| Hammett | |
|---|---|
 Hammett DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Wim Wenders / Francis Ford Coppola (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Francis Ford Coppola American Zoetrope |
| Written by | Joe Gores (novel) Thomas Pope (adaptation) Dennis O'Flaherty Ross Thomas |
| Starring | Frederic Forrest Peter Boyle Marilu Henner Roy Kinnear |
| Music by | John Barry |
| Cinematography | Joseph Biroc |
| Editing by | Janice Hampton Marc Laub Robert Q. Lovett Randy Roberts |
| Studio | American Zoetrope |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | May 1982 (1982 Cannes Film Festival) |
| Running time | 95 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Hammett is a 1982 homage to noir films and pulp fiction directed by Wim Wenders. The film is a fictionalized story about writer Dashiell Hammett, based on the novel of the same name by Joe Gores. The film was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.[1]
Dashiell Hammett, trying to put his Pinkerton detective days behind him while establishing himself as a writer, and dealing with induced tuberculosis and the alcoholism that will plague him almost to the end of his days, finds himself drawn back into his old life one last time by the irresistible call of friendship and to honor a debt.
German director Wenders was hired by Francis Ford Coppola to direct this film, which was to be his American debut feature. "But," according to one source, "by the time the final version was released in 1982, only 30 percent of Wenders' footage remained, and the rest was completely reshot by Coppola, whose mere 'executive producer' credit is just a technicality."[2] Wenders made a short film called Reverse Angle documenting his disputes with Coppola surrounding the making of Hammett. As the A.V. Club review states, "A Coppola or Wenders commentary track might have sorted things out a bit—or at least settled an old score—but the bare-bones DVD release leaves viewers with a fascinating mess."[3] The reviewer, though, never says what the source of his information is, and the question of the degree and nature of Coppola's involvement in the directing of the film remains open.
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Casting
Actors Forrest and Henner were married during the long production of the film, then divorced shortly afterwards in 1983.
Peter Boyle took over the role of Jimmy Ryan from Brian Keith, who left allegedly because the lengthy production conflicted with other commitments. Keith can be seen in some long shots in the film.[4]
A number of actors from the "Golden Age" of Hollywood were cast in the film, including Hank Worden, Royal Dano, and Elisha Cook, Jr. (who played Wilmer the gunsel in John Huston's 1941 film The Maltese Falcon).
Cast
- Frederic Forrest - Hammett
- Peter Boyle - Jimmy Ryan
- Marilu Henner - Kit Conger / Sue Alabama
- Roy Kinnear - English Eddie Hagedorn
- Elisha Cook Jr. - Eli the Taxi Driver (as Elisha Cook)
- Lydia Lei - Crystal Ling
- R. G. Armstrong - Lt. O'Mara
- Richard Bradford - Detective Bradford
- Michael Chow - Fong Wei Tau
- David Patrick Kelly - The Punk
- Sylvia Sidney - Donaldina Cameron
- Jack Nance - Gary Salt
- Elmer Kline - Doc Fallon
- Royal Dano - Pops
- Samuel Fuller - Old Man in Pool Hall
References
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Hammett". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/1568/year/1982.html. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
- ^ Noel Murray (2005-11-16). "Hammett review". The Onion A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/content/node/42688. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
- ^ Noel Murray (2005-11-16). "Hammett review". The Onion A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/content/node/42688. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
- ^ Synopsis of the film and its production at Zoetrope Studios site
External links
- Hammett at the Internet Movie Database
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