Monday, July 21, 2008

A great story by any name

It seems like I have been reading "THE BLACK LIZARD BIG BOOK OF PULPS" for ages.
In fact, I began reading this 1,150-page collection of crime fiction of the 1920s, 30s and 40s since April 9.
I can't seem to put the book down -- the stories provide a wealth of entertainment.
I just finished reading "ANGEL FACE," a classic tale by the noir genius CORNELL WOOLRICH.
The story details the efforts of a nightclub dancer to clear her brother of murder charges. To do so, she must descend into the murky world of a wealthy, sadistic nightclub owner.
Woolrich first submitted the story to Dime Detective, and the magazine published it as "Murder in Wax" in its March 1, 1935 issue.
Woolrich sold a similar story, titled "Face Work," to the magazine Black Mask.
Columbia used the story as the basis for a B-movie, "Convicted," starring a young Rita Hayworth in 1938. The story also formed the basis of a radio show in the 1940s.
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ultimately published the story under Woolrich's preferred title, "Angel Face," in December 1946.
I just read the version published as "Face Work" in the October 1937 issue of Black Mask.
Whatever the title, this Woolrich story delights and shocks the reader in equal measure. It is a true classic of crime fiction.

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