Anyone remember Philip Marlowe on TV

[Lavan]

He had a 1959 Ford Galaxy (so did I) ....but....HIS had a gun compartment in the dash. He would push a button and it would slide out and down.
In it were a 6 inch M10 (for shootin bad guys on the horizon)
And a 2 incher (also think it was a M10......fer close work)


He never CARRIED a gun as I remember. Just pulled up to the scene of the about to take place shootout and selected the "proper" gun.

 

[Raider]

I checked with my source of TV trivia. He said that the hidden compartment was actually under the dash and flopped down when Marlowe pushed the button.

Now, what was the brand and model no. of the shoulder holster that Jeff Spencer (77 Sunset Strip) wore?

RIKA

 

[YosemiteSam357]

No, but I happen to be reading a Ray Chandler "Omnibus" right now, with the first four Marlowe stories in it. You can certainly see where a lot of the more modern detective stories got their style. Especially that hack Robert B. Parker ("Spenser").

Actually, now that I've said that, the stories I'm reading were written in 1939-43, not '59. Certainly gives you an interesting perspective, reading something written that long ago.

-- Sam

 

[Denny Hansen]

77 Sunset Strip? Never heard of it. You guys must be really old! ("Kookie, Kookie, lend me your comb." )

Don't remember what Spencer carried, but IIRC, and it has been a long time, Stu Bailey carried a Detective Special.

Denny

 

[Raider]

I'm not that old at 24 years but I have friends who are in their 60's and 70's. They like to talk and I like to listen.

Here's the answer. Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) carried a Det Spcl in a cross draw holster. Spencer (Roger Smith) also carried the DS but in a Lawrence No. 7 shoulder holster.

RIKA

 

[Johnny Guest]

I'm sure you're correct about Spencer''s Colt - - -

- - -Raider.

The OTHER Spenser (with a second "S", ) creation of "that hack Robert B. Parker," carried a small assortment in the novels - - A five-shot S&W, probably a Chiefs Special, a Browning High Power, and I think a Beretta. His paramour, Doctor Susan, used a Ruger revolver in one encounter. His running buddy Hawk, preferred magnum revolvers and pump shotguns. In the TV series, Spenser used just the big Beretta and Hawk carried a Colt Python and frequently the shotgun.

YosemiteSam357, you don't seem to have a very high opinion of Mr. Parker. While I'll admit to liking much of his work, I was amused when another author referred to "A private detective who sends more time telling you what he WON'T do than actually doing things."

Best,
Johnny

 

[YosemiteSam357]

It's just that I've been on a detective story binge for a year or so, and have read a lot of different authors. Recently I read "The Early Spensers", a collection of the first three novels. I found all three stories to be exactly the same format, as though Parker had an outline and just plugged in different character names and a slightly different plotline.

He was extremely successful (sold the stories into "Spenser for Hire" for TV, after all) and I don't begrudge him that; I guess I've become a bit picky.

You want good, check out Dennis Lehane. While "Mystic River" was (apparently) written to become the award-winning movie that it was (it's a very "cinematic" read), "Gone Baby, Gone" and (especially) hist latest, "Shutter Island" are downright scarily good.

-- Sam

 

[carebear]

I once bought all the spenser novels at a used book store. The characters are all too precious and too perfect but I enjoy the dialogue.

Spenser usually carried in the early books the aforementioned 5-shot Smith. He would "clip on his holster". as I recall. He also had a .357 Python for "in case he was ever attacked by a finback whale" or "ever had to shoot a polar bear". He up gunned to the Browning HP, carried condition 2, several books ago. I think the Beretta was just on TV.

Lehane is cool, start with "a drink before the war" and read the kenzie/gennaro stories in order. As was said, Mystic River and Shutter Island (really cool!) are stand alones.

 

[Lone Star]

Stuart Bailey also carried a Chief's Spcl., I think. Depended on the episode. The private eyes in the companion series set in New Orleans had Chief's Specials, with a Smith M27 3.5-inch barrel (?) in the safe, for when they went into the swamps or otherwise needed more power.

I think Marlowe's TV guns were a Colt Detective Special and a Police Positive Special.

Robert B. Parker has acknowledged his debt to Marlowe, and even completed a mss. found in Raymond Chandler's effects after his death. ("Poodle Springs".)

Parker and Jack Higgins indeed write to a formula, with the characters and settings changing from one book to another, but the basics are there.

The "Prey" series by John Sandford is more original...somewhat. See www.johnsandford.org for his site, run by the author's daughter. There's an excerpt from his latest book, "Hidden Prey", which I've just read. Can you believe one villain is named Carl Walther?!

Lone Star

 

[BigG]

The Philip Marlowe I remember was Bogie, who had the same flip down panel with two revos in his coupe in "The Big Sleep." There was also a Mitchum remake but I don't remember any revos as it was set in antigun bloody olde Englande.