Welcome to a hard-boiled and not without noir blog with news and reviews, occasional outbursts of maniacal Autograph Hound activity, plus archival records from the forty-five year run of The Dashiell Hammett Tour. 
The Dashiell Hammett Tour
1977-2022
Arkham House Ephemera
The Classic Years 1937–1973
Death Lit
Essays and Reviews Selected from Fifty Years of Writing 1974–2024
Willeford
The Book
Category Archives: Film
Sinister Cinema: Greeks in Hollywood
Paging through Greeks in Hollywood: In the Silent Movie Era, I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the clipping of Jack Pierce, legendary makeup artist, working on Boris Karloff. If you dig the original Universal Monsters, Pierce pretty … Continue reading
Mort: Frederic Forrest
I definitely should record the passing of actor Frederic Forrest on June 23 at the age of 86. For purposes of the Mean Streets, he claims the honor for portraying Dashiell Hammett in the 1982 film Hammett directed by Wim … Continue reading
Hammett: Yet Another Dashiell
You probably know about my little hobby, pretty casual, of recording how the name Dashiell pops up in the culture. From Gotham City to Night Court. I was watching a podcast with Michael Biehn and thought I heard him reference … Continue reading
Sinister Cinema: Wim Wenders’ Hammett
Heard from a guy over in France who plans to do a documentary on the 1982 Wim Wender’s film based on the Joe Gores novel Hammett. Cool aspect — I guess if it all works out — is that the … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Frisco, News
Tagged 1982 Hammett, Francis Ford Coppola, Joe Gores, Marilu Henner, Roney Blakley, Wim Wenders
Mort: Raquel Welch
Upon news of her passing today at the age of 82, Autograph Hound Brian Leno pulled his signed Raquel Welch print from his stacks and stacks of autos. From One Million Years B. C., of course. I usually misquote a … Continue reading
Sinister Cinema: A Marlowesque Neeson
Brian Wallace slipped me the dope back in 2019 that Liam Neeson was lined up to portray Philip Marlowe in a flick. Now he sends along a review of the finished film by Stephanie Bunbury. You know people will argue … Continue reading
Hammett: Jeopardy! Hits Nick and Nora (And Glass Onion Cameos the Black Bird)
Jeopardy! hasn’t hit the Hammett clew pile lately as much as it did back in the Golden Age of Alex Trebek. But every now and then they just can’t avoid it. . . . For the show broadcast December 23rd, … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, Lit, News
Tagged Alex Trebek, Bill Arney, Glass Onion, Jeopardy!, Madelyn Cline, Rian Johnson
Sinister Cinema: Superman Live
Autograph Hound Super-Sunday once more, and from his extensive files of John Hancocks stacked on top of John Hancocks, Brian Leno sends in Kirk Alyn — the first actor to portray Superman in live action. Brian noted, “Am enjoying the … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Frisco
Tagged Autographs, Bo Derek, Brian Leno, Hugh Jackman, Kirk Alyn, Mr T, Patrick Warburton, Redd Foxx, Superman, Virginia O'Brien
Sinister Cinema: Patrick Warburton
Onscreen in The Woman Chaser, Patrick Warburton plays one of the most unlikable characters you’ll ever meet — before and after the movie, though, you’re talking to one of the friendliest people you’ll find in the bar of the Alamo … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Frisco, Willeford
Tagged Alamo Drafthouse, Dragonard, Lemony Snicket, Oliver Reed, Patrick Warburton, Peter Serafinowicz, The Woman Chaser
Sinister Cinema: The Producer
Willeford said he sent his 1960 novel in under the title The Director, before Newsstand Library changed it to The Woman Chaser. The director for the movie didn’t make it to this screening (I heard it may have been an … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Willeford
Tagged Beto O'Rourke, Joe McSpadden, Patrick Warburton, Sonny Carl Davis, The Woman Chaser, Willie Nelson
