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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: News
Rediscovered: The Weather Channel c. 1888
Mostly in connection with the Texas writer Robert E. Howard, I’ve been in and out of the Lone Star State several times and got to deeply savor some of the storms. Tornadoes even hit a couple of towns over from … Continue reading
Rediscovered: “Wild Bill, I Presume?”
In building up his history of the Old West in his new book, Nathan Ward naturally brings in Wild Bill Hickok. Couldn’t leave him out, in my opinion. It’s like the IMDb Top Four Known Fors. Right now I think … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged Ben Franklin, Blackbeard the Pirate, Henry Morton Stanley, Nathan Ward, Son of the Old West, Wild Bill Hickok
Rediscovered: Biography Month Redux
Today is the official publication date for Nathan Ward’s newest bio, Son of the Old West — The Odyssey of Charlie Siringo: Cowboy, Detective, Writer of the Wild Frontier. Something to kick off another Biography Month here on These Mean … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Lit, News
Tagged Captain James Cook, Charlie Siringo, Danny Trejo, Eugene Manlove Rhodes, Franz Kafka, Jim Tully, Jimmy Buffett, Mark Dawidziak, Nathan Ward, Paul J. Bauer, Son of the Old West, Steve Eng
Hammett: Have Horse, Will Gallop
Nathan Ward just popped in the news that a racehorse named Maltese Falcon just moved up from maiden to graded stakes winner status — and in La Jolla, Raymond Chandler’s old stomping grounds. “There are Hammett quotes to apply,” Nathan … Continue reading
Frisco Beat: Nathan Ward Goes to Sea
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
Sinister Cinema: Contacts Made
If you were worried about the guy who worked on Wim Wenders’ Hammett getting in contact with the guy doing a documentary on that film, you can relax. They’ve been put in touch, and have spent an initial two hours … Continue reading
Posted in Dash, Film, News
Tagged "The Diamond Wager", EQMM, Frederic Dannay, Joe Goodrich, Joe Gores, Wim Wenders
Sinister Cinema: A Big Tip for the Documentary on Wim Wenders’ Hammett
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
Posted in Dash, Film, Frisco, News
Tagged 1982 Hammett, Damien Bertrand, Frederic Forrest, Joe Goodrich, Michael Hacker, Wim Wenders
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
