In Raymond Chandler’s cynical noir novels, Santa Monica, in the thirties and early forties, was Bay City, a corrupt, crime-ridden town, with water taxis from the Pier to gambling ships anchored in the Bay, and too much new money sloshing around, and far too much brutal sunshine. He knew. He lived in Santa Monica at the time. Chandler’s world-weary detective Philip Marlowe – in "Farewell My Lovely" – set here – said that in a big city like Los Angeles...
more »In Raymond Chandler’s cynical noir novels, Santa Monica, in the thirties and early forties, was Bay City, a corrupt, crime-ridden town, with water taxis from the Pier to gambling ships anchored in the Bay, and too much new money sloshing around, and far too much brutal sunshine. He knew. He lived in Santa Monica at the time. Chandler’s world-weary detective Philip Marlowe – in "Farewell My Lovely" – set here – said that in a big city like Los Angeles gangsters can only buy selected cops and politicians – a piece of the city – but in Bay City they could buy the whole town. It was a place where anything could happen and it looked like this – the mysterious Sovereign, from the thirties, on Washington Avenue. ~ Wednesday, August 1, 2018
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