Retro-Review: The Girl Hunters
By Philip Schweier
Jul 15, 2009 - 8:35:55 AM
Writer(s): Mickey Spillane, Robert Fellows and Roy Rowland
$19.95
Starring: Mickey Spillane, Lloyd Nolan and Shirley Eaton
Directed by: Roy Rowland
Produced by: Mickey Spillane and Robert Fellows
Running Time: 98 minutes
Release Date: June, 1963
Genre: detective
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer burst on the scene with I, the Jury in 1947. Since then he has become the archetype for private eyes everywhere, even overshadowing predecessors such as Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe and Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade, who some feel originated the hard-boiled detective genre.
Private eyes may not be super-heroes to many, but they share many of the same qualities. They fight crime, usually alone, and perhaps outside the usual confines of the American legal system.
Though adapted for film many times before, it wasn't until 1963 that Mike Hammer was portrayed by the person who knew the character best, writer Mickey Spillane. Spillane co-produced, co-wrote and starred in The Girl Hunters, an adaptation of his 1962 novel in which Mike Hammer is literally pulled from the gutter and sent on a whirlwind case involving stolen jewels, Red spies and international assassins.
Seven years prior to the events in the movie, Hammer's secretary/love/assistant Velda was sent out on a case, never to return. With good reason to believe her dead, Hammer hits the bottle, but after seven years, a dying man whispers to Hammer that she's alive. It is that hope that pulls Hammer out of his stupor and pursues the leads that will enable him to locate Velda.
Spillane makes a pretty reasonable Mike Hammer, tough and gritty, and he inhabits the character like a comfortable trench coat, as well he should. It would be unfair to say he outshines his co-stars, as most of them are forgotten today, with two exceptions. Lloyd Nolan plays Rickerby, a federal agent with a stake in the case and helps pave the way for Hammer's resurrection. He fulfills his duty a supporting player by helping to elevate Spillane's performance and moves the story along without drawing too much attention to himself.
Shirley Eaton, the film's female lead, is perhaps best remembered for her role in Goldfinger (1964). Even though she died within the first few minutes of the film, the sight of a golden corpse is hard to forget. In The Girl Hunters, she is granted far more screen time, but her character's fate is more agreeable.
The film is gritty and grainy, with many moments of high-contrast black-and-white photography, which works perfectly for the subject matter. It enhances the period quality, bringing the added element of authenticity, as opposed to period movies today which are created with more modern sensibilities.
I believe the movie suffers from inadequate direction. Some events are played up too much, and are somewhat distracting from the story. Others which are key to being able to follow the narrative seem to be glossed over and given short shrift. This makes the story difficult to follow.
Another failing of the film are far too many dull moments, which research suggests was due to Spillane's involvement as a producer. One character is newspaperman Hy Gardner, played by Hy Gardner himself, a friend of Spillane's. While a fine journalist, Gardner is no actor. Such indulgences on Spillane's part lead to lackluster moments on film.
To fans of the private eye genre, The Girl Hunters is a hard-boiled treat. Others may find it a little scrambled and hard to swallow.
The Girl Hunters is available from www.budplant.com.
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