• Congratulations to the fine British author Roger Jon “R.J.” Ellory, whom I met at Bouchercon in Baltimore and who seems finally to have negotiated a deal whereby his novels will be made available in the States. According to Ali Karim, “his U.S. publisher is ... the legendary Peter Mayer of Overlook (U.S.) and Duckworth (UK). It appears that Overlook is publishing A Quiet Belief in Angels (Roger’s breakout novel, and a 2007 Richard and Judy selection) in the fall of 2009. A second book (yet to be named) will be released in 2010.”
• With tomorrow being Chinese New Year--the beginning of the Year of the Ox--Janet Rudolph has posted a list of mysteries appropriate to this holiday.
• As part of his weeklong guest blogging at Minotaur Books’ Moments in Crime blog, author Norman Green explains why he thought the world needed another private investigator--Alessandra Martillo, star of his new novel, The Last Gig.
• Sandra Seamans’ “Brothel Justice” is the latest short story to chew on at Beat to a Pulp.
• For The Week, Charles Cumming (Typhoon) names his favorite literary thrillers. Hint: He already wrote about one of them for The Rap Sheet. (Hat tip to Campaign for the American Reader.)
• It looks as if the legendary Sherlock Holmes is going to be the star of “a thrilling, funny, fast-paced take on the crime drama set in present-day London.” The new series is a production of the BBC.
• Speaking of Holmes, did you know that his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is going to be the subject of a symposium and exhibition at Harvard University? It’s been scheduled in honor of Conan Doyle’s 150th birthday and will be held from Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9, 2009. As a Web site associated with the project explains, “The symposium aims to broaden our understanding of Doyle in light of recent biographical studies; to examine the enduring popularity of the Canon and to revisit the non-canonical fiction, historical and social writings; and to witness Doyle’s literacy legacy as promoted by literary societies and through teaching.”
• When he died earlier this month at age 85, British barrister-turned-wordsmith John Mortimer apparently left behind the unfinished manuscript of another Horace Rumpole novel, Rumpole and the Brave New World. The Guardian now publishes the opening three chapters of that book. Meanwhile, The Scotsman’s David Robinson offers up an excellent remembrance of the author.
• Ken Bruen’s 2001 standalone, London Boulevard, is on its way to becoming a theatrical release, according to Busted Flush Press’ blog.
• Culture maven Vince Keenan sat through the first two (pre-Humphrey Bogart) movie adaptations of Dashiell Hammett’s novel The Maltese Falcon so that the rest of us wouldn’t have to. Read his assessments here.
• In Shots, Ian Dickerson presents a fine recollection of the life and work of Leslie Charteris, creator of Simon Templar, The Saint.
• The news about aging and ill Columbo star Peter Falk just keeps getting sadder and sadder.
• Louise Penny submits her latest Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novel, A Rule Against Murder, to Marshal Zeringue’s Page 99 Test. The results are here.
• Blogger Tanner at Double O Section has launched a new periodic feature, “My Favorite Spy Movies.” The first film receiving his seal of approval: Deadlier Than the Male (1967), a British production starring Richard Johnson, Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina, and Nigel Green. “Of all the imitators 007 spawned in the 1960s,” Tanner opines, “Deadlier Than the Male is the only one that can really go toe-to-toe with Bond.” He has a follow-up to his original post here.
• Irish author-blogger Declan Burke informs us that “Trinity College Dublin is currently hosting an exhibition titled ‘The Body in the Library--the great detectives 1841 to 1941.’” That presentation will continue until June 15.
• And finally, the undercover blogger at Mysterious Matters compiles a list of her (his?) 10 favorite crime-fiction titles. And note that not one of them includes “die,” “death,” “killing,” “blood,” “murder,” or any of the other overused keywords that publishers think are necessary to clue readers (stupid beasts that they believe we are) into the fact that they’re looking at a mystery novel.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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I had the dubious pleasure of catching "Satan Met A Lady" on TCM a few years ago. It started up around 6 AM, LA time. The TV had been on all night - since the Northridge quake, my wife keeps the TV on all night - so it slowly penetrated my wakening brain. As I half-heard the dialogue, I thought it was an obvious rip-off of the Maltese Falcon. As I woke up for real, and realized what was playing, it occurred to me that it wasn't a rip-off of TMF, it was a rip-off of The Thin Man. Sam Spade and Brigid O'Shaughnessy had been reworked (badly) as Nick and Nora Charles. This is one of the reasons I tend to think of Warren William as "He Who Is Not William Powell."
In it's way, it's a fascinating movie. John Houston's adaptation is a near-textbook example of how to adapt a novel to film. This version is as good a primer as you could ask for on how not to adapt a novel. In its way, it's quite fascinating.
If you get a chance, check it out. But don't go out of your way to find it.
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