PULP FICTION
late 1800’s – mid-1950
Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was a British-American novelist and screenwriter. At the age of forty-four, Chandler switched his career to write detective novels after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Great Depression. He taught himself to write pulp fiction by studying the formula Erle Stanley Gardner used for Perry Mason.
His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939, featuring his famous Philip Marlowe detective character speaking in the first person.
In 1950, Chandler described in a letter to his English publisher why he began reading pulp magazines and then later wrote for them:
"Wandering up and down the Pacific Coast in an
automobile I began to read pulp magazines,
because they were cheap enough to throw away and because I never had at any time any taste for the kind of thing which is known as
women's magazines. This was in the great days of the Black Mask (if I may call them
great days) and it struck me that some of the
writing was pretty forceful and honest, even
though it had its crude aspect. I decided that
this might be a good way to try to learn to
write fiction and get paid a small amount of
money at the same time. I spent five months
over an 18,000 word novelette and sold it for
$180. After that I never looked back, although I had a good many uneasy periods looking forward."
Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond
Chandler. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep, published in
1939. Wikipedia
Seven actors played the part of detective, Philip Marlowe:
Dick Powell, “Murder, My Sweet” (1944)
Humphrey Bogart, “The Big Sleep” (1946)
James Garner, “Marlowe” (1969)
Elliott Gould, “The Long Goodbye” (1973)
Robert Mitchum, “Farewell, My Lovely” (1975) and
“The Big Sleep”
(1978)
Powers Boothe, “Philip Marlowe, Private Eye” (1983-1986)
Danny Glover, “Fallen Angels - Red
Wind" (1995)
Humphrey Bogart & Lauren Bacall
"The Big Sleep" 1946
