Mickey Spillane
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
Frank Morrison Spillane (born March 9, 1918), better known as Mickey Spillane, is an American author of crime novels.
| Contents |
Early life
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in a tough neighborhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Crime fiction
He created the fictional "tough guy" private eye Mike Hammer who has much in common with Spillane himself. Hammer first appears in the 1947 novel I, the Jury.
Other works :
- Kiss Me, Deadly, 1952
- The Deep, 1961
Critisicm of Spillane's work
Literary critics hated Spillane's writing, citing high content of sex and violence. In answer to his critics, Spillane had a few terse comments:
- Those big-shot writers could never dig the fact that there are more salted peanuts consumed than caviar.
- If the public likes you, you're good.
Acting
Spillane occasionally acted in movies, making his film debut in the 1963 production The Girl Hunters in which he played his creation, Mike Hammer (one of the only occasions in film history in which an author of a popular literary hero has portrayed his own character).
Final quote
- "I'm actually a softie. Tough guys get killed too early... I've got a full head of hair and don't wear eyeglasses"
- — Mickey Spillane, 2004
See also:
