More Hammett Please

[I'd like to thank Joseph Lim of the SF Academy of Arts Film club and a previous speaker at the Danger & Despair Knitting Circle for contributing the following piece on Dashiell Hammett's Murphy bed. Stay tuned for news regarding the latest Thomas Pynchon novel, and the Pacific Film Archive series. - Robert]

Saving Dashiell Hammett's San Francisco apartment, no doubt, would be a worthy cause - a treasured artifact in this city's literary history. But how to do it? Immediately, declaration of the residence as a historical monument of historical and monumental proportions would be a start.

This, and what I hope to call a "burgeoning noir history city tour" - might also help. It can't hurt. There ought to be film noir guides, dressed in period attire, who show visitors many key and interesting film noir, crime (true crime or fictional), pertinent locations - where noir was shot or a dark story took place. Perhaps there may be stops at a "speak" - short for speakeasy - so to speak (and easy for you to say?). Even after Prohibition, a place where one speaks easily on covert locations - existed into the noir epoch and to this day. Fictional and sometimes occasionally nonfiction gangsters frequented these gin joints. And of all of them, she had to walk into mine. She could have, just as easily, walked into yours. She was easy that way. But surely, I digress.

One such noir city tour stop must be Samuel Dashiell Hammett's former apartment. Photos must be snapped - with maybe a shot of someone's girlfriend briefly reclined on his murphy bed? Proceeds go to preservation of this and/or other hardboiled literary historical sites (and other murphy beds). Paid for by the committee to save Hammett's murphy bed.

Perhaps an idea or dream only. But it came to me, as I tapped away on my updated typewriter (called a computer), my cigarette dangling devilishly out of a mouth corner, the ashes piling up on my cheap hotel carpet. I poured another gin into a glass, then coughed - due to tuberculosis - while my hardboiled detective (based on my life's experiences as an ex-Pinkerton detective) was being born. This isn't my life, but Dashiell Hammett's, and in that apartment, during business hours, before using that murphy bed.

This was also visualised in the 1982 Francis Coppola produced film, Hammett, based on the novel of the same title. However, in my film critic's opinion, while the movie was occasionally noirish in quality, and Frederic Forrest's portrayal was fantastic, the rest of the picture could have been better. It theorises scenes and characters from The Maltese Falcon inspired by Hammett's detective work (i.e., this one last job, just when he thought he was out of it for good).

Another interesting portrayal of Hammett was performed by Jason Robards in the 1977 film, "Julia" - a supporting role as Hammett the writer who was having an affair with the playwright Lillian Hellman. Multi-layered and complex, this was the portrayal which showed all the experience, ruggedness, and "hardboiled-ness" of the man in a few scenes. This I recommend.

Until the next blog entry, this is Joseph Lim, of the Academy of Art Film Club - blog correspondent - signing off - for now. - Jospeph Lim

It's Hammett Time

Dashiell Hammett, who died in 1961, lived at 891 Post Street during the years in which he penned Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, and The Maltese Falcon. The building, which boasts a plaque from the
"Friends of Libraries" places the apartment building on the "Literary Landmarks Register." The Literary Landmarks Associate was founded in 1986 and apparently guarantees you may get a plaque, but not much more. Not that we can hold this against them. Find out more about the Friends of Libraries here.

However, our man in the field (Peter L, who should be writing this), has recently brought the following to my attention: the apartment in which Hammett was believed to occupy was #401, which is occupied by Hammett aficionado Bill Arney. Mr. Arney, due to financial reasons, may have to give up the residence. He has performed a good deal of research, restoration work, and has opened his home to other fans of the late Hammett. Amongst some of Mr. Arney's reputed work involved keeping the original Murphy bed, tile restoration, and even family photos by Hammett.

I hope to speak to Mr. Arney in the near future and get the dope on the situation. It would be a shame if the apartment's 1920s decor were replaced by -- well, whatever it is that landlord's in rent controlled San Francisco tend to view as efficient.

For more information on Hammet in San Francisco, check this out and this.

Hammett fun fact: Dashiell Hammett was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee for his subversive leftist views. Hammett never named names and was jailed for five months.

To be continued ...