I’ve just finished “reading” The Maltese Falcon as an unabridged audiobook. It’s from the original serialization in Black Mask Mystery magazine, complete with recaps at the start of each installment (which they, annoyingly, don’t identify as such). It’s a great piece of fiction, with touches left out of the classic john huston 1941 film. But an off thought occurred to me near the end.
Dashiell Hammett describes Gutman (the literal heavy, memorably played by Sidney Greenstreet in the 1941 film) as “interlacing his fingers over his central mound”. That phrasing struck a nerve – Rex Stouit used it fairly often to describe Nero Wolfe’s posture when listening intently. Then it really hit me.
Nero Wolfe, like Casper Gutman, is a pretty hefty individual. Both are highly educated, use unfamiliar words in precise ways, and make elaborate speeches. Both are fond of reading, and have legmen to do their physical work for them. neither (despite some depictions) has facial hair. Wolfe is basically Guttman without the deceit and the false bonhomie.
Archie goodwin is in his early thirties, active, a skilled fighter, familiar with the detective game, and has a photographic memory and total recall of conversations. So does San Spade. Both are definite ladies’ men, and both can handle paperwork , dealing with recalcitrant police, and sardonic humor as well as fisticuffs. Sam is a drinking man with a dark side, but Archie Goodwin’s favorite quaff is milk (although he does drink from time to time). Archie is basically Spade without the Dark Side.
The most interesting speeches in The Maltese Falcon are the ones between Spade and Gutman, the verbal fencing and unspoken intentions. The best part of the Nero Wolfe novels are the verbal interplay between Wolfe and Archie.
Is it possible that Rex Stout was inspired to create his innovative detective team by The Maltese Falcon? Falcon was serialized in 1929 and published in book form in 1930. The first Nero Wolfe novel, Fer-de-Lance, appeared in 1934.
Sidney Greenstreet played Nero Wolfe on NBC radio in 1950-1. Stout had nothing but contempt for the media daptations of his work (and rightly so, from what I’ve seen and heard of the ones made while he was alive), but it’s interesting, in light of my suggestion, that he singled out Sidney Greenstreet’s performance as Nero Wolfe for praise.
I’ve done a quick internet search, but have turned up no previous suggestions that Dashgiell Hammett was such a direct influence on Stout. Nor do i recal reading it in any commentaries on mysteries (such as the murder Ink books). Has anyone suggested this before? Is there some fundamental reason this idea isn’t a possibility?