He Wrote The Maltese Falcon

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/31/2009

HAMMETT, Dashiell (1894-1961) American author of hard-boiled detective stories, introduced Sam Spade, with his book THE MALTESE FALCON, to the public with the detective becoming an American icon. During the late 1940's, Hammett, became a supporter of the Civil Rights Congress of New York. These sympathies put him directly in the line of fire of McCarthy's Red Scare and resulted in his being jailed and investigated by the IRS.Typed Letter Signed, "Dash," on Beverly Willshire, Beverly Hills, Ca., stationary, January 22, 1950, 1pp., fine. Hammett had been hired by Paramount to adapt Sidney Kingley's "Detective Story" for the screen. The movie was released in 1951, starring Kirk Douglas. Of Kinsley, Hammett writes, "It is my firm conviction that Sidney Kingsley is a lame-brain." And of the director William Wyler dinner, "Last night I went over to the Wylers' for dinner --- the worst dinner I remember since one at Maxwell Anderson's out here in the 30's. I think the soup was made out of old stencils -- or rejected scripts."

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