Despite a big chaotic mess behind the scenes, 1982's Hammett starring Frederic Forrest is an entertaining noir-ish experience, bringing us back to the '40s adaptations of Hammett and Raymond Chandler novels.
Wim Wenders direction did not meet the approval of the backers and delays pushed the film from its preproduction beginnings in 1975 to 1980. The first version starred Brian Keith and Ronee Blakely, but most of that was thrown out. In 1981, two-thirds of the film was re-shot. There are in essence two versions of this film, with only one released.
In this story, Hammett himself is involved as a detective, called by his actual first name, Sam. His mentor, Jimmy Ryan (Peter Boyle) shows up at Hammett's San Francisco office looking for a Chinese girl, Crystal Ling, and he needs help.
Crystal turns out to be a former prostitute and porn star who has engaged in fantasy scenarios with some of the richest and most influential men in San Francisco - and there are photos. So lots of people want Crystal and her photos before she can trade them in for a million dollars.
Hammett comes up against the police, people trying to hurt him, and friends who aren't as he works to get the photos.
The joy of this film is in its homage to movies like "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Big Sleep" and the casting of Elisha Cook, Jr., who appeared in "The Maltese Falcon" and countless noirs, in his last film. Roy Kinnear is a Sydney Greenstreet-type character, and Sylvia Sidney, an actress who had a 70-year career as a leading woman and character actress, plays a woman who runs a charity home for girls. Vets like Royal Dano and director Sam Fuller also appear. For old movie lovers, this is a treasure.
This is a very stylized movie, with Forrest as a Bogart-type Hammett, Marilu Henner as his beautiful and helpful neighbor, and Peter Boyle as a hardnosed detective. The acting is all done in the manner of '40s films; along with the wonderful noir atmosphere, it all works well.
Modern noirs for some reason don't always make it, for me, anyway, but this one pulls it off, due to the talent behind and in front of the camera.
Wim Wenders direction did not meet the approval of the backers and delays pushed the film from its preproduction beginnings in 1975 to 1980. The first version starred Brian Keith and Ronee Blakely, but most of that was thrown out. In 1981, two-thirds of the film was re-shot. There are in essence two versions of this film, with only one released.
In this story, Hammett himself is involved as a detective, called by his actual first name, Sam. His mentor, Jimmy Ryan (Peter Boyle) shows up at Hammett's San Francisco office looking for a Chinese girl, Crystal Ling, and he needs help.
Crystal turns out to be a former prostitute and porn star who has engaged in fantasy scenarios with some of the richest and most influential men in San Francisco - and there are photos. So lots of people want Crystal and her photos before she can trade them in for a million dollars.
Hammett comes up against the police, people trying to hurt him, and friends who aren't as he works to get the photos.
The joy of this film is in its homage to movies like "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Big Sleep" and the casting of Elisha Cook, Jr., who appeared in "The Maltese Falcon" and countless noirs, in his last film. Roy Kinnear is a Sydney Greenstreet-type character, and Sylvia Sidney, an actress who had a 70-year career as a leading woman and character actress, plays a woman who runs a charity home for girls. Vets like Royal Dano and director Sam Fuller also appear. For old movie lovers, this is a treasure.
This is a very stylized movie, with Forrest as a Bogart-type Hammett, Marilu Henner as his beautiful and helpful neighbor, and Peter Boyle as a hardnosed detective. The acting is all done in the manner of '40s films; along with the wonderful noir atmosphere, it all works well.
Modern noirs for some reason don't always make it, for me, anyway, but this one pulls it off, due to the talent behind and in front of the camera.