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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.”
Category Archives: Dash
Sinister Cinema: Coop for the Star
Evan Lewis, excavating the newsprint of yesteryear, just put up a clump of news items on who was going to star in the first movie version of Hammett’s The Glass Key. Gary Cooper was the first choice for Ned Beaumont. … Continue reading
Frisco Beat: Working the Hammett Hangout in the Days of Coronavirus
A.k.a. not working. Just heard a GoFundMe page is up for the employees of John’s Grill, 63 Ellis Street, where Sam Spade grabs a meal in The Maltese Falcon. Tide them over until those noir doors open again.
Hammett: “A Fast-Moving Gripping Mystery Yarn”
The pulp expert John Locke was just telling me he got his hands on a trove of Photoplay issues from the 1930s, and figured everyone would like to see how the trade mag blurbed the very first movie version of … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film
Tagged Bebe Daniels, Dwight Frye, John Locke, Photoplay, Ricardo Cortez, Richard Layman
Hammett: #MeToo
Evan Lewis keeps poking around in the newsprint of yesteryear, digging up a little of this and more of that on Hammett — a writer who became enough of a celebrity in Hollywood to grab continual coverage, once he made … Continue reading
Hammett: And 90 Years Ago Today
A couple of sweet lovebirds named Sam and Brigid made woo as Alfred A. Knopf released a new novel by Dashiell Hammett. The title? The Maltese Falcon. Happy Valentine’s Day, you romantic saps.
Hammett: “The Tenth Clew”
Brian Leno just let me know that Library of America put up the Op story “The Tenth Clew” as their Story of the Week feature. There’s a brief introduction, but we covered — or uncovered — the main points circa … Continue reading
Hammett: Would You Believe?
Yeah, sure, Hammett gets mentioned on Jeopardy! all the time. But do you think that’s his only link to the pop culture?
Hammett: Locke’s One-Liner on Rhea/Wilmer
After John Locke hit the Up and Down These Mean Streets scene late last year, I got to steer him to various interesting moments in the extensive backlog of posts. One of them was to the bizarre idea that Gutman’s … Continue reading
Hammett: Another Sneaking into Jeopardy! Moment
I’m keeping a falcon-like eye on the current Jeopardy! battle of the super-champions, to see if Hammett pops up. I bet they all know the difference between Hammett’s Sam Spade and Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. But on January 7 in the … Continue reading
Rediscovered: More Ace and Parker
Coincidentally, the topic of Ace Atkins and Robert B. Parker also popped up in the last few days in exchanges with Kevin Cook, noted pulp and book collector. “At this point in time Parker is still an industry,” Kevin observed, … Continue reading
