Some years ago, after completing a stint of stateside service
in the US Army, a young man arrived in San Francisco, where
he found a job as an operative in a large detective agency in
that city.
Having an ambition to write, he began a series of short
stories, most of which were published in the leading crime
fiction magazine of the day, fictionalizing his experiences
as a private investigator, using his old detective agency
boss as the model for his hero.
The stories were successful enough that he decided to try
book-length entries in the series. He eventually wrote three
novels fictionalizing his experiences with the S.F. detective
firm.
He followed it up with a non-series private eye novel,
arguably one of the best PI novels ever written, featuring a
character who was not an operative of a large firm (though he
had been at one time), but who owned his own small business.
Though known for his spare, direct style, this novel was
particularly terse, told in a relentlessly objective,
third-person voice that was a close as prose can get to a
camera and a tape recorder. The hero's motives were difficult
to discern, in it's not until the end of the book that you
find what his real interest in the goings-on were. Somewhat
disappointing short fiction about this character
followed.
His success as a magazine writer and novelist led to other
venues. Soon he was writing scripts for Hollywood films and
enjoying success in the broadcast medium. He gave up
novel-writing for the new mediums, but always intended to get
back into books.
*********
Most of you probably recognized the subject of that capsule
biography as Dashiell Hammett. And, in all likelihood, most
of you also realized that it as fit, in virtually all
respects, this month's featured subject at Rara-Avis, Joe
Gores.
Hammett served in the Army during World War I as a stateside
ambulance driver. Gores served at Ford Hood and the Pentagon
shortly after the Korean War.
After his military service ended, Hammett got a job with the
San Francisco office of the Pinkerton Agency
(he had previously worked in Pinkerton's Baltimore office
prior to entering the Army).
Gores arrived in San Franciso and got a job with David
Kikkert & Associates.
Hammett started a series of short stories,about the nameless
operative in the San Francisco office of the Continental
Detective Agency, a fictional doppleganger for the
Pinkertons.
Gores started a series of short stories about the various
operatives for Dan Kearney Associates, a fictional
doppelganger for David Kikkert & Associates.
Hammett modeled the Continental Op on Jim Wright, the
superintendent of the Pinkerton Agency's Baltimore office,
who first hired Hammett and taught him the detective
business.
Gores modeled Dan Kearney on Dave Kikkert, founder of David
Kikkert & Associates, who first hired Gores and taught
him the detective business.
The Op stories appeared primarily in BLACK MASK, the leading
crime fiction magazine of the day.
The DKA stories appeared primarily in ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY
MAGAZINE, the leading crime fiction magazine of the
day.
Hammett eventually wrote three novels about the Op, BLOOD
MONEY, RED HARVEST, and THE DAIN CURSE.
Gores eventually wrote three DKA novels, DEAD SKIP, FINAL
NOTICE, and GONE - NO FORWARDING.
Hammett followed up the Op series THE MALTESE FALCON,
arguably the best PI novel ever, written in a rigorously
objective third person mode, featuring Sam Spade, a tough PI
who plays things so close to the vest that it's difficult to
tell whose side he's on. Spade later went on to appear in
three short stories,
"A Man Called Spade," "Too Many Have Lived," and "They Can
Only Hang You Once," which, while quite well-done, didn't do
justice to the novel.
Gores followed up the DKA series with INTERFACE, arguably one
of the best PI novels ever, written in a rigorously objective
third person mode, featuring Neil Fargo, a tough PI who plays
things so close to the vest that it's difficult to tell whose
side he's on. Fargo went on to appear in a single short story
"Dance of the Dead," which, while quite well-done, didn't
really do justice to the novel.
Hammett was wooed by Hollywood, and wrote screen treatments
and full scripts for a number of films, some of them
featuring characters from his books.
Gores was wooed by Hollywood, and wrote screen treatments and
full scripts for a number of films, some of them based on his
books.
Hammett had some success in radio drama, with shows like SAM
SPADE and THE THIN MAN being based on characters he created
for his novels. He is credited with creating the radio series
THE FAT MAN.
Gores had major success in television, writing scripts for
shows like KOJAK, STRIKE FORCE, EISCHIED, and MIKE HAMMER. He
was a producer and head writer for the PI show B.L.
STRYKER.
Here though, the story diverges.
Hammett always intended to get back into novels, but never
did. Recognizing that his Op series, for all its realism,
gave an idealized portrait of detective work, one of his
ideas was a semi-autobiographical book about the picaresque
adventures of a young fellow who eventually falls into the
private investigative business, to be called THERE WAS A
YOUNG MAN. It never came to fruition.
Gores DID come back to novels. He wrote three more DKA novels
years after the initial trilogy was published, a bunch of
stand-alones, and, as if to draw attention to the many
parallels between his life and Hammett's, a novel in which
Hammett himself is the private eye hero. Recognizing that his
DKA series, for all its realism, was a somewhat idealized
portrait of detective work, he had an idea for a
semi-autobiographical book involving the pcaresques
adventures of a young fellow who eventually falls into the
private investigative business, to be called CASES. He
eventually brought it to fruition.
Gores, in other words, has been a much more productive writer
than Hammett, over a much longer period of time. As this is
being written, he is reportedly putting the finishing touches
on a novel to be called SPADE & ARCHER, a prequel to THE
MALTESE FALCON, about the tempetuous partnership shared by
the titular characters in the year preceding the events
described in Hammett's classic novel.
I'm only sorry that it's not out yet so that we can discuss
it during this month.
Fortunately, Gores has completed a lot of other material,
short stories, novels, scripts for movies and TV shows,
non-fiction, and criticism, so we shouldn't lack for subject
matter to discuss.
Welcome to Joe Gores month.
JIM DOHERTY
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