1955-05-07 — Page 13

RAYMOND CHANDLER

now says:

I CONFESS

statesmen's

The author whose books are found in suitcases, are read by bishops in trains-and devoured by millions of ordinary people-is Raymond Chandler. He has turned detective stories into literature, as well as gold mines. Over the past 15 years—in best-sellers and best-filmers such at "The Big Sleep," "The High. Window," and "Lady in the Lake"--he has added his own creation, Philip Marlowe, to the gallery of unforgettable fictional detectives. Marlowe, of course, is a hardboiled, indestructible "private "eye.” RENE MacCOLL decided to assume the Marlowe

he interviewed Chandler technique when week in London,

And

this

Here is MacColl-Marlowe's' report.

"I've no special, knowledge

about the police ...

99

T was about noon, and who do wire tapping and divorce

T

I was calling on

41

man who has slugged

a million dollars out

of a typewriter.

work and steal photos when

tney get the chance. They never werk on murder cases.

know-

"I have nu special hedge about the police or police methods.

I have never been a

I was wearing my suit, crime reporter. I do know a

casually, and the new one, and display couple. cops

handkerchief brown suede if I want a particular piece of shoes, matching socks with information about police work I 1 have ecasionally ask for it. darns in them. I

never based a charaotar un any 1:'s moderately healthy.

person I have ever met

felt

The rain had stopped and all imagination.

there was the

ameli of sparrows

elean, charg

in the air.

"Mostly the police. in America

The place had 7 front-door, are rather stupid people. And

and I was standing there won

if it opened dering

there is still a lot of police

brutality and sadism in the large

outwards. etres."

when the commissionaire slid me

ม

a remote, ageless look, finished biting his nails, and went in-

side.

Chandler was sitting in the oak-panelled bar. He showed me dark glasses, grey hair, and a

HE

E sat there brooding over the brutality and the bounced.

small face with a cigarette in it. e cherry agains: the inside of

His left hand moved impercep- tibly, shifting a fawn-coloured trouser-leg upwards.

soundlessly. "Any questions?" he snapped.

his glass almost

I reached for my voice. "Why as Marlowe never quite fall tor the girl?".

"Marlowe would lose some-

promiscuous. by being THE THE canary-yellow socks were thing

hand-made, So were the pig. Some of these clucks, I mean

writers, of the other skin monk's shoes, Figuring some from knee-level to the ground spend their time writing sex. But in his last case alone, 30 guineas were on dis. Not me.

Marlowe did have an affair. play.

it had been stabbed with

The voice sounded as though It couldn't so on for ever, the an way he always said no-the guy

was human and he had to break Cown some time.

ice-pick. "How

do you like your

whisky?" it ask-

ed: With 'gin-

ger

ale," I said. There

was 2

long wedge

of

silence, and then

the

softly,

take

voice said

Mister."

wou

chances,

He hall-frown-

ed at his gimiet, tasted

ít. and

then frowned

Some

gove

more.

him the

boyish smile and

I hated to sce him do

Self

Then

I

το

he stärted-to-

talk,

ז''

won't tell

you my age." he

Said, because I never tell agy-

one that. I live

in

San

a suburb of

Diego, in

Southern

Cali-

fornia. It Ukes

10

think itself Completo flop as reporter, but sure-fire thriller writer mother

camė

no

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1965.

AFRO ASIAN

AMELLI

STYLES IN THE EAST

WIN TRIENDS

World Copyright dy arrangement with the Manchester Guardian

As the political pulse in Britain quickens, three words hold the political key-

PEACE AND PANTRY

These are the issues in the vital time ahead says

H

we

London. go-smack

DEREK MARKS

Daily Express Political Correspondent

ERE

inte the first General Election for. four years. And, at once, the. issues are clear. This is going to be the Peace and Russia. Pantry Election.

a return te the ration book?

These are the issues on which the main part of the General Election campaign is to fought.

be

munist Government of Sovie!

Yet, at Geneva

Sir Anthony: During your six years of office there were no top level talks of any kind.

"Mr Shinwell: Now that the

giant killer has gone surely the undertaking the task dwarts are quite incapable

of

To that Sir Anthony did not reply.

The H-bomb

are

Never, they will say, have there been more people at work in peacetime Britain.

say, have Never, they will wage packets been fatter.

bave

Never, they will say, there been more jobs going- with fewer people to fill the vacarries,

50

The ration book

13

the

Only a Government of the they will bint, On May 26 the voters will working class,

THE SOCIALISTS will con- decide, in effect, two major can possibly hope to strike a

centrate on the cost of living. THE TORIES will stand by questions: Who is best true bargain with the Russians,

There

for is more IDODEY fitted to deal with the Rus the record. They will make

housekeeping-but · meat costs sians in the

Hydrogen thes points:

tea. The doc? more, years

that Socialists Bomb age? Sir Anthony In the six postwar

will point out Socialists that the

were though. But the Eden and Mr Harold Mac in office they achieved not one.

food prices have risen in all by last kind of affair he millan

with the Clement diplomatic success

nearly 19 percent in the or Mr

In other words for THE gigantic mushroom of the three years, had. I'd like my-Attlee and Mr Herbert Mor- Russiaris.

last year, hydrogen bomb casts its every £5 worth of groceries rison ?

2

ago only £4 is. Tory Foreign shadow over the polling booth three years it was a the films He Who is the man to keep Secretary new the Prime this spring.

worth can be bough; today, THE TORIES laughed with Britain rich enough to avoid Minister who found it possible

solidly

silence and Amusement. Mr R. A. Butler or Mr Hugh to co-operate with his Russlan behind the decision that Britain opposite mumber, Vyacheslav Ehall, like America and Russia, "Holly wood," Gaitskell?

Molotov,.-

and end the war in make the H-bomb.

can TN the same three years, renta he said, and

They say that Britain Indo-China. listen paused to

Mr-now Sir Anthony-Eden best prevent an H-bomb attack and rates have risen by weil

percent--and John by being strong enough to hit over the smaft

did not hit it off with Faster Dulles of America; back with the same devastating Socialists will charge that much of this is due to Mr Butler's Molotov did not hit it off with weapon Chou En-lai of Red China; but

policy of raising the bank rate. they did, somehow, reach

like an atom on this issue. Mr

In short, they will say, the Frid

and whole of the Tory economic themselves aligned with Tory Farty behind the H-bomb, richer instead of the poorer the policy is designed to help the But Mr Aneurin Bevan and sections of the community. his friends believe we should.. have the bomb in reserve,

That was Gaitskell's line in but not it until we are attacked the Commons when he replied

to Butler's

Bd.-off-the-income- H-bombs. (By which time, so by talics-

tax Budget. the Tories and the Attlecites say,

THE TORIES will counter- Forget not, on this issue, the claim that

1-Prices have not gone up Socialist Party's strong pacifs. nearly as

Their line is simple: element.

much as they did Mr Gaitskell was last 10 Britain should these That

have nothing to do with the H-bomb. charge of Britain's economy.

2-Wages have gone up much That will be the line-up of the parties, who will each proclaim: more under the Tories. We are for peace!

sound his cigar- cute but: made in the dregs of his gimlet,

"s

scared and in-

sincere. It took

three years

Now why?

an

THE SOCIALISTS are split

ON taking over from Sir Win- understanding with each and It Atlee and his colleagues

25

Prime

ston Churchill Minister Eden decided of Holly-night ahead with a General

to get over one

year

wood. I had Election. Why?

That on the record; it will be produced as one of the to Tories bigger cards.

Top level talks

the fights with studio

the all time. I was

THE SOCIALISTS say it is. because Butler fears an

suspended

20

Your

for months -- very unusual for a writer. was English, and

"of the

actors who played my father when she divorced

in Almas, I thought she brought me from Chicago, Marlowe where I was born, back here to Dick Powell was best. Bogart London. We lived in Upper is always superb as Bogart, but Norwood and I went to Dal- Powell seemed to me just right wich College. I was a pretty as Marlowe. good wing forward at Hugger. 1 bowled a fair off-break at my next book here in London, erlaketa slow ball, but have proper control"

didn't

He paused, and I could feel the pulse in my throat starting to get faster. I waited for what was, "coming.

|

"Cricket," sajd Chandler and the hand holding my drink sweated a little bit he spoke "has changed exx mously sines I was at Dulwich."

"I'm supposed to be finishing

but it looks like a hopeless pro- position. Too many dinner parties, too much hospitality.

"I just work in the mornings, when I get up. never revise. If I force myself and the stutt's no good when I re-rend

話不

throw it away, Always throw sway what you don't like.

I

"I'm a good plain cook. love jazz-but it must be wild jazz, not the commercial stuff. Jam sessions," he looked at ma from far back behind his eyes, "From now on, I write only books. TV is terribly hard work. So are Aims. My most

LINE at how the

economic crisis in the autumn. A with-Russia argument will it would be too late anyway.)

They claim that "Tory, freedom does not work."

THE TORIES say Eden wants to get on with negotiations with

and that the Russians

develop or the hustings cama in the Commons.

Sir Anthony Eden told MPs

for these that the procedure should be conducted by a talks is now being discussed fresh con- with France, America, Germany Government. with Adence vote and not by one and others. "I hope it will be possible for the Foreign Serre- nearing the end of its life..

Here is how the election, guna fary (Mr Macmillan) to make are loaded on the fundamental a further announcement in the peace-or-war issues that Le next few days," behind the X on this month's Anthony. ballot paper:~~~

said Sir

Money

Emanuel Shinwell, former WHAT of the PANTRY? This The socialists will sug Socialist Defence Minister. Can

that gest

Tory Govern- the Government undertake top set-up on the ment is inhibited, precisely be- level talks now, that they have

3

when

3.The ration book has been banished. If prices and sup- plies are brought under Govern ment control it must inevitably. return

blizz What of the economic ards which are talked of

whenever political man with political

THE SOCIALISTS will say that the Tories are trying cover up an impending economic crisis.

VV is how I see the political rts arguing

larder, shelves THE TORIES will point

to

cause it is a Tory Government, been deprived of the only top their four-years-in-power record from negotiating with the Com-level they ever had?

of prosperity.

Four Boys Planned A

New York,

FOUR BOYS paependent

HANDLER refused to take a successful book sold over TOUR. BOYS planned to

phone call, fought another million copies, including paper cigarette into his mouth and lit backs, but

mot

including the

il with an ivory-trimmed lighter foreign translations." that flared the Arst time.

"We returned to the State

in 1912, and I went to work in

oil California.

MOVED my shoulders quietly

I started to wander up and inside ray jacket and waited.

Government on the gunnery target island of San Miguel, which is 40 miles off the Californian coast, in the Los Angelea area.

Planned A Republic

AMERICA COLUMN

from

NEWELL ROGERS

man?

to

THE TORIES will point out that in the SIX years that the Socialists were in power (from 1945 to 1951) there were THREE major economic crises includ- ing one

Chancellor during balance his budget and reduce Galtskell's spell when gold and dollar reserves were pouring US. income tax.

mil- away at the rate of 2900 HILDEEN in New York State lion a year.

They will paint out that after can Jose their junior driving licences if their parents say so.. three and a half years of Tory This is the effect of a law just rule there has so far been ‚NO "signed by Governor Averell economic crisis at all.

lieutenant-governor, treanzer, Harriman.

to All mother or father has and controller.

Eight more “boys. in their do is to notify the licensing But they went to sleep under junior high school were to commissioner they no lenger down the Pacific coast after quit of. In the evenings I would. There was one last thing to be a car before they got off the follow them to the island. They approve the licence. He has no

and it was there would be the peasants." Girls option but to revoke the read the pulp magazines under said; one thing inevitable as mainland,

slipped under the car-that the police were to be imported later.

Footnote, Minces aged 16 to naked electric light bulbs in old age, pitiless as a

found them.

COPIES of the "constitution, 18 get junior licences. They cheap rooming houses and, think cartilage.

for me to do too. I had always Chandler, "I went to work on

BDA a bayonet.

H

what the

Action

TT is true that last January it:

will

to salt not stor

were blowing up. But, the Tories proclaim with pride, Butler

rate was raised, hire credit terms were made Jesa casy.

And now?: Now tho Tories will claim the balance of trade

Improved Britain is eart ing almost es mich as she is

Tiree

This stuff is elementary enough "After, I left Dulwich," said In the car were a machine produced in court, laid down 14 may not drive at night, or with-cck action at once. The bank

In the ve boroughs of New One sald nobody

City wanted to write, it was just a the Daily Expres as a repeter, gun, two rifies, two shotguns, body would be o cuestion whether I could make i was a complete flap, the worst two sticks of dynamite, a pistol, allowed to be a father exceptURLESQUE L

The governor, another. anthat a living out of 11.

man they eyer had. Every time six knives "I started writing full-time they sent me out on a story 1 What was it all about? One nobody would be allowed to publie thinks it is, and not

In what the dictionary says in 1933. After six years I hit would get Jost

boy said: We don't like the talk back at the governOT, the jack-pot with Big Sleep" deserved. They fired me.

Chandler turned and looked I got up and went away way things are being run in the fact

ahood. Three weeks in which Government.” full at me his face- suddenly quickly, eldig the carpet in the world. We just want our own. There shall be no arguing on Edward McCaffrey, refusing a

this island at any time,

Brooklyn theatre, permission to perform-burlesque turns you will hear a multitude of baggard, I've got to tell you lobby and our into the street.

the public thinks voices raised, a multitude of something," he almost whisper- The pedestrian croesing looked They said the oldest boy, 11-NOW there should be Erilish

you, of N ale zor America, says the burlesque means stripteasing roues debated But all the a year-old Wayne Something important, as evil me the fine print in There are no people like Hire-purchase contract. And Venice, California, was to be New York Mirror, whereas the defionary says it showing and all the argument Philly Marlowe. There couldn't when I called to the tod at the "Governor of the Republic of It maintains that Mr Butlet, is "lapstick chandy in short will come down to those two be, Real life private eyes'in bead of the Mine the driver Ban Miguel, and the others, with his Budget surplus, otat urns of songs, dancing, and struple polute PEACE and

PANTRY. Aments are grubby lite men went on not hearing.

one 14 and two 13, were to be to help. President Eisenhower caricatures"

ed

rules Licence Commissioner spending at campaigning lie

AWES

THIS is

GORDONS

DRY GIN

DIRTYBLREY, LONDON.