Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective

by Robert Leslie Bellem

Written and created by Robert Leslie Bellem, the hardnosed, feisty, Hollywood Detective, Dan Turner, is featured in eight stories and one comic presentation in this compilation. Read Temporary Corpse, Death's Bright Halo, Beyond Justice, Dark Star of Death, Blackmail from Beyond, Crimson Quest, Cat Act, and Latin Blood, as well as the comic, The Murdered Mummy. All stories are from Spicy Detective and Private Detective and are fully illustrated with the original artwork which accompanied their publication in the pulps.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Robert Leslie Bellem (July 19, 1902 - April 1, 1968) was an American pulp magazine writer, best known for his creation of Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective. Before becoming a writer he worked in Los Angeles as a newspaper reporter, radio announcer and film extra. After the demise of the pulps, Bellem switched to writing for television, including a number of scripts for The Lone Ranger, Adventures of Superman (1950s version), the original Perry Mason show, 77 Sunset Strip, and other shows.

Reviews

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Below the pulp detective stories of Black Mask, where Chandler, Gardner, and Hammet cut their teeth, were magazines like Spicy Detective. Guys like Norvell Page and Robert Bellem published stories in this — and other — lesser-tier pulp magazines, entertaining readers for 1/2 penny a word when they couldn’t get their stories published in the top-tier pulp magazines, and earn a penny per word.

This collection of Dan Turner Hollywood Detective stories is fabulous as long as you aren't expecting Killer in the Rain (Chandler) or anything similar to emerge. Bellem was so over the top it was hard to see where the top was, and that is exactly the charm of his Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective stories.

Each story in this one is as good as the one which preceded it. It also includes the comic book style illustrated The Murdered Mummy, which is awesome for fans. These stories are fun, filled with some of the craziest pulp dialog you’ll ever read, and a likable hero in Dan Turner.

The first few stories here include some of the great illustrations which always accompanied the narrative of a Dan Turner story — always girls in peril, or women creating havoc with the roscoe they're pointing at someone; needless to say, all of them are scantily clad. Dan Turner is racy pulp not to be taken as serious pulp, but a guilty pleasure. If you can come at it from that angle, you’ll have a blast. If not, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The stories featured in this one are as follows:

THE MURDERED MUMMY — The sole entry which is like a long newspaper comic book.

TEMPORARY CORPSE

DEATH’S BRIGHT HALO

BEYOND JUSTICE

DARK STAR OF DEATH

BLACKMAIL FROM BEYOND

CRIMSON QUEST

CAT ACT

LATIN BLOOD

Highly recommended if you’re into old pulp, and don’t mind some really wild and over the top dialog.

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure early pulp. The "spicy" kind. A lot of nudity, near nudity. Dan Turner is "only a man" and sleeps with a lot of women, or maybe just makes out with them. I enjoyed the pulp ridiculousness.

[David Baldwin]

"My roscoe said: 'Ka-Chow.'"

Bellem's writing is, even by pulp standards, ridiculous--but ridiculous in a manner that is fun, propulsive, and often hilarious. I feel a bit guilty admitting this, but I'll definitely be reading more.