James E. Gunn (1923–2020)

1941 noir is notable for how sharp the humor is. It is filled with a cast of really strange characters - a killer who likes to weep - two half-sisters who both sort of love him - a preying psychiatrist - an alcoholic mother and her rapidly evolving daughter - a confused kid sister - the killer's friend - one of the half-sister's intended spouses - the psychiatrist's "Earth Mother" assistant...it goes on and on. Everything moves along at a pretty good pace, with lots of memorable scenes along the way. it never quite seems real, however, since it is all just so strange. Great dialogue throughout, which perhaps explains why 21-year-old novelist Gunn spent the rest of his 46-year lifespan writing screenplays--and never another novel. Well, this is a good one to be semi-remembered by. Definitely recommended. This was the basis for the cult classic movie Born to Kill - which I haven't seen in a very long time, but does away with some of the characters and focuses the story a bit. I'll have to watch it again.… (meer)