Descriptions from Raymond Chandler

[J. Brisbin]

I'm really into noir detective fiction right now. I've been reading Raymond Chandler quite a bit lately. One of the things I really like about his writing is the descriptions of everything in the scene. He pays particular attention to the clothes of the men in his stories. I'm reading "The High Window" tonight and came across this:

"He was nicely dressed; cream colored gabardine now, all fresh clothes, slacks, black and white shoes, with polished black toes, a sport coat of very small black and white check, black and white handkerchief, cream shirt, no tie. He had a pair of green sun glasses on his nose."

I ran across another one earlier in the novel and I'll post that here when I find it again. Just thought these very period descriptions of how to put things together was very interesting. From the pictures I've seen of him, Raymond Chandler really knew how to dress sharp!

 

[Marty M.]

Hard Boiled.

That's cool. I should pick up reading sometime. Nah.
Thanks.
Marty Mathis

 

[Jay]

There was one that mentioned the blue jacket/cream flannel pants/spectators look and described it... well, like only Chandler could. One of the later books... I'll have to find it tomorrow.

 

[beaucaillou]

wonderful thread. makes me wonder is Ring Lardner ever described men's attire...?

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

This kind of descriptions is really something Chandler was good at, and where in my opinion, Hammett was much more wooden.

 

[scotrace]

I just finished The Big Sleep. Chandler's ability to quickly set the scene and lay it all out in your mind with a few well-cosen details and perfect metaphors is wonderful. And he does it on every page.
The book is better.

 

[manton]

The description of Moose Malloy at the beginning of Farwell, My Lovely is quite memorable.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Here's a menswear description from Gus Tolman, a racy (and badly written) pulp novel from 1932. The character of "Gus," a womanizing cross between Elmer Gantry and Superman, dresses to conquer:


"I wore a Palm Beach suit over a sheer silk shirt with no [undershirt]. I had, no doubt, an attractive figure and my close-fitting trousers displayed my muscular limbs ... to good advantage." Etc., etc.

.

 

[scotrace]

That's icky.com

 

[TM]

Well, it doesn't refer to clothes, but this is my favorite Raymond Chandler line:

"Those hot dry winds that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen."
—Raymond Chandler, "Red Wind"

 

[J. Brisbin]

Here's another one from high window:

"He was a middle-aged man, heavy set, about five feet seven inches tall and weighing around one hundred and seventy pounds. He said his name was Smith. He wore a blue suit, black shoes, a green tie and shirt, no hat. There was a brown bordered handerchief in his outer pocket."

Anyone have a green shirt and green tie they can show us what that would look like with a blue suit?

 

[Mike1939]

My favorite men's clothing description is of Phillip Marlowe at the beginning of The Big Sleep:

I was wearing my powder blue suit, with dark blue Shirt, tie and display handkerchief, black brouges, black wool socks with dark blue clocks on them. I was neat, clean shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the welldressed private detective ought to be. I was calling on four million dollars.

 

[J.B.]

“From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.” ~ The High Window

 

[J.B.]

Well, it doesn't refer to clothes, but this is my favorite Raymond Chandler line:

"Those hot dry winds that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen."
—Raymond Chandler, "Red Wind"

Gotta lurve those Santa Ana's...

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Not Chandler, but . . .

. . . From John D. MacDonald's The Neon Jungle (the character here is a psycho/socio-path heroin courier)

"Vern Locketer stood in the third floor bathroom with a bath towel around his shoulders to protect his thin gray shirt. it was a blue-gray shirt made of Egyptian cotton, as fine as silk, tailored in England. it was new, and to wear with it he had selected the pale flannel slacks, so pale a gray that they were almost white - the slacks with the small pleats and the side seams stitched in black. He wore a narrow green fabric belt with a small gold slip buckle, and green matching canvas shoes with thick crepe soles and gold eyelets.

He turned on the water and waited until it ran warm, and then, making smal cups of his hands, he ducked his head over the bowl and lifted the water to his hair, worked it vigorously, making his scalp tingle. He turned off the water and opened the mirrored medicine cabinet and took out the narrow bottle of hair lotion. he poured a bit into his palm, rubbed his hands slickly together, then worked that into the jet hair. With his comb he combed all the hair straight forward first so that it hung shining before his eyes. And then he worked it back, bobbing his head with each stroke starting from the top and working down to the hair worn long over the ears, using more delicate strokes for that. He wiped the comb on a corner corner of the towel, replaced it it in a cabinet, hung the towel on his rack. He took a small tube from the medicine cabinet and, using the smallest bit of vaseline on his fingertips, smoothed his eyebrows back. They had a thick gloss and almost met over the bridge of his nose. He took a cleansing tissue and wiped his fingertips dry. He examined his nails. They satisfied him. He inspected himself in the mirror. The fabric of the shirt was so thin that the weight of a fresh pack of cigarettes made the pocket sag. He transferred the cigarettes to the right pocket of the slacks, making a mental note to keep them there while wearing this particular shirt."

bk

 

[manton]

You guys left out the next line: "Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

 

[dhermann1]

Chandler's descriptions of LA in the 30's made me want to go there, close my eyes, and imagine it all back into existence.

 

[Mr. Rover]

“From 30 feet away she looked like a lot of class. From 10 feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from 30 feet away.” ~ The High Window

Ouuuuchh....sounds like some girls i know haha

 

[J. Brisbin]

From "Farewell, My Lovely"

Finished The High Window and am on Farewell, My Lovely now. This one is awesome:

"He wore a shaggy borsalino hat, a rough gray sports coat with white golf balls on it for buttons, a brown shirt, a yellow tie, pleated gray flannel slacks and alligator shoes with white explosions on the toes. From his outer breast pocket cascaded a show handerchief of the same brilliant yellow as his tie. There were a couple of colored feathers tucked into the band of his hat, but he didn't really need them. Even on Central Avenue, not the quietest dressed street in the world, he looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food."

If anyone tries this look out, you must post pictures. That would be a gotta see!

 

[manton]

Finished The High Window and am on Farewell, My Lovely now. This one is awesome:

"He wore a shaggy borsalino hat, a rough gray sports coat with white golf balls on it for buttons, a brown shirt, a yellow tie, pleated gray flannel slacks and alligator shoes with white explosions on the toes. From his outer breast pocket cascaded a show handerchief of the same brilliant yellow as his tie. There were a couple of colored feathers tucked into the band of his hat, but he didn't really need them. Even on Central Avenue, not the quietest dressed street in the world, he looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food."

If anyone tries this look out, you must post pictures. That would be a gotta see!

That's Moose Malloy. Where O where is my Velma?