Moriarty had competition!
As Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tales debuted and garnered astounding popularity (1887-1927), competing detective characters swelled in number. Some authors preferred to focus on the victims of crime. However, a number of distinctive fiction writers shifted the spotlight to the criminals themselves. The finest and funnest works penned by this last group make up the Curated Crime Collection, a sort of nine-volume anthology. Culled from a wide variety of novels and short-story series, the CCC features thirteen singular sinners and two felonious fraternities.
The CCC is almost fully available now. As an extension to it, I’m writing a series of reviews about movies that similarly showcase criminal characters. I’ll update this list as reviews become available. Click on the title to read about the movie.
- They Live by Night (1948), directed by Nicolas Ray. Loosely speaking, this is a Romeo-and-Juliet story about a young couple on the wrong side of the law, blending touches of sentimental romance with punches of gritty realism. Ray, who went on to direct Rebel Without a Cause (1955), includes innovative visual and audio techniques, including some of the very first helicopter tracking shots.
I hope to avoid those movies that have already garnered a lot of critical attention. In contrast, films such as Ocean’s Eleven (1960) and The Godfather (1972)—along with their remakes, sequels, and spin-offs—are well known. I’d rather draw attention to works that are less famous yet equally impressive. This fits with the philosophy I used when choosing the CCC. It’s nice when I’m able to inspire a reader or a film fan to respond: “This thing is terrific! How did I not know about this?”
My reviews will follow a 1-2-3 pattern. First, “At Large” provides some basic information about the film, its director and stars, and its history. Second, “Arresting Features” explains why I chose it as something that, ahem, warrants watching. Third, “In Cahoots” will match the movie with one or more of the volumes in the CCC, inviting a viewer who liked a particular movie to take a chance on a similar book or vice versa.
BROM BONES BOOKS 