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Mike Hammer: Call Him What you Will except Unforgettable
by Avis Yarbrough
"I don’t want to arrest anyone. I just want to shoot somebody." A dick, private investigator, gumshoe, hired gun, or just plain P.I., sums up Mickey Spillane’s 1950’s classic character Mick Hammer.
Hard as nails, moody to say the least, a chauvinist pig, and always just on the edge of exploding into violence- love him or hate- Mike Hammer was a character readers have not forgotten. From books, movies and television series, audiences have been mesmerize by him.
One reason Mike Hammer is considered such an unforgettable character has to do with the writing style of the author, Frank "Mickey" Morrison Spillane. Born on March 9, 1918, and Spillane grew up in Brooklyn, New York during the Depression.
The first and probably the best known Mike Hammer book was, "I, The Jury," published in 1952. "I , The Jury" written in only six days and is considered a classic today. Through the 1950’s more books will follow. There was "My Gun is Quick," published in 1951, "Kiss Me Deadly," in 1953 and ‘Vengeance is Mine," which came out in 1958.
In the end, there will be about sixteen Mike Hammer books total in all.
The first television show based on Mickey Spillane’s, Mike Hammer books ran from 1956-1959. The television’s plot outline stayed true to Spillane’s vision of his character.
Mike’s was no less tough or violent, and was still a ladies man. And in the 1980’s another television show was produced based on the Mike Hammer character, which starred Stacy Keach.
Movies based on the book came as well, although they are considered to be merely B type genre movies, they to have become cult classics. There was, The Girl Hunter in 1967 and actually starred Mickey Spillane as Mike Hammer, and then there was "I, The Jury," made into movies in 1953 and 1982.
Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer books are still being read by a new generation of readers today. Private investigator, gumshoe, whatever, call him what you will, except
that he has been forgotten.
more articles by Avis
Yarbrough
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