The Black Bird

My favorite mystery/crime author of all time is the great Dashiell Hammett who wrote The "Maltese Falcon" in 1930. He also wrote four other novels: "Red Harvest" (1929), "The Dain Curse" (1929), "The Glass Key" (1931) and "The Thin Man" (1934)) all of which were made into movies. Here in San Francisco where he lived and worked, there are numerous monuments and landmarks featured in the films, life and writing. John's Grill downtown is the ground zero for Hammett enthusiasts with what is essentially a Hammett museum. Above you can see me in front of a case containing a replica Maltese Falcon. The previous bird (one of the several made for the 1941 movie with Humphrey Bogart) was stolen last year! Not many people know Hammett also wrote a comic strip back in 1934 called Secret Agent X-9.