The
Cocktail Waitress by James M. Cain was edited by Charles
Ardai from Cain’s last manuscript. Its publication is something of a literary
event. Cain was part of that hard-boiled group of the 30s and 40s who helped
define pulp fiction. Cain has been described as one of the fundamental creators
of “noir fiction” (“noir” means black
in French) and the term noir fiction
is a variant of “film noir” so named
because French critics so defined post-war films as “film noir” because of their dark, gritty realism. Cain’s novels
have also been described as roman
noir or “dark novel.” What
these convoluted facts really means is that James M. Cain wrote realistic
dramas about people down on their luck His books are populated with grifters
and con-men, hookers and corrupt businessmen. Cain’s famous novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, was
published in 1934. He published over twenty books before his death in 1977. In The Cocktail Waitress down-on-her-luck Joan
Medford is broke and in need of a job after the death of her abusive alcoholic
husband. The cops suspect Joan had something to do with her husband’s death but
can’t prove it. She takes a job as a cocktail waitress at a place called The Garden
of Roses. She attracts immediate attention with her revealing outfits and sexy
figure. She is soon involved with two men – a millionaire named Earl K. White and a handsome man named Tom Barclay. Told
in the first person from Joan’s point of view, the novel explores the very real
world of despair and of dreams for something better. Joan knows that Mr. White
can offer her the financial security she craves but she finds him sexually
repulsive. Tom Barclay, himself a bit of a dreamer, offers her both romance and
sexual fulfillment. In the midst of this she wants her toddler son back who is
staying with relatives. Cain handles his twisting plot skillfully although at
times it almost gets away from him. Beneath this layer of despair is the not
too subtle hint that Joan did have something to do with her abusive husband’s
death. Naturally, other characters perish and Joan becomes a suspect. The Cocktail Waitress is typical Cain
all the way, with an ending that left me quite stunned. He sets it up and then deftly
slips it onto the last page. Will Joan survive her turmoil’s? Is she guilty or
innocent, and does it matter? At what price is happiness sold? This is James M.
Cain territory and Charles Ardai and Hard Case Crime have given us all a gift
with this final novel from a great American author.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Werewolves! - Just in time for Halloween!
Something stirs in the darkness and pads along the moonlit path...
Werewolf
stories have long captivated film audiences and lovers of pulp fiction. Thomas
McNulty's Werewolves! explores the genesis for this cultural phenomenon dating
back centuries when stories of shape shifters and wolf-men were predominant in
folk tales. The book traces the origins of lycanthropy in mythology through
modern times. Included are discussions of wolf mythology and the importance of
the wolf symbol around the globe. Included is an examination of key werewolf
stories and novels with an emphasis on popular fiction and pulp fiction. This is
followed by a survey of the Hollywood films with chapters devoted to the
Wolf-Man films starring Lon Chaney Jr. and the groundbreaking Spanish werewolf
films of Paul Naschy. The survey of films includes titles from Hollywood's
Golden Age to present times with commentary on over 70 werewolf films. The work
includes a bibliography, filmography and index. Illustrated with rare
photographs.
Just in time for Halloween, order your copy by clicking HERE!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
My Latest Article in Antique Trader Magazine
My latest article in Antique Trader magazine is an overview of L. Ron Hubbard's pulp westerns. Followers of this blog will already have been treated to my ongoing reviews of the reprints from Galaxy Press (with more to come!)
To order copies visit Galaxy Press by clicking HERE!
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Western Essentials – Six Black Horses with Audie Murphy
This is one of Burt
Kennedy’s screenplays and I think one of his best. This underrated film opened
in 1962 and would have slipped into obscurity if not for Audie Murphy. Because
of his presence the film crops up every few years in retrospectives on the
western genre. Over time it has become a fan favorite. Recently it even played
on the Western Chanel. I would love to see a restored print on DVD like they
did with Burt Kennedy’s other classic screenplay, Seven Men from Now (starring Randolph Scott).
Six
Black Horses is one of my top ten favorite westerns.
It is not as action-packed as Audie Murphy’s other westerns, but the literate
script, great acting and location scenery in St. George, Utah make this a
special film. Saved
from being hanged as a horse thief by Frank Jesse, (Dan Duryea), Ben Lane
(Audie Murphy) and Frank meet up with Kelly (Joan O'Brien) who pays them to
take her to a little town to be with her husband. Unknown to them, Kelly is
setting Frank up and wants to kill him because he killed her husband in a
shootout. Encounters with Indians makes Frank decide he doesn’t want to go
further. Eventually, it comes to a showdown between Ben and Frank.
Running a scant 80
minutes under Harry Keller’s direction, Dan Duryea and Murphy are great together. Duryea
had previously worked with Audie Murphy in Ride
Clear of Diablo and Night Passage,
two equally fine westerns. The sometimes poetic script by Kennedy adds another
level to what might have been an average oater. When I interviewed Burt Kennedy years ago he made it clear that Audie Murphy was his hero.
Six Black Horses is available on Region
2 DVD but not region 1. If any of you executives at Universal Studios happen to
read this……well, I reckon it’s about time you did Audie Murphy’s westerns right.
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