A Tale of Two Hammers
The Night Stalker / The Night Strangler
Long before Kolchak the Night Stalker, Darren McGavin played Mickey Spillane’s vintage private detective, Mike Hammer, on the ole glass teat (as Harlan Ellison referred to the boob tube a few decades back). And, while we’re at it, here’s the only flick I watched while visiting my ole hometown (La La Land), in November. A nifty li’l noir flick with a righteously weird radioactive twist bordering on the science fictional. A few of you might remember catching Ralph Meeker, who played Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly, in Dan Curtis’ made for TV masterpiece The Night Stalker. Of course Meeker was alongside his predecessor, Darren McGavin. Coincidental, dontcha think? If you’re like me and dig Kiss Me Deadly on film, you won’t be disappointed with Mickey Spillane’s novel of the same title.
Mike Hammer, the TV series
Kiss Me Deadly
Enjoy!
-P
