Dashiell Hammett Dies, Jan. 11, 1961

Jan. 11, 1961: Dashiell Hammett dies at the age of 67. A Times editorial the next days wonders about a “slight odor of Communist mentality” in “The Maltese Falcon.” No, really! Also from The Times’ editorial page The Japanese Menace, 1920 U.S. haven for Jewish refugees impractical, 1938 Don’t recall Mayor Shaw, 1938   U.S. doesn’t need federal anti-lynching law, 1938

Comments

[Native Angeleno]

Amazing anyone could play detective so poorly as to tie an amoral concern to cover for the company over a pursuit for justice. Unnamed Times Editorialist of 50 years ago, Hammett was describing America, then and now.

Looks like the entire country has "become" the very witches, er Commies, the Times was hunting. Utterly cluelessly.

[Eve]

Has anyone here ever read Tiffany Thayer? He wrote some books in the early '30s that were so hard-boiled you could roll 'em on the White House lawn (13 Men, 13 Women, Call Her Savage). His later (post-1940) books are pretty awful, though.