Category Archives: Frisco

Hammett: And Charlie Watts

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Don

Terry Zobeck, keeping his eye to the pavement, let me know about the latest trove of rare and first edition Hammett hitting the auction block. And get this angle: those books and typescripts all come from the collection of the … Continue reading →

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Frisco Beat: Nathan Ward Goes to Sea

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Don

You’ll remember Nathan Ward and his Hammett bio The Lost Detective. That one really gets going when Hammett rolls into San Francisco and sits down at his typewriter. Over on CrimeReads Nathan has just kicked a story off from San … Continue reading →

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Sinister Cinema: A Big Tip for the Documentary on Wim Wenders’ Hammett

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Don

Got up today, holiday festivities looming in a few hours, and found some exciting news in the inbox. Remember the guy in France working on a documentary on the first shoot Wim Wenders did for the neo-noir movie Hammett? Guy’s … Continue reading →

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Sinister Cinema: Greeks in Hollywood

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Don

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 →

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Sinister Cinema: Wim Wenders’ Hammett

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Don

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 →

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Hammett: Frisco Apartment on the Block

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Don

Yeah, people have been bombarding me with queries about the recent article which reports a Hammett San Francisco residence — 237 Leavenworth — up for sale if you’ve got a few million. Four million — sounds cheap: An early 1920s … Continue reading →

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891 Post: In Memoriam Bill Arney

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Don

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.

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891 Post: The Hidey Hole

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Don

On September 20, 2009 I took a shot of the hidden compartment Bill Arney had — mysteriously — set in the floor of the Sam Spade apartment. I guess he figured, Why not? Out of all the Herculean effort Bill … Continue reading →

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891 Post: Nicotine Yellow

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Don

The corner outside the door into the kitchen in the Sam Spade apartment shows some of the roughest rough stage work as Bill Arney labored to get the place ready for a new inhabitant. You can see some of the … Continue reading →

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891 Post: Minwax Gel Cherrywood

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Don

As a little Xmas present — and to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the death of Bill Arney on September 28, 2021 — let’s take a look into the Sam Spade apartment in 891 Post Street. The date was September … Continue reading →

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