Robert Leslie Bellem was a million-word writer of the Age of Pulp. Although Bellem wrote mystery stories and adventure stories and the occasional western, Bellem is best known for his “Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective” series that ran in the pulp magazines from 1934 to 1950. I’m recommending The Case Files of Dan Turner Hollywood Detective, Volume 1: The Spicy Years because I’ve found these earlier stories more fun and less formulaic than the dozens of Dan Turner stories that follow. Bellem writes with pride that he had a Dan Turner story published in every issue of Spicy Stories for seven straight years. If you enjoy screwball action and thrill-a-minute writing, Robert Leslie Bellem’s Dan Turner will provide it. I also recommend Bellem’s classic Blue Murder.
Sounds like fun-especially the setting.
The Dan Turner stories are very pulpy, Patti. I was surprised by the artwork: very revealing for the 1930s.
It’s the language that makes them fun, all the crazy words he uses as substitutes, some typical of the pulp era, like gat, rod and heater for gun, or dame and skirt for woman. Some are more esoteric, I suspect he made a lot of them up.
I just got these, and was going to do one or more for FFB myself, and still may.
(Terrible scan, George)
You’re right about Bellem’s vocabulary, Rick. It certainly is colorful. As is the storytelling.
I’m emailing you a new scan, George.
Thanks, Rick. This was the best cover I could find on the Internet.
I just received all 9 Dan Turner collections from Pulpville Press — the 3 Case Files collections, and the 6 volumes to date of Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective. The best more-or-less Christmas present I ever gave myself! I first encountered the Immortal Dan via S.J. Perelman’s famous essay, “Somewhere a Roscoe”, and have acquired over the years an assortment of Turner collections from various ephemeral publishers. The Pulpville POD series is by far the best and most comprehensive attempt to put Bellem back into print, and I hope they eventually reprint every single story (their reprint campaign is of course aided by the fact that the Spicy publishers never copyrighted their material, not wanting to send copies to Washington lest Postal Authorities cop a hinge at the contents).
I rather prefer the later, more formulaic stories, because the goofy Bellem slanguage was then in full flower. Who can resist this bit of Turner narration (from “Cat Act”) as once again Dan gets “maced over the conk”: “I felt as light as a zephyr, as giddy as a debutante with a skinful of rye. When I bludgeoned the stage with my sneezer I didn’t even wince. My wincer wasn’t working just then.” As Dan was wont to say, “What the Hell!”
You’re right about Bellem’s writing being a lot of fun to read, Art! He certainly had a way with words. I may pick up the other two CASE FILE volumes. Clearly, you have the most comprehensive Dan Turner collection of anyone I know! I’m surprised at the graphic artwork in the SPICY STORIES. I can understand why they didn’t want to send copies to Washington for copyright.
Indeed, George, I was going to comment that the SPICY line were hardly alone in featuring racy artwork in the pulps, but they were among the most consistent. Earl Bergey did some ’40s covers for STARTLING and such that were all but nudes, given the see-through clothing on the women, and of course Margaret Brundage and her daughters on WEIRD TALES and the rather more envelope-pushing covers on some of the more sexually explicit magazines, including the shudder pulps…much less some of the interior illos.
You can imagine my shock, Todd, when I opened THE CASE FILES OF DAN TURNER HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE and saw some nude line drawings from the 1930s! Somehow, I had the idea that the Thirties were prudish. SPICY STORIES really was “spicy”!
I like the slanguage and the breezy narration, which I discovered, as did Art, though the Perelman essay.
That classic Perelman essay, “Somewhere a Roscoe,” is included in THE CASE FILES OF DAN TURNER HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE, Bill. Bellem invented a whole new lexicon.
Until I got these collections from Pulpville Press/LuLu, I’d only read ROSCOES IN THE NIGHT, a 2003 collection of Dan Turner stories published by Adventure House. I liked that a lot, but despaired of finding more until I learned of the Pulpville volumes. These stories are really a lot of fun.
I’m glad you mentioned those Pulpville Press collections on your blog, Rick. As you might expect, I ordered the current volume immediately and I’ll probably order the rest soon. You’re right, the Dan Turner stories are a lot of fun.
I have some of the earlier Dan Turner volumes from this publisher, but not the Case Files. Are these in full pulp replica format, or has the type been reset? I agree with Art – the writing is more fun in the later stories. But I enjoy the spicier bits in the early ones too. And I must recommend (again), High Adventure number 60, available at the clearance price of $3 from Adventure House. It reprints – in replica – all seven Dan Turner stories from the Jan 1943 issue of Hollywood Detective.
You’ll love the CASE FILES, Evan! Nice format, surprising artwork. I can’t tell if these are in full pulp replica format or reset, but the print is clear and crisp. I’m ordering HIGH ADVENTURE #60 right now.
The pioneering collection of “Dan Turner Hollywood Detective” stories was assembled by John Wooley for Bowling Green University Popular Press in 1983. Some outfit called Winds of the World Press did a series of Spicy reprints, Bellem and others, in an odd little paperbound 4″x5″ mini-book format in 1987. Between reprints, I kept my Turner jones going by occasionally buying coverless issues of Hollywood Detective. Then came the Adventure House volume, already noted, and now this bonanza from Pulpville.
BTW, sci-fi fans, Perelman did a companion piece to “Roscoe” on the science fiction pulps entitled “Captain Future, Block That Kick!” Just about as funny, though Edmund Hamilton fans might not be amused.
Yes, I’m familiar with Perelman’s “Captain Future, Block That Kick!” I didn’t know about the Bowling Green Popular Press collection, but I’m guessing the Pulpville Press volumes are now the Gold Standard, Art.
Something I will check out.
Robert Leslie Bellem is an acquired taste, David, but there are plenty of us pulpsters who love his style of writing!