In an effort to ignore the current election cycle, I have been directing my efforts toward the past, namely reading old books and watching old movies. Not too long ago, I watched Kiss me Deadly, a real gem from 1955 that I hadn’t seen in a while. The movie stars Ralph Meeker, a highly underrated actor in my humble opinion. You may know him as the sociopathic cavalry officer in Anthony Mann’s The Naked Spur, the psychiatrist and Lee Marvin drinking buddy in The Dirty Dozen, a cowardly French soldier in Paths of Glory, or (my personal favorite) FBI agent Bernie Jenks assisting Karl Kolchak in The Night Stalker. Meeker gives a nice, gritty performance as Mike Hammer, a gumshoe with the skills and know-how of a Dirty Harry, as well as a bit of a seedy side not seen in the noir thrillers of the 40s.
The movie inspired me to buy the book through one of Amazon’s $4 used specials. I first discovered Spillane many years ago during a phase where I was reading mostly horror, sci-fi, and fantasy instead of thrillers. I’m enjoying rediscovering his punchy style that is so much more direct and in your face than Hammett, Chandler, Cain, or MacDonald. And although still tame by today’s standards, the sex is a whole lot steamier, albeit still mostly implied (it’s no 50 shades).
“Even through the covers I could feel the firm pressure of her breasts, live things that caressed me of their own accord.” Kiss me Deadly by Mickey Spillane