Book Review", chiefly of suspense novels, as well as essays such as "Mystery Novel or Crime Novel" ("Writer", vol.86, January 1973, pp.