Moorich2@aol.com wrote:
> Juri was wondering how Chandler could have a blurb
on a Philip Atlee novel
> when the first was published after Chandler's
death.
> James Atlee Phillips had several novels published
before his Fawcett series
> as Philip Atlee and those were the ones that caught
Raymond Chandler's eye.
This explains a lot. But was the blurb used in the Joe Gall
books a commercial one, I mean, did the publisher order it
from Chandler? Did he do other blurbs?
> I recently reread SUITABLE FOR FRAMING (1949) and
again relished scenes and
> dialog that capture perfectly what I love in a good
HB story. Here is one
> sample:
> [snip]
> To me, this is great stuff!
Not bad, not bad. Am sorry to say that his earlier works
haven't been translated. And the Joe Gall translations are
bad, one of them ("The Irish Beauty Contract") exceptionally
bad. I haven't been able to find the original versions,
except "The Star Ruby Contract".
> I also enjoy the Philip Atlee novels although the
writing and plotting is
> generally not at the level of his earlier
work.
There's some charming cynicism in them. The plots aren't very
interesting, though.
> His brother David was a top
> CIA official who later wrote a memoir and a novel. I
always wondered if
> "Philip Atlee" was also a cover for intelligence
work. Both E. Howard Hunt
> and Charles McCarry pursued writing careers while
remaining on the CIA
> payroll. I am currently reading his Dell paperback
original THE DEADLY
> MERMAIDS from the mid-50s, which features someone
operating undercover in
> Haiti for a US intelligence agency.
His? You must mean James Atlee Phillips, even though it's not
very clear. Charles McCarry is said to be good, is he?
> James A. Philips died a few years ago. He married a
wealthy Arkansas woman
> and lived the good life in his final years. Mike
Nevins did a good interview
> with him years ago that was published in an issue of
(I think) "Espionage."
Do you know the exact year when he died?
Thanks for the exciting info!
Juri
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