Shadow Boxer by Eddie Muller

(hb; 2003: second book in the Billy Nichols series)

From the inside flap

“. . .in Shadow Boxer, Billy is back on the beat for the San Francisco Inquirer. But his problems are hardly behind him. A man’s in jail, accused of murder. But did he do it? By aiding a beguiling woman, Billy stumbles on evidence that could exonerate the defendant, who only months before was one of the town’s top fight promoters. One big problem─the victim was Billy’s secret lover, and he has not desire to help set her killer free.

“But once his reporter’s instincts kick in, Billy can’t let go of a twisting trail of suspense  that stetches from Tenderloin fight clubs to Marina district mansions, from mountain retreats to the Hall of Justice. He squares off with an intriguing cast of characters: a bombastic novelties promoter, a former colleague turned muckraking lawyer, a society doyenne on the skids, a crooked booze distributor, a shifty deputy DA, an opera-crooning pugilist, a homespun abortionist, a crafty and celebrated defense attorney, a murderous stalker─and the unfathomable Virginia Wagner, a leggy legal secretary with many more secrets than just the gun in her handbag.”

Review

Shadow, like its prequel The Distance, is a vivid, immersive and distinctly-San Francisco novel that brings together the best pulp elements, character archetypes with its quick-twist plotting. What is especially joyous and masterful about this work is its well-foreshadowed and sequel friendly twist-finish. Shadow is a darker-in-tone, worthy continuation of one of my all-time favorite set-in-1940s pulp tales.

Additional note: The author, in a June 8, 2017 Facebook post wrote: “Little known tidbit: The character Gloria Grahame plays in [the 1947] film Crossfire was the basis for Virginia Wagner in my novel Shadow Boxer. Actually, the character is an amalgation of Grahame’s onscreen roles, why I chose ‘Ginny Wagner’ as her name because I like to think that character moved to San Francisco and left Paul Kelly far behind.”

The Distance by Eddie Muller

(hb; 2002: first book in the Billy Nichols series)

From the inside flap

“It’s 1948, an era when newspapermen were stars─and San Francisco sportswriter Billy Nichols is no exception. Known as Mr. Boxing throughout the city, he is the West coast’s answer to Damon Runyon─an insider’s insider who plucks and polishes his pearlike stories from the nonstop hustle of the city’s nightclubs, gambling dens, and ringside seats.

“Billy Nichols is right where he wants to be, until he stumbles onto a shocking crime scene. Heavyweight boxer Hack Escalante has killed his manager, and for reasons Billy doesn’t fully understand, he makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to protect the prizefighter. Soon Billy’s in too deep, caught in a conspiracy of desire, deceit, and betrayal, and he sets off a chain of events whose consequences may cost him his beloved career─and his life. . .”

Review

Distance is a vivid, reader-immersive and distinctly-San Francisco novel that brings together the best pulp elements, character archetypes with its fast-paced, quick-twist plot and action. It is a perfect, reader-immersive read, one of my all-time-favorite, set-in-1940s pulp tales. Followed by Shadow Boxer.

Gun Crazy: The Origin of American Outlaw Cinema by Eddie Muller

(pb; 2014: nonfiction)

From the back cover

"Gun Crazy caused barely a ripple in public consciousness when it hit movie screens in 1950. Yet over time it would prove to be the most innovative and provocative motion picture of its era—a simple genre film, but packed with so much cinematic bravura and timeless symbolism, its power has spanned decades, crossed oceans, and influenced countless filmmakers.

"It's no stretch to declare Gun Crazy one of the essential American films—as well as a cornerstone of the auteur theory that's dominated cinema discourse since the 1960s. Its larger-than-life reputation among cinephiles has mainly been based on the recollections—also larger-than-life—of its director, Joseph H. Lewis, whose intriguing yet surprisingly short career never again reached the level of this bona-fide classic.

"In this thoroughly researched and vividly told tale, Eddie Muller explodes many of the entrenched myths about Gun Crazy—and the auteur theory itself. He subverts the film's legend with the fascinating story of its actual creation, a six-year struggle that involved an array of exceptional collaborators.

"Packed with never-before-seen ephemera —original script pages (some never filmed), production notes, on-set photos—Gun Crazy: The Origin of American Outlaw Cinema is available for sale online exclusively from Black Pool Productions."


Review

Gun is an informative, entertaining and hard-to-set-down read about the story, different personalities and behind-the-scenes events that brought about the realization of the 1950 film Gun Crazy, originally titled Deadly is the Female. This film would influence the tone and structure of later films, perhaps most famously, Bonnie and Clyde (1967). This is an excellent, glossy-paged book with lots of behind-the-scene photos and addictive text, penned by an expert in the noir genre.