SPILLANE – King of Pulp Fiction
A Biography
By Max Allan Collins & James L. Traylor
Mysterious Press
337 pgs.
After reading this book, our initial reaction was that we’d
actually been given the history of not one person, but two. Writers Collins and
Traylor deftly interweave the story of both the real Mickey Spillane with that
of his most famous fictional character, Mike Hammer. With both Collins and
Traylor bonafide fans of both, what results is a truly intimate reflection of
two equally fascinating and complex beings.
Now allow us to backtrack a wee bit. In the early 60s we
were in high school discovering so many different writers who forever change
our lives. From Edgar Rice Burroughs to Robert E. Howard, Ed McBain to Richard
S. Prather and Donald Hamilton. All were found the twenty-five cents paperbacks we
devoured weekly. Way more interesting fare than what was dished out in our
literature classics. Somehow, among all this reading, we missed Spillane until
1961 when we read a book called “The Deep.” It was a fast paced thriller and
kept our attention all the way to the socko ending that pivoted entirely on the
very last word. As a budding writer, that trick mesmerized us. Who was this
Spillane guy who could so control a narrative that it hinged totally on a
single word. Thus over time we began learning more and more about the writer
and his tough guy private eye, Mike Hammer. Keep in mind; we’d yet to read a
single Hammer book.
We have vague memories of the Miller Lite TV commercial
spots with Spillane and the curvy blonde and it was obvious he was spoofing
himself. He seemed like a fun, likeable guy. In 1982 we saw the second film
adaptation of “I Jury” with a young, rakish Armand Assante as Hammer. A far cry
from the trenchcoat and pork-pie hat Hammer splashed all over his paperback
covers. Still, we really like the film for what it was. No great classic of
cinema, but an enjoyable way to spend a few hours in the theater.
No, our first actual introduction to Hammer and through him
Spillane, came much later when Max Allan Collins began completing manuscripts
the writer had left behind at the time of his death. We’d begun this review
blog by then and Collins was most generous in either sending copies of these
titles or having the publishers do so. Within a few short years, we found
ourselves immersed in the tough, nourish world of Mike Hammer and we loved
every second of it. Collins always included post-notes detailing which parts of
the each book Hammer had done and which he’d added. His obvious sincerity in
the tasks he’d undertaken only made us appreciate Spillane all the more. Thus
sparking a true curiosity as to who this guy really was?
All of which leads us to “Spillane – King of Pulp Fiction.”
Here is a complete accounting of one of the most talented, intriguing and
complicated human beings to ever walk the planet. From his days in the military
during World War II, to his initial forays into writing fiction from short
stories for the pulps to comic books. It’s all here. His sudden rise to success
with the first six Hammer books, to his persecution at the hands of the
literary elite unmerciful in their criticisms. To them he was an unsophisticated
hack who got lucky. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spillane was a
product of his times, from childhood through the war years and their aftermath.
Like the country he loved would never be same again, neither would the writer
and the fiction he created totally reflected America’s changing mores.
The chronicling of Spillane’s frustration with Hollywood, it is clear
all he ever wanted was to the Hammer from his pages on that giant silver
screen. That it didn’t happen early on ultimately led him to assume the role
much to delight of his millions of readers. Like his stories, in “The Girl
Hunters” Spillane didn’t let them down. Which speaks volumes to his character
as well. From bouts with various religions to several marriages, this biography
rolls long like moonshiner’s coupe over lots of back country rutted roads. It’s
all here, the fun, the heartache and eventually a man content with his own life
at the end. Perhaps his greatest triumph after all.
“Spillane – King of Pulp Fiction” is an insightful read
celebrating one of the greatest writers of all time. A tip of the fedora to
Collins & Traylor. Masterful.
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