History Creator / DashiellHammett

Hammett's first major character was Literature/TheContinentalOp, an anonymous operative of the Continental Detective Agency, who first appeared in print in 1923 and went on to feature in over 30 stories and two novels, ''Literature/RedHarvest'' and ''Literature/TheDainCurse''. ''Red Harvest'' is thought to have been an influence on Creator/AkiraKurosawa's film ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', and combined with ''The Glass Key'' is a heavy influence on Coen Brothers's noir film ''Film/MillersCrossing''. ''Literature/RedHarvest'' also coined the term "blood simple" (after which [[Film/BloodSimple the Coen Brothers' film debut]] is named); the phrase refers to the addled, fearful mindset people are in after a prolonged immersion in violent situations.

Hammett's first major character was Literature/TheContinentalOp, an anonymous operative of the Continental Detective Agency, who first appeared in print in 1923 and went on to feature in over 30 stories and two novels, ''Literature/RedHarvest'' and ''Literature/TheDainCurse''. ''Red Harvest'' is thought to have been an influence on Creator/AkiraKurosawa's film ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', and combined with ''The Glass Key'' is a heavy influence on Coen Brothers's noir film ''Film/MillersCrossing''. ''Literature/RedHarvest'' also coined the term Film/BloodSimple (after which the Coen Brothers' film debut is named); the phrase refers to the addled, fearful mindset people are in after a prolonged immersion in violent situations.

Hammett's first major character was Literature/TheContinentalOp, an anonymous operative of the Continental Detective Agency, who first appeared in print in 1923 and went on to feature in over 30 stories and two novels, ''Literature/RedHarvest'' and ''Literature/TheDainCurse''. ''Red Harvest'' is thought to have been an influence on Creator/AkiraKurosawa's film ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', and combined with ''The Glass Key'' is a heavy influence on Coen Brothers's noir film ''Film/MillersCrossing''. ''Literature/RedHarvest'' also coined the term BloodSimple (after which the Coen Brothers' film debut is named); the phrase refers to the addled, fearful mindset people are in after a prolonged immersion in violent situations.

Samuel Dashiell Hammett (1894 --1961) was a pioneering writer of HardboiledDetective fiction. His stories were backed up by personal experience; he had been a PinkertonDetective himself; he left the job after refusing to assassinate a union leader, an event that marked much of his life and politics. He a Marxist and thus, despite his popularity, lead him to be a victim of the blacklists.

Samuel Dashiell Hammett (1894 --1961) was a pioneering writer of HardboiledDetective fiction. His stories were backed up by personal experience; he had been a PinkertonDetective himself. He was also a Marxist that, despite his popularity, lead him to be a victim of the blacklists.

Samuel Dashiell Hammett (1894 --1961) was a pioneering writer of HardboiledDetective fiction. His stories were backed up by personal experience; he had been a PinkertonDetective himself.

* FemmeFatale / TheVamp: Several of each over various stories.

* PrivateMilitaryContractors: A lesser known aspect of Hammett especially in Red Harvest is that he emphasizes the role of Pinkerton agents and law enforcement as serving just like this for the wealthy classes. Hammett became a committed member of the Communist Party for the rest of his life.

* TwilightOfTheOldWest / NewOldWest: "The Man Who Killed Dan Odams" is a Hammett short story that carries the conventions of TheWestern into the Twentieth Century. "Nightmare Town" and "Literature/RedHarvest" both have Western aspects, and "Red Harvest" would form the basis for a chain of film adaptations: ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}, Film/AFistfulOfDollars'', and ''Film/LastManStanding''.

In 1982, Creator/FrancisFordCoppola made a film ''Hammett'' which casts the author in a mystery that ends up a pastiche of his most famous stories, as an {{Homage}} to the man.

* TwilightOfTheOldWest / NewOldWest: "The Man Who Killed Dan Odams" is a Hammett short story that carries the conventions of TheWestern into the Twentieth Century. "Nightmare Town" and "Literature/RedHarvest" both have Western aspects, and Red Harvest would form the basis for a chain of film adaptations: {{Yojimbo}}, AFistfulOfDollars, and LastManStanding.

In 1982, Creator/FrancisFordCoppola made a film ''Hammett'' which casts the author in a mystery that ends up a pastiche of his most famous stories, as an [[Homage]] to the man.

* TwilightOfTheOldWest / NewOldWest: "The Man Who Killed Dan Odams" is a Hammett short story that carries the conventions of TheWestern into the Twentieth Century. "Nightmare Town" and "Literature/RedHarvest" both have Western aspects, and Red Harvest would form the basis for a chain of film adaptations: [[Yojimbo]], [[AFistfulOfDollars]], and [[LastManStanding]].

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hammettyoung_2596.jpg

* TownWithADarkSecret: "Nightmare Town"

Hammett's first major character was the Continental Op, an anonymous operative of the Continental Detective Agency, who first appeared in print in 1923 and went on to feature in over 30 stories and two novels, ''Literature/RedHarvest'' and ''The Dain Curse''. ''Red Harvest'' is thought to have been an influence on Creator/AkiraKurosawa's film ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', and combined with ''The Glass Key'' is a heavy influence on Coen Brothers's noir film ''Film/MillersCrossing''. ''Literature/RedHarvest'' also coined the term BloodSimple (after which the Coen Brothers' film debut is named); the phrase refers to the addled, fearful mindset people are in after a prolonged immersion in violent situations.

* ''Literature/RedHarvest''

* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Lampshaded and subverted in "Fly Paper"

* AGodAmI: [[spoiler: Joseph in ''The Dain Curse.'']]
* BlownAcrossTheRoom: Though Hammett worked as a PinkertonDetective and had firearms training from his military service, he happily embraced this trope for dramatic effect, particularly in his Continental Op stories.

* CartwrightCurse: Apparently one of the symptoms of the Dain Curse.
* TheChessmaster: The Continental Op
* ConsummateProfessional: Little interests the Op outside of his work.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep / NoNameGiven: The Continental Op
* EvilRedhead: [[spoiler: Fitzstephan in The Dain Curse.]]
* FemmeFatale / TheVamp: Several of each over various stories. The Continental Op's Jeanne Delano, the "Girl with the Silver Eyes", is a helluva lady.
* FixupNovel: ''Literature/RedHarvest'' and ''The Dain Curse'' are each made out of four older Continental Op stories.
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: An odd example. In "The Golden Horseshoe", the Op is sure he knows who arranged a double murder, but can't prove it. [[spoiler: So he frames the guilty party for a death that was actually a ''suicide''.]]

* {{Gaslighting}}: ''The Dain Curse''.
* GunsAkimbo: In a couple of Continental Op stories with Chinese gangsters, the Op notes that they like to shoot this way-- and not bother aiming.
* HandyCuffs

* HiddenSupplies: Also attributed to Chinese gangsters by the Op.
* InscrutableOriental: Tai Choon Tau in "The House on Turk Street" and Chang Li Ching in "Dead Yellow Women" (the latter having a touch of YellowPeril about him as well).
* KavorkaMan: The Op is short, stocky and balding yet is seemingly attractive to a number of [[InsistentTerminology "nice"]] looking dames.
* NewOldWest: "Corkscrew"
* NobleDemon: Gabrielle's opinion of the Op boils down to this.
* OrgyOfEvidence: The Continental Op story "The Tenth Clew"[[note]]"Clew" is an archaic spelling of "clue"[[/note]]-- the eponymous clue being that the other nine are bogus.

* ProfessionalSlacker: The Minister of Police from "This King Business" runs an efficient force so crime doesn't interfere with his peace & comfort.
* RailingKill: "The Scorched Face".
* RasputinianDeath: [[spoiler: Joseph in ''The Dain Curse'' takes a gun full of bullets and knife through the neck before he goes down.]]
* RedRightHand: Gabrielle believes her pointed ears and small facial features are signs of evil.
* RoguesGallery: The gang of hoods from "The Big Knockover".
* {{Ruritania}}: "This King Business"

* TakingOverTheTown: "The Gutting of Couffignal".
* TerseTalker: Dick Foley, a frequent partner of the Continental Op.
** CharacterizationMarchesOn: In an early Op story, "House Dick", Foley's quite chatty (in fact, he sounds more like how a later character the Op would work with, Mickey Linehan, was inclined to talk).

* TheUnfettered: The Continental Op will get the crooks he's after, no matter what it takes or how many laws he has to break.
* WhatBeautifulEyes: Jeanne Delano, "The Girl With Silver Eyes". Also UhOhEyes when the Op remembers where he last saw her.
* YoureInsane: ''The Dain Curse''

* FixupNovel: ''RedHarvest'' and ''The Dain Curse'' are each made out of four older Continental Op stories.

* GambitPileup: Hammett loved double, triple, and higher multiple crosses-- see ''RedHarvest,'' "Nightmare Town," "The Whosis Kid," "The Big Knockover" and its sequel, "$106,000 Blood Money."

* OutlawTown: "Nightmare Town" and ''RedHarvest''.

* TerseTalker: Dick Foley.

* OutlawTown: "Nightmare Town" and ''Red Harvest''.

* FemmeFatale / TheVamp: Several of each over various stories. The Continental Op's Jeanne Delano, the 'Girl with the Silver Eyes' is a helluva lady.

* GambitPileup: Hammett loved double, triple, and higher multiple crosses-- see ''Red Harvest,'' "Nightmare Town," "The Whosis Kid," "The Big Knockover" and its sequel, "$106,000 Blood Money."

* HardboiledDetective: he helped codify the trope.

* PrivateDetective: some of his detectives didn't quite fit the [[HardboiledDetective hardboiled]] category.

* KavorkaMan: The Op is short, stocky and balding yet is seemingly attractive to a number of [[InsistentTerminology 'nice']] looking dames.

* RasputinianDeath: [[spoiler: Joseph in the Dain Curse takes a gun full of bullets and knife through the neck before he goes down.]]

Interestingly, he also teamed up with ''Flash Gordon'' artist Alex Raymond on a newspaper comic called ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Agent_X-9 Secret Agent X-9]]''; while it was not a success for him (he left after the first year), it carried on with other writers and artists until 1996.