To me "The Zebra-Striped Hearse" is part of the great run of Macdonald books--the psychoanalytic mysteries--that peaks with "The Galton Case." But after "The Goodbye Look" it was all stone--and "The Undergound Man" is the first of the dead ones. Paul Nelson spent a lot of time with Macdonald for a Rolling Stone story he was never able to write. When after Paul's death his Macdonald notes and transcripts were edited into a book, you could glimpse why. Macdonald was a victim of early onset Alzeheimer's, and it had kicked in by the time Paul was trying to draw him out. But so, perhaps, had Paul's. You read through the book and you can feel both of them pulling back into themselves, Paul not asking the questions he wants to ask, Macdonald evading almost everything. It's close to unreadable.
When I was in the hospital three years ago, once I began to emerge from the fog of surgery and started to regain some physical function--like being able to sit up or turn over--I started reading. I reread all of Chandler and all of Macdonald--that was all I could handle, and all I could do. I'd reread them all many times before. And I felt, as I sometimes had before, until I read a Chandler paragraph, that Macdonald was steps ahead. I wouldn't go to the firing squad with that. But I'd put a bet down and not mind if I lost.
Any Columbo where he scampered up and down hidden back hallways and stairs timing himself on his wristwatch to see if the killer had time to commit the murder and escape was always fun. This one also had Dean Stockwell, who was pretty cool. The episodes with Jack Cassidy are my favorites. These columns are always enjoyable.
Another cool column. Seventies TV was so rich because it was all we had, and could be contained by what could be pulled in by one's TV antenna. Today, of course, the SLA would have livestreamed everything. As for Ross Macdonald, the late Paul Nelson was a huge advocate, and I remember him turning Dave Marsh and I into Lew Archer fans. A month or so ago I muddled through one of Macdonald's lesser books, "The Zebra-Striped Hearse," then found my paperback of "The Underground Man," supposedly his classic. It's tone was dull; it's style rigid; the caper not worth sticking around for. L.A. in 1971 had more going on than Macdonald could figure out, IMHO. Quote from Eudora Welty on the cover: "A more serious and complex writer than Chandler and Hammett ever were." I don't even think Paul Nelson would agree with that.
Good mention of Geoff Petrie, the first Portland Trail Blazer star, pre-Bill Walton. Petrie and Celtic Dave Cowens shared rookie of the year award in the early 70's, I think '71-72 season. Petrie had a short career and is largely forgotten today, but was a great scorer on bad teams. The year before they picked Walton, Portland took LaRue Martin out of Loyola/Chicago with the draft's first pick and he was an all-time bust. But with Walton, they won '77 championship and it remains Portland's only championship to this day, I believe.
To me "The Zebra-Striped Hearse" is part of the great run of Macdonald books--the psychoanalytic mysteries--that peaks with "The Galton Case." But after "The Goodbye Look" it was all stone--and "The Undergound Man" is the first of the dead ones. Paul Nelson spent a lot of time with Macdonald for a Rolling Stone story he was never able to write. When after Paul's death his Macdonald notes and transcripts were edited into a book, you could glimpse why. Macdonald was a victim of early onset Alzeheimer's, and it had kicked in by the time Paul was trying to draw him out. But so, perhaps, had Paul's. You read through the book and you can feel both of them pulling back into themselves, Paul not asking the questions he wants to ask, Macdonald evading almost everything. It's close to unreadable.
When I was in the hospital three years ago, once I began to emerge from the fog of surgery and started to regain some physical function--like being able to sit up or turn over--I started reading. I reread all of Chandler and all of Macdonald--that was all I could handle, and all I could do. I'd reread them all many times before. And I felt, as I sometimes had before, until I read a Chandler paragraph, that Macdonald was steps ahead. I wouldn't go to the firing squad with that. But I'd put a bet down and not mind if I lost.
Any Columbo where he scampered up and down hidden back hallways and stairs timing himself on his wristwatch to see if the killer had time to commit the murder and escape was always fun. This one also had Dean Stockwell, who was pretty cool. The episodes with Jack Cassidy are my favorites. These columns are always enjoyable.
Another cool column. Seventies TV was so rich because it was all we had, and could be contained by what could be pulled in by one's TV antenna. Today, of course, the SLA would have livestreamed everything. As for Ross Macdonald, the late Paul Nelson was a huge advocate, and I remember him turning Dave Marsh and I into Lew Archer fans. A month or so ago I muddled through one of Macdonald's lesser books, "The Zebra-Striped Hearse," then found my paperback of "The Underground Man," supposedly his classic. It's tone was dull; it's style rigid; the caper not worth sticking around for. L.A. in 1971 had more going on than Macdonald could figure out, IMHO. Quote from Eudora Welty on the cover: "A more serious and complex writer than Chandler and Hammett ever were." I don't even think Paul Nelson would agree with that.
Wow quite the time capsule!
Good mention of Geoff Petrie, the first Portland Trail Blazer star, pre-Bill Walton. Petrie and Celtic Dave Cowens shared rookie of the year award in the early 70's, I think '71-72 season. Petrie had a short career and is largely forgotten today, but was a great scorer on bad teams. The year before they picked Walton, Portland took LaRue Martin out of Loyola/Chicago with the draft's first pick and he was an all-time bust. But with Walton, they won '77 championship and it remains Portland's only championship to this day, I believe.
Those "sound-alike" albums were proof that imitation isn't always the sincerest form of flattery.
Shoulda had a caveat emptor saying anyone looking to see Cagney or Bogart as a priest would have to settle for Pat O'Brien.