She grinned at me. “You got types?”
“Only you, darling — lanky brunettes with wicked jaws.”
—Dashiell Hammett, The Thin Man (1929)
photo by Richard Avedon, 1961
Western Han dynasty, 207 BCE – 9 CE
Gold, jade, agate, turquoise
Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology, Xi’an
—Aldous Huxley on The Jazz Singer, 1927
by Raffaello Santi ( 1505-1506)
oil on wood
65 x 51 cm
Galleria Borghese, Rome
—Christopher Isherwood, Prater Violet
Roses, Feb. 2019
In thinking of Dashiell Hammett, I was in San Francisco about 20 years ago for a meeting and realized my hotel was across the street from the spot where Miles Archer was shot by Bridget O’Shaunessey. Like Raymond Chandler, Hammett was very good on his locations. One of the pleasures of Chandler’s novels is the history of Los Angeles in the 20s and 30s. I don’t live there anymore but I loved the city when it was habitable. “Bay City,” for example, in “The Big Sleep,” is Malibu. There is still a “Bay City Cafe” or was.
I was hoping I’d be able to tell you what that castle-like building in the “Hollywoodland” photo was, but sadly, I can’t. It appears a few times in Greg Williams’ 1992 book “The Story of Hollywoodland,” but other than saying the location of the picture is Ledgewood Drive, there’s no further information. It was most likely a private house, but I really don’t know.
I walked one of those roads leading up to the Hollywood sign a couple of years ago – a day or two before I met you at your home, Robert! Of course it’s dense with houses now, but I don’t remember anything that looked like the big white house in that picture, but I might have been looking in the wrong place.
Robert knows how I feel about Myrna Loy. William Powell is also one of my favorite actors so, naturally, The Thin Man is one of my favorite movies. Note Myrna’s dress design in this Art Deco-era film.
I like the Vette, but I’m partial to the 1960 model with dual headlights and a “better” grill (IMHO).
I love the Carole Lombard photo… and the watch design.
I like the Renoir and I like a lot of his paintings. He was, I’ve read, an avid Anti-Semite so that’s disappointing, but not totally unexpected.
I love the lamp designs in the Constance Bennett photo… and the Vanity Fair cover, and the Empire State Building. You’ve really outdone yourself on the Art Deco front, Robert!
Im dated a girl in college who drove a 57 Thunderbird A surgeon friend, the father of a roommate, drove a 57 Corvette. Those car bodies were fiberglass and a bitch to repair. My college fraternity chapter president drove a 56 corvette and creamed a fender going into or out of the garage at his parents’ house.
I have a DVD set of “The Thin Man” movies.
As usual, wonderful selection. That Corvette is beautiful! I had an epiphany the other day – that new mid-engined Corvette is probably close to a 200 mph car (if not over), meanwhile the roads get slower and slower. My George Carlin moment.
My mother and I lately are watching Perry Mason on Amazon. What fascinates me is the cars they use. Paul Drake, his PI, drives a white ’57 Corvette convertible. Perry seems to alternately drive a black ’57 Ford sedan and a black Cadillac (57) Convertible. I’ve also seen a 57 T Bird and Continental (3,000 made at $9800 in 1957 – and Ford lost money on every one).
I know that Hollywoodland was the original sign – was there a large plalace lkike bldg below it? I guess so.
From Gregory P. Williams: The house is called Kanst Gallery because its original owner had an art gallery on the main floor. Frederic Remington stayed as a guest during and exhibit of his paintings.