Amazon.com: Mickey Spillane on Screen: A Complete Study of the Television and Film Adaptations (9780786465781): Max Allan Collins, James L. Traylor: Books

Amazon.com: Mickey Spillane on Screen: A Complete Study of the Television and Film Adaptations (9780786465781): Max Allan Collins, James L. Traylor: Books: In the mid-20th century, Mickey Spillane was the sensation of not just mystery fiction but publishing itself. The level of sex and violence in his Mike Hammer thrillers (starting with I, The Jury in 1947) broke down long-held taboos and engendered a near hysterical critical backlash. Nonetheless, Spillane's influence has been felt--reflections of Hammer are visible in nearly every subsequent tough guy of fiction and film, including James Bond, Dirty Harry, Shaft, Billy Jack, and Jack Bauer. Spillane's fiction came to the screen in a series of films that include Kiss Me Deadly (1955) and The Girl Hunters (1963) with the author himself playing his private eye. These films, and television series starring Darren McGavin and Stacy Keach respectively, are examined in a lively, knowledgeable fashion by Spillane experts. Included are cast and crew listings, brief biographical entries on key persons, and a lengthy interview with Spillane.

I've been reading this one over the course of several days. It's packed with great info, and it's a must for fans of Spillane and Mike Hammer. It's pricey but it's the kind of thing that some of us find irresistible.