Created by Arnold Fredericks Pseudonym of Frederic Arnold Kummer (1873-1943) "Good Lord, Chief, am I losing my senses? What is this affair, anyway, a joke?" -- Richard, sharp as a tack as always, in The Blue Lights An early sleuthing couple, preceded only in the genre as far as I can tell, by M. McDonnell … Continue reading Richard and Grace Duvall
Tag: Film
The Lone Wolf (Michael Lanyard)
Created by Louis Joseph Vance (1879-1933) Louis Joseph Vance's MICHAEL LANYARD, better known as THE LONE WOLF, didn't start out as a private eye, but as a criminal. However, like Jack Boyle's Boston Blackie, thanks to his numerous reboots, reincarnations and re-imaginings in radio, film and television, The Lone Wolf is now remembered by many, … Continue reading The Lone Wolf (Michael Lanyard)
Xavier Lombard
Created by Eric Leclere "The Lost Son was not written for the book establishment to sanction, censure or kill. Books are for reading, and we feel the public should be given a chance to do just that." —the author explains why he was giving away his book. Speaking of British crime flicks (well, I was … Continue reading Xavier Lombard
“I Was Filled With a Sense of Loss and Longing.”
Chinatown Remembered By Fred Zackel June 20, 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Chinatown in the USA. It is the finest private eye story that never came from a book first. A clue to any town, any city, any culture, any nation, is the stories it tells about itself, what stories it appropriates … Continue reading “I Was Filled With a Sense of Loss and Longing.”
Sam Diamond, Dick and Dora Charleston, Inspector Milo Perrier, Inspector Sidney Wang & Jessica Marbles (Murder by Death)
Created by Neil Simon Lionel Twain, an eccentric millionaire (played with some kind of awkwardly mad brilliance by Truman Capote) invites five of the "world's greatest detectives" to his secluded castle for the weekend, and offers $1 million to the one who can solve a murder, in Neil Simon's 1976 at-times delightful send-up of the … Continue reading Sam Diamond, Dick and Dora Charleston, Inspector Milo Perrier, Inspector Sidney Wang & Jessica Marbles (Murder by Death)
Lou Peckinpaugh (The Cheap Detective)
Created by Neil Simon "Being a private eye may not be much, but we do have a code of honor. It's all right to fool around with your partner's wife, but once he's dead it makes it all so dirty. That's the way it is, angel. You marry yourself a nice guy, have a couple … Continue reading Lou Peckinpaugh (The Cheap Detective)
With Autumn Closing In…
Night Moves Remembered By Daniel Moses Luft "Ain't it funny how the night moves When you just don't seem to have that much to lose? Ain't it funny how the night moves With autumn closing in?" - Bob Seger Arthur Penn’s 1975 film Night Moves is a mostly forgotten work of both pulp and 70s-style, … Continue reading With Autumn Closing In…
Harry Ross (Twilight)
Created by Robert Benton and Richard Russo Looking for sparkly vampires? Keep going... Retired, and just plain tired, Hollywood gumshoe HARRY ROSS takes odd jobs (and once, a bullet, trying to rescue their jailbait daughter) for his old pal and dying movie star, Jack Ames, and his one-time sexpot actress wife, Catherine. He bides his time, … Continue reading Harry Ross (Twilight)
Albert Parkis (The End of the Affair)
Created by Graham Greene Definitely not a private eye tale, or even a mystery, really (at least in the traditional sense), but Graham Greene’s 1951 novel, The End of the Affair does feature private investigator ALBERT PARKIS of the Savage Detective Agency in a pivotal, if secondary, role. In London, as World War II rages and the bombs … Continue reading Albert Parkis (The End of the Affair)
Daryl Zero (Zero Effect)
Created by Jake Kasdan "Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it … Continue reading Daryl Zero (Zero Effect)