Just read the news over at Mystery*File that Donald Hamilton is gone. So damn sad. I went through a serious Hamilton phase in Fall 2001, where I tracked down and devoured the first dozen Matt Helm adventures, back to back. I'm pretty sure it was Ed Gorman who said that JFK was a weenie because he preferred James Bond to Matt Helm; I'm inclined to agree. Forget the Dean Martin movies; look at the original novels. Death of a Citizen, the first in the series, is balls-out fantastic. We read "vintage" novels and assume they'll be slightly quaint, that the action couldn't possibly match the fever pitch of modern novels. I don't think anybody's ever topped what Hamilton did with Helm's gritty, hardcore debut. Mystery*File also reports that there's a last Matt Helm adventure which may see the light of day at some point. That would be sweet. But there's also a treasure trove of Helm waiting to be discovered, and I'd love to see them reprinted.Update: Charles Ardai, who reprinted Hamilton's Night Walker last year, writes:
In the last decade of his life, Don moved back to Sweden, where he'd been born, and lived there with his son, Gordon. He died peacefully, in his sleep, this past November. Gordon kept the fact of his death private until today, when he confirmed it in a phone conversation with me.
"We've lost a number of giants of the mystery field over the past few years -- Mickey Spillane, Ed McBain, and Richard S. Prather, among others -- and Donald Hamilton is very much of that caliber. He sold more than 20 million books during his lifetime. But unlike Spillane, McBain and Prather, all of whom were widely remembered at the time of their death, Don's passing has sadly gone unremarked.
Hey pallie, no disrespect meant, but I could never, ever "forget the Dean Martin movies." I know what you mean in that the Dinoflicks were nothing like the Hamilton capers, but in their own way the Matt Helm films were a stellar showcase for the great Dino Martin 'cause it was basically Dino playin' his cool self. Never was, never will be anyone as cool as the King of Cool. Oh, to return to the days when Dino walked the earth!
ReplyDeleteI devoured the Matt Helm books when I was a kid. I'm sorry to hear about Hamilton's passing.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Dino. Of course, I meant the Dean Martin movies as accurate portrayal of the Matt Helm from the books. Because it's pretty far removed.
ReplyDeleteYour next martini is on the house.
Hey pallie Duane, like thanks so much for the Dinoclarification. And thanks for the offer of the martini, but actually I usually drink J&B, Dino's fav booze. When I'm in the neighborhood, I'll try and look you up dude!
ReplyDelete