Summer Reading Flashcards
Who introduced Detective Fiction? What year?
Edgar Allan Poe in 1841
What was British detective fiction called and how long was it?
The Golden Age from 1920-1939
Name notable authors from British detective fiction.
Agatha Dickson and John Dickson Carr
What was American detective fiction called?
The Hard Boiled School
Name notable authors of American detective fiction.
Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler
Where was Dashiell Hammet born?
On the eastern shore of Maryland in 1894
True or False. Hammet used to be a detective for the Pinkerton agency
True
How would Hammet use his detective background for story making?
He would use his experiences to make some of the most popular detective stories
When and where was his first story published?
In 1922 for the magazine The Smart Set
How many printings did the Maltese Falcon go through?
7
When did Hammet die?
1961
When and where was James M. Cain born?
He was born in Annapolis, Maryland on July 1, 1892
What was the name of his first novel? Was it successful?
The Postman Always Rings Twice. It was a best seller
When was Double Indemnity published?
1936
When did Cain die?
October 27th, 1977
Where and when was Chandler born?
In Chicago 1888
What was Chandler’s first job?
He was a screenwriter and was to turn James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity into a film
When and how did Chandler die?
Pneumonia in 1959
Who is Miles Archer? Describe him.
He is Spade’s partner. He is medium height, well built, and some gray hair
Who decides to follow Floyd Thursby? Why?
Bridget O’Shaugnessy because she’s attracted to him
Why did Tom Polhaus telephone Sam Spade early in the story?
Miles Archer was shot dead with a revolver
Describe Lt. Dundy’s demeanor?
He’s very harsh, aggressive, and he thinks Spade knows more than he is saying
Whom does Mrs. Archer think killed her husband?
Sam Spade
What did the person who went to visit Mrs. Archer the night of her husband’s death notice?
Her clothes were warm
What is Mrs. Wonderly’s real name? What is her other alias?
Brigid O’Shaugnessy. Leblanc is her other alias
Who is Sid Wise?
Sam Spade’s lawyer
What is Cairo looking for? What does he offer Spade?
The Maltese Falcon. $5,000 is his offer to Spade to find it
What does Cairo do after Sam gives him his pistol for the 1st time?
He searches his office
How does Sam explain the presence of Brigid and Cairo in his apartment to Dundy and Polhaus?
He says that Brigid is working for him and Cairo hired him to do Thursby’s job
After Cairo, Dundy, and Polhaus leave, how does Sam convince Brigid to stay? What lie does he feed her?
He tells her that Wilmur is still out there after he checked. The lie is that Wilmur already left
How does Sam explain his absence in the morning while Brigid was still in his apartment?
He says he went out to get breakfast
How does youth act when he sees Sam in the lobby of the hotel Belvedere?
He doesn’t talk to him
Who shot Thursby? Who shot Miles?
Wilmur shot Thrusby. Brigid shot Miles
What ship was the falcon supposed to be on? Who was the Captain?
La Paloma. The captain’s name was Jacoby
Why is Effie worried when Sam gets to the office after having visited with Gutman and then Wise?
Brigid never showed up to Effie’s moms house and Sam shows up beat up when he arrived to the office
Why is the falcon painted black
To hide its true value
Whom does Effie see to verify the history of the falcon?
Ted Christy, her cousin that is a professor
At lunch, what does Sam find out from Polhaus about Thursby’s Chicago background?
He used to be a mobster
How long has Gutman been looking for the falcon?
17 years
Who is Wilmur?
The youth that works for Gutman and shot Thursby
What does Sam want with Wilmer in the deal that he makes with Gutman?
He wants Wilmur to be the fall guy
Why does Sam ask Brigid to take off her clothes?
To search her
Who brings the falcon to the apartment?
Effie
Whom does Brigid say tricked them with a fake falcon?
The Russian Kemedov
What Point of view was the Maltese Falcon written in?
3rd person limited
Why does the narrator go to the Nirdlinger’s at the opening of the novel?
To sell him insurance renewal
What does the narrator nickname the Nirdlinger house?
The House of Death
What department is Keyes apart of?
Claims
What does the narrator and Mrs. Nirdlinger drink together when the narrator goes to visit?
Tea
What is Mrs. Nirdlinger’s name?
Phyllis
How did Mrs. Nirdlinger think of killing her husband initially?
An accident in the oil fields
When the narrator gives Lola a ride to the drugstore, who does she meet? Why are they meeting in secret?
They meet with Nino Sachetti. Her mother doesn’t approve
What does Sachetti put down as collateral for his loan?
His car
- What type of policy does Mrs. Nirdlinger take out on her husband?
The accident death policy. She tells him that she’ll get double indemnity
Why does Mrs. Nirdlinger tell the narrator that the Palo Alto trip is off?
Mr. Nirdlinger broke his leg
How does Mr. Nirdlinger Die?
His neck is snapped
How does the narrator get to the train station?
Phyllis takes him
How does the narrator get rid of the guy standing at the back of the train?
He tell him to get his briefcase in the other train car
