Mickey Spillane, creator of Mike Hammer, dead at 88

[BillyGoatGruff]

http://www.comcast.net/entertainment/index.jsp?cat=ENTERTAINMENT&fn=/2006/07/17/436124.html&cvqh=itn_spillane


I met Mickey a few times during the 1990s. Despite his gruff exterior he was extremely polite when addressing women, like most men of his generation. He called me "doll" once, which was cool. He is the only person my dad, RIP, was actually impressed to learn I'd met. He was definitely an unique man.

 

[Florida]

My neighbor's sister was engaged to him before he was ever married. (My neighbor is 90 years old.) He told my neighbor that the character Velda, his secretary in his books, etc., was based on her sister. She corresponded with him over the years, as late as last fall, and said he was always a gentle-man.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

did anyone ever see Mickey Spillanes movie Kiss Me Deadly(1955)?--I caught it on cable recently--it had a stunning ending,where something like Pandora's Box was opened--was it just the house destroyed or the entire world? Studio exec's weren't sure how to end it

 

[Florida]

No, I have never read any of his books or seen his movies. What cable channel did you find that movie on? I would be interested in seeing one of his films to see what Velda was like.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Florida,I can't remember the channel I saw it on,since I have digital cable with 50 movie channels--But it may have been TCM(Turner Classic Movie) channel--The film is generally considered the best "film noir" movie ever made

 

[Peter Hamilton]

TCM,by the way,is showing Red Buttons films all day today

 

[BillyGoatGruff]

did anyone ever see Mickey Spillanes movie Kiss Me Deadly(1955)?--I caught it on cable recently--it had a stunning ending,where something like Pandora's Box was opened--was it just the house destroyed or the entire world? Studio exec's weren't sure how to end it

A concept replicated in both REPO MAN and PULP FICTION.