Raymond Chandler [1888-1959] at BlackHat Mystery Bookstore

Raymond Thornton Chandler was born in Chicago, Illinois on 23 July 1888, but grew up in England. He attended public schools and then studied writing at Dulwich College, London, and also in France & Germany. He became a naturalized British citizen in 1907 in order to work in civil service, but resigned after 6 months and worked as a newspaper reporter. He published 27 poems and his first story, "The Rose Leaf Romance". In 1912, he returned to the U.S., working mostly in Los Angeles, until the outbreak of W.W.I. He joined the Gordon Highlanders, then transferred to the British Royal Air Force. Back in the U.S. in 1919, he worked at a bank, then a newspaper, then at Dabney Oil Syndicate in Los Angeles, beginning in 1922.

In 1924 he married divorcee Cissy Hurlburt, 18 years older than he was. The oil company fired him for drinking and absenteeism in 1932. Under Cissy's support, he devoted himself to writing from 1933. He studied the pulp magazines, especially writer Erle Stanley Gardner, and published his first story "Blackmailers Don't Shoot" in the December 1933 issue of Black Mask Magazine. His character Philip Marlowe first appeared in the story "Killer in the Rain", which later formed part of the novel "The Big Sleep" (1939).

He met with some success writing for Hollywood – "And Now Tomorrow" (1944), "Double Indemnity" with Billy Wilder (1944), "The Unseen" (1945), and an original script, "The Blue Dahlia" (1946), and "Strangers On A Train" for Hitchcock (1951).

He and Cissy moved to 6005 Camino de la Costa in La Jolla (north of San Diego in California) in 1946, where he continued writing while taking care of his beloved wife, who suffered from fibrosis of the lungs. She died 12 December 1954, an event which essentially broke his heart. Two months after her death, he attempted suicide, which was reported widely; the bullet caused major damage to the bathroom. He went into a slow decline, though he is said to have had a romantic interest in his secretary, Jean Fracasse, and later was preparing to marry his agent, Helga Green, when he died of pneumonia 26 March 1959 at the age of 70. Only 17 people attended his funeral.

Library of America Editions

	Stories & Early Novels [1995] Edited by Frank McShane "Big Sleep"; "Farewell, My Lovely"; "High Window" 8x5 hardcover [10/95] for $24.50
	Later Novels & Other Writings [1995] Edited by Frank McShane "Lady In The Lake"; "Little Sister"; "Long Goodbye"; "Playback" 8x5 hardcover [10/95] for $24.50

"Five Murders" [1944]
"Five Sinister Characters" [1945]
"Finger Man" [1946]
"Spanish Blood" [1946]
"Red Wind" [1946]

	"Trouble Is My Business" [Philip Marlowe stories 1950] includes "Finger Man" (1934), "Goldfish" (1936), "Red Wind" (1938), and "Trouble Is My Business" (1939) Vintage/Black Lizard 8x5 pb [8/92] for $8.00 UNABR audio CD read by Elliott Gould [5/2002] out of prodn/used
	"The Simple Art of Murder" [1950] includes essay "The Simple Art of Murder" (1945), stories "Spanish Blood" (1935, Sam Delaguerra), "The King In Yellow" (1938, Steve Grayce), "I'll Be Waiting" (1939, Tony Reseck), and "Pearls Are A Nuisance" (1939, Walter Gage) Vintage/Black Lizard 8x5 pb [9/88] for $10.40

"Pearls Are A Nuisance" [1953]
intro by Raymond Chandler, stories "Finger Man" (1934, Philip Marlowe), "The King In Yellow" (1938, Steve
Grayce), "Pearls Are A Nuisance" (1939, Walter Gage), and "The Simple Art of Murder" essay (1945)

"Pick-up On Noon Street" [1953]
includes "Smart-Aleck Kill" (1934, John Dalmas), "Nevada Gas" (1935, hood Johnny DeRuse),
"Guns At Cyrano's" (1936, Ted Carmady), and "Pick-up On Noon Street" (1936, Pete Anglich)

"Smart-Aleck Kill" [1953]
includes "Smart-Aleck Kill" (1934, John Dalmas), "Nevada Gas" (1935, hood Johnny DeRuse),
"Spanish Blood" (1935, Sam Delaguerra), and "Pick-up On Noon Street" (1936, Pete Anglich)

"Killer in the Rain & Other Stories" [1964]
includes intro by Philip Durham, stories "Killer In The Rain" (1935, noname), "The Curtain" (1936, Ted Carmady), "The Man Who Liked Dogs (1936, Ted Carmady), "Bay City Blues" (1937, John Dalmas), "Mandarin's Jade" (1937, John Dalmas), "Try The Girl" (1937, Ted Carmady), "Lady In The Lake" (1939, John Dalmas), and "No Crime In The Mountains" (1941, John Evans)
Ballantine mass pb [10/87] out of print/used
UNABR audio CD read by Elliott Gould [1/2007] for $14.93

"Smell of Fear" [1965]

	listed on Time Magazine's All-TIME 100 Novels (10/2005) Vintage 8x5 pb [8/92] for $8.80 Spanish-language edition "El Sueño Eterno": Alianza pb [6/2005] for $12.95 audio read by Elliott Gould (via Amazon) New Millenium Audio CD [3/2002] for $27.96 Dove Audio UNABRIDGED [9/93] out of print/used Dove Audio ABRIDGED [9/93] out of print/used
	1946 Movie directed by Howard Hawks Script by Leigh Brackett, William Faulkner & Jules Furthman; starring Bogart & Bacall; listed in National Film Registry 1997 Warner 114-min. b&w 'theatrical release' VHS [3/2000] for $14.95 Warner 135-min. b&w 'pre-release version' VHS [3/2000] for $14.95 Warner b&w DVD [2/2000] for $16.99 full credits from IMDb
	Posters of 1946 Movie purchase 'Big Sleep' movie posters via AllPosters.com
	1978 Movie directed by Michael Winner Starring Robert Mitchum & Sarah Miles Artisan color VHS [11/99] for $9.98 Pioneer color DVD [8/2000] out of stock/used full credits from IMDb

	Vintage 8x5 pb [8/92] for $8.80 UNABR audio CD read by Elliott Gould [3/2002] out of prodn/used UNABR audio read by Elliott Gould [3/2002] out of prodn/used Spanish-language edition "Adios, Muñeca": Emeci & Bronce 8½x5½ pb [1/2004] for $12.95 Alianza pb [6/2005] for $15.95
	"Murder, My Sweet" [1944 movie based on 'FML'] Directed by Edward Dmytryk; starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor & Mike Mazurki b&w VHS for $13.99 via Amazon.com full credits at IMDb
	Poster of 1944 Movie [source not located] "The Falcon Takes Over" [1942 movie] full credits from IMDb
	"Farewell, My Lovely" movie [AVCO/Embassy 1975] Directed by Dick Richards; starring Robert Mitchum & Charlotte Rampling Artisan color VHS [11/99] out of stock/used Avid color VHS [11/97] out of stock/used Pioneer color DVD [6/99] out of stock/used full credits at IMDb
	Poster of 1975 Movie [source not located]

	Three Novels [2002] "Big Sleep"; "Farewell, My Lovely"; "High Window" Knopf 8.3x5.4 hardcover [10/2002] for $19.25
	Four Novels [2002] "The Lady in the Lake"; "The Little Sister"; "The Long Goodbye"; "Playback" Knopf 8.2x5.4 hardcover [10/2002] for $21.00
	"Collected Stories: All of Chandler's Short Fiction In One Volume For the First Time [2002] Knopf 8.3x5.3 hardcover [10/2002] for $19.25

	Vintage 8x5¼ pb [8/88] for $10.75 Vintage 8x5¼ pb [8/76] out of print/many used audio read by Elliott Gould [1/88] out of prodn/used
	1947 movie Directed by & starring Robert Montgomery [in first person POV] with Audrey Totter Warner b&w VHS [4/91] for $19.99 full credits at IMDb

	Vintage 8x5 pb [9/88] for $8.80 Spanish-language edition "La Hermana Pequena": Alianza mass pb [6/2001] for $18.95
	"Little Sister" [1997 graphic novel] Illustrated by Michael Lark Fireside 10x6½ pb [5/97] out of print/used Spanish-language edition "La Hermana Pequena": Public Square Books 9¾x6¼ pb [8/2005] for $15.61
	"Marlowe" [1969 movie based on "Little Sister"] Directed by Paul Bogart; script by Stirling Silliphant; starring James Garner, Gayle Hunnicut & Sharon Farrell Warner color VHS [3/2002] for $14.94 full credits at IMDb

	Vintage 8x5 pb [9/88] for $8.00 audio read by Elliott Gould New Millenium ABR audio [5/2002] for $12.60 New Millenium ABR audio CD [5/2002] for $20.97
	"Playback: A Graphic Novel" [2006] Adapted by Ted Benoit, illustrated by François Ayroles Arcade Publng 11½x9 hardcover [7/2006] for $12.97

	"Raymond Chandler's Marlowe: The Authorized Philip Marlowe Graphic Novel" [2003] Illustrated by Tom DeHaven, James Rose & Jerome Charyn; includes short stories "Goldfish" (1936), "Trouble Is My Business" (1939), and "The Pencil" (1961) ibooks 10¼x6½ pb [8/2005] for $12.56 ibooks 10¼x6¾ pb [9/2003] out of prodn/used
	"Collected Stories: All of Chandler's Short Fiction In One Volume For The First Time" [2002] Knopf 8¼x5¼ hardcover [10/2002] for $19.25

BlackHat Mystery BookstoreRaymond Chandler

BlackHat Mystery Bookstore
Raymond Chandler