Not all that long ago I dutifully reported that a TV series — or mini-series — was in the works, where Sam Spade has moved to France. Cue some crime. Roll cameras.
You can punch up the trailer for Monsieur Spade on YouTube. Due to run on AMC in January. Clive Owen as Sam Spade. And based on the trailer, Clive Owen’s butt as Sam Spade’s butt.
Looks to be well made, but whether it needed to have Sam Spade in it remains an open question for the moment. The most disturbing detail in the preview is that some of the plot involves a young kid Spade seems to be protecting.
Publisher Vince Emery once read all of Hammett and worked up a list of distinct Hammettisms — almost always referring to a car as a machine, that sort of thing. Pretty long list.
As far as I know Vince may have been the first person to ever notice that Hammett’s crime stories never have children in them. Think about it. You might find a couple of older teenagers, but some little kid? Nope.
Guess the filmmakers wanted a little kid in it, to be like every other movie being made at the moment. Hell, maybe they’ll kill him off.
It’s Hollywood, Jake — they had a kid playing Nick Charles Junior running around on the MGM lot years ago (none other than Dean Stockwell, who was better in Blue Velvet).
I also spotted a couple of casual news items about a new Thin Man flick, to star Brad Pitt and Margo Robbie as Nick & Nora. Could be good, but then again, with the atmosphere today they might make them teetotalers or tragically limit the martini consumption to one per hour.
Of course that one I’ll believe when and if it all shakes out. Johnny Depp had an option on Thin Man for a few years, but it came to nothing finally.
