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...Hammett had any political convictions before he became friends with Hellman, he apparently kept them to himself...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Books: He Was His Own Best Whodunit | 7/20/1981 | See Source »

Layman argues that "Hellman's influence" chiefly led Hammett into liberal, antifascist crusades in the late 1930s. This may explain his initiation but not the zealousness that followed. In 1937, like many writers at the time, he became a champion of the Loyalist side in the Spanish Civil War. By 1940 he had moved far to the left and was working to get the Communist Party slate on state ballots in time for the upcoming election. His conversion was swift and complete. Writes Layman: "It seems likely from the responsibilities Hammett was given for Communist activities that he joined...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Books: He Was His Own Best Whodunit | 7/20/1981 | See Source »

...served his country during World War II, enlisting as a private at age 48 and ultimately running a camp newspaper on the island of Adak in the Aleutians. The postwar climate grew chilly to Hammett's politics. Ordered to testify before a federal judge in 1951, he appeared but refused to cooperate and was sentenced to six months in jail for contempt. When he got out, his income had dried up, and he faced claims for more than $110,000 in back taxes...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Books: He Was His Own Best Whodunit | 7/20/1981 | See Source »

This approach inspires both trust and a question: What kind of man, finally, was Hammett? A satisfactory answer may be impossible Shadow Man tells a fascinating and tantalizing story. It also suggests just how cleverly the old detective covered his tracks. -By Paul Gray...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Books: He Was His Own Best Whodunit | 7/20/1981 | See Source »

...given up attempts to regenerate his writing career, and he complained to an acquaintance that most days he saw no reason to get up in the morning. Though he enjoyed solitude, at other times Hammett craved the sense of camaraderie that alcohol gives. Just after he returned to New York, he learned that a woman who had served in the U.S.O. on Adak was living in Manhattan. He asked her out for dinner and nightclubbing. They began the evening in midtown and drank their way to Harlem. As Hammett got drunker, he became louder, ruder, and more talkative. Finally...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Books: He Was His Own Best Whodunit | 7/20/1981 | See Source »

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