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About DonHerron.com
In 1977 Don Herron began leading The Dashiell Hammett Tour, now the longest-running literary tour in the nation. On this site you’ll find information on current walks — dates, where to meet, arranging tours by appointment — plus a hard-boiled blog with news, reviews of books and film, and a dash of noir.
The latest and greatest edition to self-guide you up and down the mean streets.
Willeford: The Book
Includes the first “Mr. Hunt” story, “Knives in the Dark.”
Tag Archives: Jo Hammett
891 Post: In Memoriam Bill Arney
Front, Bill Arney at the dedication ceremony for the plaque on 891 Post Street, March 17, 2005. Behind him, on the right, Jo Hammett, youngest daughter of Dashiell Hammett.
Hammett: His Garbo Speaks! Moment
Holy cow — suddenly it is Audio Hound Super-Sunday! And longtime Mean Streets maven Terry Zobeck just heard some sound he’s been waiting to hear for many, many long years. Here’s Terry with the scoop: In 2001, at the Washington, … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, News
Tagged "Two Sharp Knives", Bill Mullins, Dick Tracy, Jo Hammett, Richard Layman, Studio One, Thomas Fasano
Hammett: From Poisonville to Red Harvest, “Chapter One”
A couple of months ago I was prowling through the inventory of Mean Streets posts to salvage as yet unpublished material from the backlog. A few tentative ideas that got to skeletal mock-up stage I just deleted — weeding the … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Lit
Tagged Black Mask, Frederic Dannay, Jo Hammett, Paul Herman, PulpFest, Red Harvest, Richard Layman, Terry Zobeck, The Big Book of the Continental Op
Hammett: Jumpin’ Jeopardy!
Jeez. Jeopardy! strikes again! The Final Jeopardy round for S36 E33 for October 23, 2019 brought Hammett back into the mix yet again. Man, those clew-meisters are relentless, and I have to think they must like Hammett as much as … Continue reading
Hammett: And Chandler, and Nigel, Bill and Don
Slightly over twenty people did the “just show up and walk the walk” routine for the tour yesterday. I always think of twenty as being the average number of tourists gumshoeing the mean streets on the walk over the years, though … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Lit, Tour
Tagged 891 Post, BBC, Bill Arney, Delicatessen, Dominque Pinon, Dwight Frye, Fatty Arbuckle, Jo Hammett, Mark Murphy, Murphy bed, Nigel Williams, Raymond Chandler
Hammett: Win Some Lose Some
How about the Hitchcockesque pic above to close out the year? Shot in the stairwell in the Mechanics’ Library after one of my talks about Hammett or noir. I feel noir just looking at it. And kind of dizzy, too. … Continue reading
Hammett: “The Nails in Mr. Cayterer”
Remember the fireworks going off boom! and bang! a couple of days ago? As I watched the explosions I was thinking, yeah, if they only knew that Terry Zobeck was about to finish off — complete, fini — his now … Continue reading
Hammett: Birthday 121
Shot above, Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett — who get stacks of their old mail officially donated to the University of South Carolina today, the 121st anniversary of Hammett’s birth. Terry “Mr. Pure Texts” Zobeck and I had a little … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, News, Tour
Tagged Humanities Research Center, Jo Hammett, Lillian Hellman, Random House, Richard Layman, University of South Carolina
Tour: Sons and Daughters
On the tour for May 17 Angela Crider Neary introduced herself, specifically as the daughter of Texas writer Bill Crider, who gets mentioned here from time to time. Crider and I agreed that the John Carter of Mars movie was … Continue reading
Posted in Frisco, Lit, Tour
Tagged Angela Crider Neary, Avram Davidson, Bill Crider, C D Payne, Ethan Davidson, Firsts, Jo Hammett, John Carter, Li'l Tom
Mort: Mr. Spock
Another Icon down, with the passing of Leonard Nimoy today at the age of 83. While you couldn’t really say I was ever a Trekkie, on the other hand, who the hell doesn’t like Star Trek? Maybe not all of … Continue reading
