The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
"The most effective way to conceal a simple mystery is behind another mystery...You do not fool the reader by hiding clues ... but by making him solve the wrong problem" (The Notebooks of Raymond Chandler, 38).
Quick Draft:
Directions: Pretend you are a Hollywood writer and you need to produce a quick write-up for a movie plot you want to pitch. Write a three hundred word summary of the story using the the mystery story techniques you have been investigating in class. Use as many of Chandler's ideas from his notebook as you like. First come up with a title like those below. Next, provide the openning paragraphs and a quick plot summary, including the major characters, their actions, and any significant clues.
Titles | |
The Man with the Shredded Ear The Quiet Ivories Return from Ruin The Corpse Came in Person No Third Act Law Is Where You Buy It Sit with Me While I Dream The Black-Eyed Blonde |
They Only Murdered Him Once Too Late for Smiling The Diary of a Loud Check Suit Deceased When Last Seen Quick, Hide the Body A Night in the Ice Box Goodnight and Goodbye. |
CHANDLERISMS
She threw her arms around my neck, and nicked my ear with the gunsight.
Take your ears out of the way and I'll leave.
I left her with her virtue intact, but it was quite a struggle. She nearly won.
The only difference between you and a monkey is you wear a larger hat.
All the simple old-fashioned charm of a cop beating up a drunk.
Kropp's Piano Concerto for Two Lame Thumbs
If you don't leave, I'll get somebody who will.
Nothing answered me, not even a stand-in for an echo.
She sat in front of her princess dresser trying to paint the suitcases out from under her eyes.
The boys who talk and spit without ever bothering the cigarettes that live in their faces.
Goodnight, goodby and I'd hate to be you.
(48-49)
SLANG AND HARD TALK | |
Chicago lightning-gunfire dip the bill-take a drink grape-liquor cough yourself off-beat it eel juice-liquor creased, bent-knocked off |
lip-lawyer squibbed off-shot new sweet-new girl kick the joint-break in under glass-in prison, caught. circulation drops-drinks |
HOLLYWOOD SLANG
jail break-time out to eat
blinker-camera
queen bee-show off
fluff-baby doll
sock the clock-punch the time clock
footfever-hurry
X ray-still photo
SAN QUENTIN PRISON SLANG
Quoted by former Warden Holoban i Los Angeles Time
(Well-known terms omitted)
Beak........................Judge
Buried.....................Held incommunicado
Box........................Safe and also phongraph
Back door parole....Die in prison
Buck .......................Priest
Caught in a snow-storm........................Cocained up
Crazy alley...............Fenced-in section for daffy prisoners
Croaker....................Doctor
Cop a heel................Assault from behind
Dinah.......................Nitroglycerine
Dropper...................Paid Killer
Eye.........................Detective
Fog.........................Shoot
Fall money.............Bail and legal fees
Fin.........................Five dollar bill
Fin up....................Five years to life
Grease...................Protection money
Herder....................Guard in prison
Lifeboa...................Pardon, commutation of sentence
McCoy...................Genuine (opposed to Crow McGee)
Nose.......................Police spy
Put the cross on......Mark for death
Roscoe...................Gat, hand gun
Shag.......................Worthless
SIMILIES AND COMPARISONS
As noiseless as a finger in a glove.
As systematic as a madam counting the take
About as French as a doughnut (i.e., not French at all)
His face was long enough to wrap twice around his neck
As much sex appeal as a turtle
As clean as an angel's neck
Smart as a hole through nothing
A face like a collapsed lung
So tight his head squeaks when he takes his hat off
As cold as a nun's breeches
High enough to have snow on him
A mouth like wilted lettuce
Longer than a round trip to Siam
Lonely as a caboose of a fifty car freight