Re: RARA-AVIS: Hammett or Daly?


Bob Toomey (btoomey@javanet.com)
Mon, 25 Oct 1999 03:26:03 -0400


> But there was an
> interesting retaliation against another's choice of Hammett -- to the
> effect that Hammett didn't invent the private eye, Carroll John Daly
> did. Is there a consensus among Rara-avians that Race Williams was the
> first PI? Did Daley's work pre-date Hammett's (I'm going back to my
> reference works)?

Race Williams was the first hardboiled private eye, and his creator, John Carroll Daly, was, at one time, Black Mask's most popular contributer. His works haven't survived because, unlike Hammett, he was a lousy writer. But he did get there first.

BobT

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