"The Unknown Love" by Raymond Chandler (1908)

We all know and love Raymond Chandler for his hard-boiled detective novels, featuring Philip Marlow, as well as his other “pulp fiction” type stories; and also his screenplays; for films like “Double Indemnity” and "The Big Sleep." But what I didn't know was that he once wrote poetry. He was only 17 when he wrote this one, which was published on December 19, 1908 in Chamber’s Journal, a magazine out of London at the time.

I was reading a biography of Mr. Chandler by Tom Williams (no relation) when I came across the first verse of the poem in the chapter about Mr. Chandler’s years in London. He went to school there for a time, and evidently wrote poetry as well.

This poem places an unknown woman on a pedestal, much as he would do in his later writings. Actually; according to Tom Williams; the poem holds all the elements of a Philip Marlowe story. There is a seductive, almost unknowable woman, and then a man, seemingly trapped by his own passion for her, in a relationship which is always doomed from the start. That’s pretty heavy stuff for a 17 year old.

Anyway, here it is; a Raymond Chandler poem. I got the text from a website which has all of his early poetry. It’s unpolished, and some would say not that good. No matter; I really like it.

“The Unknown Love”

When the evening sun is slanting,

When the crickets raise their chanting,

And the dewdrops lie a-twinkling on the grass,

As I climb the pathway slowly,

With a mien half proud, half lowly,

O'er the ground your feet have trod I gently pass.

Round the empty house I wander,

Where the ivy now is fonder

Of your memory than those long gone away;

And I feel a sweet affection

For the plant that lends protection

To the window whence you looked on me that day.

Was it love or recognition,

When you stormed my weak position

And made prisoner my heart for evermore?

For I felt I long had known you,

That I'd knelt before the throne you

Graced in Pharaoh's days or centuries before.

Though your face from me was hidden,

Yet the balm was not forbidden

On your coffin just to see the wreath I sent.

Though no word had passed between us,

Yet I felt that God had seen us

And had joined your heart to mine e'en as you went.

Let them talk of love and marriage,

Honeymoon and bridal carriage,

And the glitter of a wedding   la mode!

Could they understand the union

Of two hearts in dear communion

Who were strangers in the world of flesh and blood?

In my eyes the tears are welling

As I stand before your dwelling,

In my pilgrimage to where you lived, my fair.

And ere I return to duty

In this world of weary beauty,

To the stillness of the night I breathe my prayer:

When the last great trump has sounded,

When life's barque the point has rounded,

When the wheel of human progress is at rest,

My beloved, may I meet you,

With a lover's kiss to greet you,

Where you wait me in the gardens of the blest!

R. T. CHANDLER.

"Gangster Squad" with Nick Nolte and Sean Penn (2013)

Los Angeles of the late 1940’s and 1950’s was a time of rampant corruption among the police department, as they battled the local gangsters, who in turn, battled the gangsters from out of town trying to horn in on what was then known in Loss Angeles as the “combination.” Mickey Cohen inherited the position of leading the pack after his predecessor met an untimely passing.

Long the subject of movies and books; some non-fiction, some fiction; the story of Mickey Cohen, and the Police department he fought, have both became legends which will outlive time itself. Movies such as “L.A. Confidential”, and “Mulholland Drive” both set the bar high for examples of the better films about Los Angeles during this period. And this film lives up to those in respect to facts and settings. The set designs, as well as the costumes, are all perfect, giving a feel of authenticity to the whole film.

Sean Penn and Nick Nolte are both believable in their respective roles as the gangster who knows  no rules, and the Chief of Police who is of the same mind, only on the opposite side of the law as the notorious gangster. As hey battle wits, and exchange gunfire, there is a begrudging respect built out of their mortal combat, but still, there can be only one winner in this winner take all drama based on true events. Directed by Ruben Fleischer from a script by Will Beal, this film will have you riveted to your seat from beginning to end.

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" with Dana Andrews (1950)

Dana Andrews plays a detective who accidently kills a murder suspect he believes to be innocent. Now, he finds himself in the awkward position of trying to prove the dead man guilty of a murder which he never did, even while trying to cover up the crime he himself has committed.

When he falls in love with the dead man’s widow, played by Gene Tierney, things get even more complicated. This is one of those truly underrated film noir classics with a great storyline and some serious acting, including Karl Malden as the new chief of Detectives, who has his doubts about the methods his men use, but still must answer to his own higher ups in order to justify his job.

Dana Andrews acts with a rare intensity in this film, opposite a sizzling Gene Tierney as they take you back to the days when detectives were “gumshoes” and the gals were “dames”. Round it out with some good old fashioned detective work, and it all adds up to a great viewing experience.

"Out of the Past" with Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas and Rhonda Fleming (1947)

Robert Mitchum is quiet, but tough, in this thriller set a few hundred miles from Los Angeles in the late 1940's. As a former Private Investigator, Jeff Bailey has a past which he wants to leave behind him. He works at a small town garage with a deaf mute, played by Dickie Moore. Life seems a bit boring, but sometimes boring can be a good thing.  All of that is about to change, however, when a stranger comes to town, summoning Jeff back to his old life, and his former underworld connection, Whit Sterling, played by Kirk Douglas.

Jeff has been seeing a local girl, Ann, played by Virginia Huston, and she knows nothing of his past. Before he leaves town to meet Whit at Lake Tahoe, Jeff calls her and tells her the truth about his past. He had been hired by Whit to find his missing girlfriend Kathie, played by Jane Greer, who has run off with $40,000 of Whit's money. Jeff finds her in Acapulco, but not the money. At the same time that he is trailing her, he falls in love with her. Making their escape from Whit, they hide out in a cabin in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. But a former partner of Jeff's finds them there, launching the pair into a series of double crosses and half truths, which result in his partner's death. When Jeff finds that Kathie does have the $40,000 he leaves her, setting off a chain of events that can have only one conclusion.

The Two Dick Powells - From Musicals to Mystery

There are two Dick Powells; the one who, along with Ruby Keeler, sang and danced his way into the hearts of America in all the great musicals of the 1930's; with films such as "42nd Street", which is still somewhat of a staple for me on New Years Eve. His charm and vocal abilities, along with his dancing skills, made him what was then referred to as a "heart throb" for millions of his fans. But, after awhile, dancing was the last thing which he wanted to do. He longed for a serious lead, even in a "B" movie. It took awhile, but in 1944 he got his chance to reinvent himself in a serious movie, as the leading character in the film "Murder My Sweet", and it wouldn't be his last.

In this wonderful piece of film noire, directed by Edward Dmytryk, Mr. Powell hangs up his hat and cane to play gumshoe Philip Marlowe in the film version of Raymond Chandler's famed private eye. As a matter of fact, Mr. Chandler once referred to Dick Powell as having come the closest to the author's own vision of Philip Marlowe. That's high praise, considering that Marlowe has been played by everybody, from Humphrey Bogart in the early 1940's, to Robert Mitchum in the mid 1970's.

One of the more remarkable aspects of this film is the use; by the bad guys; of mind altering drugs, or truth serums, on Marlowe as he is "pumped" for information leading to the recovery of some very valuable jade; which may, or may not, be missing. What makes it so remarkable is that most of us associate these types of drugs with the early CIA experiments of the 1950's. Of course, it is well known that the Nazis had developed some very powerful hallucinogenic drugs during the war, so maybe it's not so remarkable at all. But the special effects; limited as they were to the technology of the times; are mind bending of their own accord. A great thanks is due director Edward Dmytryk for these innovative concepts, which would later be imitated by Alfred Hitchcock in several of his own films.

Thrown into the mix, in this film adaptation of the novel, are some unusual characters, all equally unforgettable. From the broken down jazz singer to the hulking presence of "Moose" Malloy; an ex-con who is looking for his girl Velma, who; just as with the jade, may, or may not be waiting for him; all the actors play an integral part in the mystery. This is one of those movies that plays out on screen as well as it reads, in spite of a few minor changes by screenwriter John Paxton.

The big surprise in this film is the unique adaptability of Dick Powell, from a song and dance man, to a serious actor. And playing opposite veterans such as Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley really gives the viewer a chance to see Mr. Powell as a leading man in a straight role, which is in itself, a treat.

"Gun Crazy" with Peggy Cummins and John Dall (1949)

No film noir collection could be complete without this one in it. It's as cheezy as the cover looks, and maybe a bit more. The film starts out okay, a boyhood Bart Tare breaks into a gun shop and steals a pistol. He is immediately caught and sent to reform school, from which he graduates into the Army. After he gets out he returns to his hometown, now played by John Dall.

After meeting his two oldest friends, they agree to attend the local carnival. It's there where Bart meets Annie Laurie Starr, played by Peggy Cummins, a sharp shorter in a sideshow act. She shares Bart's fascination with guns. When he accepts a challenge, at 10 to 1 odds, he wins her instantly when he defeats her. After an argument with her manager concerning Bart, the two quit the sideshow and embark begin a crime spree, which is exactly what Bart would never have done on his own. He has clearly fallen victim to Annie, who now directs all their movements as they rob banks, gas stations and stores in a crime spree which is sure to end in disaster.

When Bart has an epiphany and wants to quit, Annie persuades him to take on just "one more job", which will set them up for life. Bart, thinking this is the quickest way out of the life he has fallen into, does what he did that night when he met her at the sideshow; he accepts her challenge to do "just one more job"; with predictable results.

Cool movie, if you're into a Mickey Spillane/Mike Hammer like type of scenario. Shot in black and white, in and around what seems to be Los Angeles in the late 1940's, the film is remarkably well preserved.

"Impact" with Brian Donlevy, Charles Coburn and Ella Raines

I thought I had seen all the film noir there is to see, but somehow I missed this one. Charles Coburn, usually the guy who plays a beleagured father in law, or industrialist, is delightfully cast out of character in this film as Detective Quincy of the San Francisco Police Department. Brian Donlevy is the hapless and unlucky Walter Williams, a self-made businessman so in love with his wife that he cannot see what is about to happen to him.

When he leaves for a trip to Denver, where he has just purchased 3 new factories, his wife, Irene, played by Helen Walker, arranges to have her husband give a lift to a relative named Jim Torrance, played by Tony Barrett. Tony, who is not a relative, has been having an affair with Irene, and the plan is to have him kill Walter en route to Denver. Irene and Jim then plan to leave the country for Mexico. But it never comes to pass.

After nearly being killed by Jim, Walter Williams is left for dead on the side of the road. When Jim speeds away in Walter's car, he crashes into a gasoline tanker and dies in the inferno. His remains are beyond recognition, so the authorities assume that the dead man is Walter Williams. Meantime Irene is packing, getting ready to leave town with her lover. But, as the days tick by, she becomes increasingly concerned that Jim has double crossed her.

Walter, by this time, has recovered enough to realize just what has happened. Finding himself battered and alone on the road he ends up in a small town, where he lands a job at a service station, fixing cars. The owner of the station is a war widow and soon the two find themselves falling for one another.

As all this is happening, Detective Quincy is pursuing the case. As the circle tightens it begins to look as if Walter discovered the plot to kill him, and then murdered the would be murderer. Irene captilizes upon this twist, leaving the viewer in suspense as Detective Quincy tries to make sense of it all. When Irene is finally arrested for the plot to kill her husband, Walter still remains in the small town, following the case in the papers, relishing the irony of his wifes predicament. Will he remain undercover? Or will he come forward to see that justice is served, and to reclaim his life?

A very tightly written script by Jay Dratler and Dorothy Davenport, combined with the taut direction of Arthur Lubin, make this film a keeper. With wonderful vistas of San Francisco in the late 1940's, many of the scenes were shot on the streets of the city, this is a very entertaining film.

"The Big Clock" with Charles laughton, Ray Milland and Maureen O'Sullivan

This is one of the later movies classified as "film noir." Released in 1948 it represents a wonderful vehicle for Charles Laughton as the micro-managing editor of a major newspaper. In the lobby of the news building is a system of clocks that tell the time all over the world. It is representative of the value of time, as perceived by the newspapers editor Mr. Janoth (played by Charles Laughton). His star reporter, George Stroud (played by Ray Milland) has, on account of Mr. Janoth's work ethic, not been on vacation for several years. He is always pursuing some story, or even the hint of one, at the suggestion of his boss, Mr. Janoth. This is beginning to wear thin at home with Mrs. Stroud, who has thrown down the gauntlet. The train leaves at 6:30 sharp. She is going to go on vacation, with him, or without.

When Mr. Janoth assigns Mr. Stroud a lead on a very important news story, one that could lead to his being promoted, Stroud is almost sucked back in, risking his happiness at home. At the last moment he decides to quit. On the way to the station, and his wife, he decides to have a drink to celebrate his "freedom." At the bar he meets a woman who happens to be the mistress (played by Rita Johnson) of his former boss and has a grudge against him. After a few drinks Stroud has forgotten all about the time and is uproariously drunk. After carousing about town and being seen everywhere, she takes Stroud, who is now too inebriated to navigate on his own, home with her to "sleep it off" on her sofa. There is no romantic involvement, just circumstances.

When Mr. Janoth's mistress finds that the editor is on his way up to her apartment, she rouses the hapless Stroud from his slumber just in time for him to leave. But he has left behind the one thing that can potentially identify him; a sundial with a green ribbon that the two took from a bar.

Mr. Janoth arrives and proceeds to have a fierce argument with his mistress. Words are said, and in a moment of rage Mr. Janoth uses the sundial to bludgeon his mistress to death. He then flees, leaving the murder weapon behind.

Aided by his most loyal minion, Steve Hagen,(played by George Macready) the race is on to find a fictious killer, and at the same time use the story as a vehicle to boost the paper's sales. In the meantime, our hapless reporter, Mr. Stroud, has re-united with his wife and child, and beginning his long overdue vacation. Then the phone rings.

Mr. Janoth, who is desperate to pin his crime on someone else, cajoles his star reporter into returning from vacation, to solve the mystery and boost the paper's sales. Although Stroud does not wish to leave his wife he realizes the necessity of micro-managing the investigation. The irony here is that he is now doing exactly what he despises about his boss, manipulating people for his own purposes.

With an outstanding appearance by Elsa Lanchester as a witness,(she also happened to be married to Mr. Laughton in real life and appeared in several films with him) she plays a struggling artist who has seen the alledged killer in an antique store on the night of the murder and in the company of Mr. Janoth's mistress.

As the clocks in the lobby tick the time away, the noose tightens, threatening to ensnare Stroud in a trap not of his own making. With a tightly written script and the wonderful Direction of John Farrow, this movie will keep the viewer riveted until the final conclusions are drawn.

A landmark film, set in the New York of the late 1940's, this film was remade as "No Way Out" in 1989 with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. They play a military officer (Costner) who is having an affair with a Senator's (Hackman) mistress. Both films are well made, but for my money I'll take Ray Milland and Charles Laughton in this exciting piece of film noir.

"L.A. Noir" by John Buntin

This book is a real page turner. Los Angeles has a very colorful and sordid history. From the 1920's through the 1960's is like one big film noir story.

In this book Mr. Buntin explores that history and the characters involved in the making of the legend that Los Angeles has become. This story involves Bugsy Seigel, Mickey Cohen, Clark Clifford, Billy Graham and a host of others. The Billy Graham-Mickey Cohen connection is truly amazing all by itself. The whole book is one long narrative of how crime, vice, politics and religion play such a large role in our daily lives. In this case the connection of these forces shaped the direction of a major city.

If you have ever seen the movie "LA Confidential" you will be amazed at how much of that movie was taken from real life. "Bloody Christmas" really did happen in 1951 Los Angeles. This was a time when people left bottles of whiskey on the corner for the police to pick up for the annual holiday bash at Central Division.

Illegal wiretapping, beatings, prostitution and gambling are the mainstays of Organized Crime and Los Angeles is determined to keep Organized Crime out of the city. They had their own "Combination" going and wanted no competition. The battle was on for control of the city and its' criminal enterprises.

With the advent of the Kefauver Committee in the 1950's Robert Kennedy enters upon the scene as counsel for the hearings. This role helps pave the way for his brother John's Presidential run in 1960. And Los Angeles would be the site of that years Democratic Convention. It is also the city where Robert Kennedy would be killed in 1968 at the height of his own Presidential campaign.

There is a scene in the movie "Mulholland Falls" in which Nick Nolte and his fellow detectives take an out of town hood and throw him off a cliff. If it seemed far fetched in the film- it wasn't. In real life it actually happened- more than once.

The book is gritty and carries the tension of the struggle between law enforcement and the Mob on every page. The personal peculiarities of Mickey Cohen and his henchman make dramatic and sometimes amusing reading.

The book is extensive and follows the history of crime in Los Angeles from the 1930's through the racially charged times of the Watts Riots in 1965 and beyond. It is well written and has an extensive bibliography. And through this book I have learned that Mickey Cohen wrote an autobiography. You can be sure I will be reading that one!