>
> I think Dick Powell would have been phenomenal as
Dan Turner, the
> great hardboiled PI created by Robert Leslie Bellem.
Which of
Bellem's
> novels and stories have been made into films? I
can't recall a
single one.
> Best,
> mrt
Although Bellem wrote a lot of television, I think there were
only two actual attempts to capture his characters on screen.
First was Blackmail, a bland programmer from the late 40's
which is a bona fide Dan Turner movie. Alas, it captures none
of the loopy energy, linguistic ingenuity, or dumbass libido
that distinguish Dan's best stories. It's a pretty forgetable
affair, though so short that if you're a fan it's worth
sitting through. Second was a Marc (Beastmaster!)Singer flick
from 1990. Considering this one was adapted from a Bellem
story by John Wooley, who edited more than one collection of
Dan Turner tales, it's a disappointment, too. Why these films
used so little of Bellem's trademark over-the-top slang is a
bigger mystery than any found in either of their plots.
John
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