Needful Things
Alan Pangborn appears in the novel "The Dark Half" (1989), the novella "The Sun Dog" (1990), and the novel "Needful Things" (1991). He is also a primary character in the "Castle Rock" television series based on King's novels. In "The Dark Half", Pangborn is introduced as the Sheriff of the town Castle Rock. He has a wife Annie and two children, Toby ("Al") and Todd. The story establishes that Pangborn has a penchant for magic tricks. Pangborn re-appears again as the main protagonist of "Needful Things", which establishes him as a widower dating Polly Chalmers. The story reveals that Annie and Todd died in a car crash soon after the events of "The Dark Half". Pangborn was portrayed by Michael Rooker in the film adaptation of "The Dark Half" and Ed Harris in the film "Needful Things". Alan and Polly are also briefly mentioned in "Bag of Bones" (1998) in a conversation between author Michael Noonan and the then-Castle County Sheriff Norris Ridgewick. Ridgewick mentions they are "doing real well" after having relocated to New Hampshire, though Polly still suffers from arthritis.