Created by Max Allan Collins
P.I. renaissance man Max Allan Collins has also crossed over into other genres, including a couple of short novellasfeaturing 1840s Chicago private eye, RICHARD STONE, which combine dark fantasy elements with the P.I. story.
Collins considers the first Stone novella 1996’s “A Wreath for Marley” his gene-splice of The Maltese Falcon and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and sure enough there’s a scad of shout-outs, allusions and wink-winks to both, as fellas nods to pop culture (Hey, it’s Collins!) past, present and future.
Truth is, Stone’s a bit of a dick. It’s Christmas Eve, and Stone is tying one on at his office Christmas party, celebrating his dodging of the draft thanks to a well-placed bribe, much to the disapproval of his secretary/girlfriend, Katie Crocket, whose brother is fighting overseas in the Pacific theatre, while his squeaky clean young op Joey is none too happy about all the divorce cases he’s been stuck with. Stone is also marking the one-year anniversary of the murder of his partner, Jake Marley—a murder he couldn’t even be bothered trying to solve. Also in attendance are Maggie, Jake’s widow, Linda, Joey’s wife, and Sgt. Hank Ross of Chicago Homicide.
Sheesh! If ever there was a dick who needed a little ghostly comeuppance and a spectral visitation or three, it’s Stone.
A second Stone story, “A Bird for Becky,” popped up the same year, but this time it was a Thanksgiving-themed.sequel.
When it was first published, Collins suggested that “A Wreath for Marley”also served as the basis of his as then unproduced film script, Blue Christmas.
I’m happy to report that a mere twenty-eight years later, Blue Christmas was released, starring
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Of course, writer, director and novelist Max Allan Collins is also the man responsible for P.I.s Ms. Tree, Nate Heller and a zillion more crime and detective jams. If jis name doesn’t ring a bell, you may be on there wrong web site..
SHORT FICTION
- “A Wreath For Marley” (1996, Dante’s Disciples)
- “A Bird for Becky” (1996, Shades of Noir)
FILMS
- BLUE CHRISTMAS | Buy the DVD | Buy the Blu-Ray | Watch the trailer!
(2024, Dreampost Media)
80 minutes
Based on the novella “A Wreath for Marley” by Max Allen Collins
Written and directed by Max Allan Collins
Starring Rob Merritt as RICHARD STONE
Also starring Chris Causey, Alisabeth Von Presley, Nicky Bibik, Chad Bishop … Jess Stone, Scot Gehret, Dave Juehring, Brian Linderman, Tracy Pelzer-Timm, Keith Porter, Tommy Ratkiewicz-Stierwalt
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- F.O.M.A.C. (Friends, Fans, and Family Of Max Allan Collins)
The author’s official web site. - Deck the Mean Streets with Boughs of Holly
Christmas Eyes - Their Kind of Town
Chicago Eyes
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
