Last Friday I did a tour for a couple from Australia — I was coming into the burg anyway, and cut them a deal.
When we got to Dashiell Hammett Street, they remembered a previous visit, where they noticed the street sign as they went past in a cab.
At their hotel they asked the concierge — a young woman, maybe 22 — about the sign, hoping to learn more about it.
They explained who Hammett was
The Maltese Falcon
Made into a movie starring Humphrey Bogart
The Thin Man
Spelled out the name D-a-s-h-i-e-l-l
H-a-m-m-e-t-t
Got a very blank look in return. Someone who didn’t watch b&w movies. Didn’t know the city’s literary history.
The concierge tapped the computer keys at her station. In answer to the query about Dashiell Hammett Street, she said:
“I’m sorry. There’s no one named Dashiell Hammett staying here.”
Which I guess is why someone flying in from Australia might want to take the good old Dashiell Hammett Tour. . . .
