In the past I’ve covered my fondness for Dashiell Hammett’s mysteries. Given my whole theme here at Balladeer’s Blog, this time I’ll take a look at Hammett’s often overlooked Sam Spade short stories that followed a few years after the novel The Maltese Falcon.
Three of these tales are complete and one other was left tantalizingly unfinished, I’m afraid.
A MAN CALLED SPADE – Published in the July 1932 issue of The American Magazine.
The Client: Financier Max Bliss, who calls Sam Spade in a panic and wants him to come to his home immediately because his life has been threatened.
The Mystery: When Spade arrives at Max’s 10th floor apartment home on Nob Hill, Bliss has already been strangled to death. Detective Sergeant Tom Polhaus and Lieutenant Dundy from The Maltese Falcon are on the scene but are more cordial than they were in Spade’s most famous case.
Max lies on the floor, partially undressed. A five-pointed star has been drawn on his bare chest in black ink and with a Greek letter tau in the center. Spade, hoping Max’s daughter will pay him the fee that her father now cannot, tries selling her on the notion that he’s now working for her late father’s estate, and her.
As the investigation rolls along, Sam seeks out one of his academic sources, Harry Darrell, who recognizes the star with the tau in the center as the mark of assorted Rosicrucian Lodges. The two nearest lodges are in Point Loma/ San Diego and San Jose. The odd design also shows up on a threatening letter found among the murder victim’s papers.
The Suspects: Continue reading
PRIMER (2004) – HAPPY NEW YEAR! Yes, I’m just childish enough to pat myself on the back for that play on words in the title of this blog post. With that out of the way I know I’m late to the game when it comes to Primer but my own skepticism about it made me keep it on the back burner in terms of priority movies to watch. 
Shane Carruth stars as Aaron and David Sullivan portrays Abe. The pair are engineers who – on the side – run a tech business out of Aaron’s garage. As a side effect of a project they are working on the two discover a means of time travel. 
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LIFE IN A THOUSAND WORLDS (1905) – “Ancient” science fiction story about life on other planets in our solar system AND around distant stars. Click 
PETER PAN (1976) – My review of this forgotten musical version of the Peter Pan story, starring Mia Farrow as Peter, Danny Kaye as Captain Hook and Paula Kelly as Princess Tiger Lily. Click 
DENVER DOLL DIME NOVELS – My look at the four Dime Novels starring the fictional female gunslinger the Denver Doll during the 1880s. Click 
SENILE JOE BIDEN BLITHERS AGAIN – Even Bernie Bros were disgusted with the creepy Joe Biden, who embodied the corruption of career politicians in the U.S. Click 
DEMOCRAT BIGOTS ATTACK COURAGEOUS MAN OF COLOR VERNON JONES FOR REFUSING TO OBEY THEM. Among Jones’ remarks: “A generation of African American families have been devastated by draconian policies that Joe Biden supported and voted for when he served in the U.S. Senate,” Jones said in a statement to CBS 46. “A change was needed and President Trump took action.” “Turn the lights off, I have left the plantation.” Click 
MORE DEMOCRATS REBEL AGAINST PRIVILEGED WHITE ONE-PERCENTERS LIKE NANCY PELOSI AND CHUCK SCHUMER’S ATTACKS ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FDR-STYLE PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM. Can we stop acting like this is the same Democrat Party that it was long ago? Click 
COURAGEOUS DEMOCRAT KAREN WHITSETT PRAISES PRESIDENT TRUMP – It’s 
RIVERBOAT (1959-1961) – My review of this neglected television series about Darren McGavin and a young Burt Reynolds as partners who run a riverboat along the Mississippi and its tributaries during the 1830s and 1840s. Burt and Darren help Texas rebels fight Mexican tyrants, assist historical figures like Zachary Taylor and Abe Lincoln, and clash with river pirates, gunrunners and fugitives. Click 
THOMASINE & BUSHROD (1974) – A western about a pair of fictional outlaws who become folk heroes from 1911-1915 as the Wild West is fading away. Vonetta McGee plays Thomasine, a female bounty hunter who winds up robbing banks alongside her true love J.P. Bushrod (Max Julien). The pair give away most of their illegal proceeds to the poor of all colors. This movie is like The Wild Bunch crossed with Bonnie & Clyde, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid and more. Click 
JANUARY 1972 MARVEL PUBLICATIONS – Black Bolt and the Inhumans take on Magneto, Spider-Man fights Kraven the Hunter in the Savage Land, Daredevil and the Black Widow face MK-9, Conan the Barbarian meets Omm the Spider-God and much more. Click 
HURRICANE NELL – One of the first Dime Novel heroines created by Edward L. Wheeler in 1877. This tale follows the daring young lady sharpshooter on her revenge quest against a gang of outlaws. Click 
Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog will remember my review of three neglected swashbuckler novels by Alexandre Dumas. (For those three – Georges, Captain Pamphile and La Dame de Monsoreau click 
When I was a little boy thrilled with the Musketeers, Monte Cristo and Iron Mask I excitedly grabbed The Black Tulip to read, assuming it, too would feature derring-do and swordplay. Much to my disappointment the novel instead dealt with attempts to cultivate a black tulip, the mob-slaying of Netherlands politicians Johann and Cornelius de Witt, romance and the redemption of personal honor. 
TOP DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS SWASHBUCKLER MOVIES – My review of the eight spectacular, milestone silent movies starring Fairbanks in the forerunners of today’s action blockbusters. (1920-1929) Click 
AMPHIBIAN MAN (1962) – Review of this bad Russian movie. Odd science fiction piece. Click 
JANUARY 1970 AT MARVEL – Brief reviews of Marvel’s January ’70 releases – Avengers vs the supervillain team called Zodiac, X-Men vs Sunfire, Spider-Man vs the Chameleon, Hulk vs the Leader, Iron Man vs the Crimson Dynamo, plus the very first appearance of Agatha Harkness as the Fantastic Four take on the Frightful Four. Click 
THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976) – My review of this hilariously bad disaster movie starring Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Martin Sheen and O.J. Simpson. Passengers on a train are exposed to a deadly virus because of terrorists. Click 
GRIPS: ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL SUPERHEROES EVER – From 1986-1992 Grips, a combination of Wolverine and the Punisher, had ultra-violent and otherwise adult adventures in Kris Silver’s independent publications. Only Faust exceeded Grips in the 80s and 90s, and artist Tim Vigil worked on both series. Must be read to be believed. Click 
A VERY MISSING PERSON (1972) – Eve Arden starred as amateur sleuth Hildegarde Withers from a series of mystery novels. Hildegarde solves a murder involving high-level figures in New York City. Also includes my review of the 1930s movies about the character. Click 
MOMMA THE DETECTIVE (1981) – A Mother’s Day look at this made for tv movie about Esther Rolle as an amateur detective who solves a high society murder. Think of shows like McMillan and Wife, The Snoop Sisters, etc. Click 
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