Lew Archer
Encyclopedia
Lew Archer is a fictional character
created by Ross Macdonald
. Archer is a private detective working in Southern California
.
. However, he eventually broke from that mold, though some similarities remain. Archer's principal difference is that he is much more openly sensitive and empathetic than the tough Marlowe. He also serves a different function from Marlowe. Raymond Chandler
's books were studies of Marlowe's character and code of honor, while Macdonald used Archer as a lens to explore the relationships of the other characters in the novels.
Another small but subtle difference was that Marlowe prowled the city of Los Angeles during the 1940s, while Lew Archer primarily worked the suburbs in the 1950s, moving outward with the populace. Like Marlowe, Archer observes growing dichotomies in American society with visual "snapshots". In The Zebra-Striped Hearse, Archer hunts a missing girl who may be dead, possibly murdered. He questions surfers who own a hearse painted in gay zebra stripes. To the youngsters, death is remote and funny. To the world-weary detective, it's close and grim.
Lew Archer is largely a cipher, rarely described, though in The Doomsters
a sheriff mocks his 6'2" and blue eyes. As old failures plague him, we learn he once "took the strap away from my old man", that he was a troubled kid and petty thief redeemed by an old cop, that he sometimes drank too much, that his ex-wife's name is Sue, and he thinks of her often. His background is most thoroughly explored in The Moving Target
: he got his training with the Long Beach California Police Department, but left (Archer himself says he was "fired") after witnessing too much corruption, and during World War II
, he served in military intelligence
in the United States Army
, again mentioned in The Doomsters
.
Archer's name pays homage to Dashiell Hammett
: "Miles Archer" was the name of Sam Spade
's murdered partner in The Maltese Falcon.
Two feature films starring Paul Newman
as "Lew Harper" (rumor supposes the name was changed from the original because Newman felt characters with "H" names were "lucky"):
Archer, a 1975 NBC
TV series (NBC) starring Brian Keith
based on the character. It was cancelled after six episodes:
Le Loup de la côte Ouest (2002, Hugo Santiago
from the short story "Guilt-Edged Blonde") starring James Faulkner
as Lew Millar. (Alternate Title: The Wolf of the West Coast)
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by Ross Macdonald
Ross Macdonald
Not to be confused with John D. MacDonaldRoss Macdonald is the pseudonym of the American-Canadian writer of crime fiction Kenneth Millar...
. Archer is a private detective working in Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Profile
Initially, Lew Archer was similar to (if not completely a derivative of) Philip MarlowePhilip Marlowe
Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep published in 1939...
. However, he eventually broke from that mold, though some similarities remain. Archer's principal difference is that he is much more openly sensitive and empathetic than the tough Marlowe. He also serves a different function from Marlowe. Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
's books were studies of Marlowe's character and code of honor, while Macdonald used Archer as a lens to explore the relationships of the other characters in the novels.
Another small but subtle difference was that Marlowe prowled the city of Los Angeles during the 1940s, while Lew Archer primarily worked the suburbs in the 1950s, moving outward with the populace. Like Marlowe, Archer observes growing dichotomies in American society with visual "snapshots". In The Zebra-Striped Hearse, Archer hunts a missing girl who may be dead, possibly murdered. He questions surfers who own a hearse painted in gay zebra stripes. To the youngsters, death is remote and funny. To the world-weary detective, it's close and grim.
Lew Archer is largely a cipher, rarely described, though in The Doomsters
The Doomsters
The Doomsters is a 1958 mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald, the seventh book in the Lew Archer series. Many sources agree that this book marked a turning point in the series, wherein Macdonald abandoned his imitations of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett and found his own voice...
a sheriff mocks his 6'2" and blue eyes. As old failures plague him, we learn he once "took the strap away from my old man", that he was a troubled kid and petty thief redeemed by an old cop, that he sometimes drank too much, that his ex-wife's name is Sue, and he thinks of her often. His background is most thoroughly explored in The Moving Target
The Moving Target
The Moving Target is a 1949 mystery novel, written by Ross Macdonald.This is the first Ross Macdonald novel to feature the character of Lew Archer, who would define the author's career. Lew Archer is hired by the dispassionate wife of an eccentric oil tycoon who has gone missing...
: he got his training with the Long Beach California Police Department, but left (Archer himself says he was "fired") after witnessing too much corruption, and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, again mentioned in The Doomsters
The Doomsters
The Doomsters is a 1958 mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald, the seventh book in the Lew Archer series. Many sources agree that this book marked a turning point in the series, wherein Macdonald abandoned his imitations of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett and found his own voice...
.
Archer's name pays homage to Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
: "Miles Archer" was the name of Sam Spade
Sam Spade
Sam Spade is a fictional character who is the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon and the various films and adaptations based on it, as well as in three lesser known short stories by Hammett....
's murdered partner in The Maltese Falcon.
Novels
- The Moving TargetThe Moving TargetThe Moving Target is a 1949 mystery novel, written by Ross Macdonald.This is the first Ross Macdonald novel to feature the character of Lew Archer, who would define the author's career. Lew Archer is hired by the dispassionate wife of an eccentric oil tycoon who has gone missing...
(1949) - The Drowning PoolThe Drowning PoolThe Drowning Pool is a 1950 mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald, his second book in the series revolving around the cases of private detective Lew Archer.-Plot summary:Archer is hired by a woman to investigate a slanderous letter she received...
(1950) - The Way Some People DieThe Way Some People DieThe Way Some People Die is a detective mystery written in 1951 by Ross Macdonald, the third book featuring his private eye, Lew Archer.-Plot introduction:...
(1951) - The Ivory Grin (1952; aka Marked for Murder)
- Find a Victim (1954)
- The Barbarous Coast (1956)
- The DoomstersThe DoomstersThe Doomsters is a 1958 mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald, the seventh book in the Lew Archer series. Many sources agree that this book marked a turning point in the series, wherein Macdonald abandoned his imitations of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett and found his own voice...
(1958). A escapee from a mental institute appeals to Archer for help. Bodies pile up as the doomed family members heap their many crimes on the manhunted scapegoat, but Archer is convinced he's innocent. - The Galton CaseThe Galton CaseThe Galton Case is the eighth book in the Lew Archer Series by Ross Macdonald. It was published in 1959.From the back of the 1983 Bantam edition:...
(1959) - The Wycherly Woman (1961)
- The Zebra-Striped Hearse (1962)
- The Chill (1964). Archer hunts a runaway wife on a college campus, finds a dead professor, then learns of an old unsolved murder in Chicago. He knows they must be connected, but how?
- The Far Side of the Dollar (1965)
- Black Money (1966)
- The Instant Enemy (1968)
- The Goodbye Look (1969)
- The Underground Man (1971)
- Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty (Ross Macdonald novel)Sleeping Beauty is a 1973 novel by Ross Macdonald.-Plot:Private eye Lew Archer finds himself the confidant of a wealthy, violent family with a load of trouble on their hands - including an oil spill, a missing girl, a lethal dose of nembutal, a six figure ransom and a stranger afloat, face down,...
(1973) - The Blue Hammer (1976)
Short stories
- "Find the Woman" (June 1946, EQMM)
- "The Bearded Lady" (American Magazine, October 1948)
- "The Imaginary Blonde" (February 1953, Manhunt; AKA Gone Girl)
- "The Guilty Ones" (May 1953, Manhunt; AKA The Sinister Habit)
- "The Beat-Up Sister" (October 1953, Manhunt; AKA The Suicide)
- "Guilt-Edged Blonde" (January 1954, Manhunt)
- "Wild Goose Chase" (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July 1954)
- "Midnight Blue" (October 1960, Ed McBain's Mystery Magazine)
- "The Sleeping Dog" (April 1965, Argosy)
- in three collections: The Name is Archer, Lew Archer, Private Investigator, and Strangers in Town
Film and TV
The character has been adapted for visual media several times with varying degrees of success.Two feature films starring Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
as "Lew Harper" (rumor supposes the name was changed from the original because Newman felt characters with "H" names were "lucky"):
- HarperHarper (film)Harper is a 1966 film written by William Goldman from a novel by Ross Macdonald. The movie starred Paul Newman as the eponymous Lew Harper . The original music score was composed by Johnny Mandel. Goldman received a 1967 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay...
(1966, directed by Jack SmightJack SmightJack Smight was an American theatre and film director.Smight was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and went to school with future actor Peter Graves...
) derived from the novel The Moving TargetThe Moving TargetThe Moving Target is a 1949 mystery novel, written by Ross Macdonald.This is the first Ross Macdonald novel to feature the character of Lew Archer, who would define the author's career. Lew Archer is hired by the dispassionate wife of an eccentric oil tycoon who has gone missing...
(1949) - The Drowning PoolThe Drowning Pool (film)The Drowning Pool is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, and based upon Ross Macdonald's novel The Drowning Pool. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Anthony Franciosa, and is a sequel to Harper...
(1975, directed by Stuart RosenbergStuart RosenbergStuart Rosenberg was an American film and television director whose notable works included the movies Cool Hand Luke , Voyage of the Damned , The Amityville Horror , and The Pope of Greenwich Village .-Early life and career:Born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Rosenberg studied Irish...
) derived from the novel of the same titleThe Drowning PoolThe Drowning Pool is a 1950 mystery novel written by Ross Macdonald, his second book in the series revolving around the cases of private detective Lew Archer.-Plot summary:Archer is hired by a woman to investigate a slanderous letter she received... - The Underground Man (1974, directed by Paul Wendkos) a television movie starring Peter GravesPeter Graves (actor)Peter Aurness , known professionally as Peter Graves, was an American film and television actor. He was best known for his starring role in the CBS television series Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973...
.
Archer, a 1975 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV series (NBC) starring Brian Keith
Brian Keith
Brian Keith was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his four decade-long career gained recognition for his work in movies such as the 1961 Disney family film The Parent Trap, the 1966 comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, and the 1975 adventure saga The Wind and...
based on the character. It was cancelled after six episodes:
- "The Turkish Connection", aired 30 January 1975
- "The Arsonist", aired 6 February 1975
- "The Body Beautiful", aired 13 February 1975
- "Shades of Blue", aired 20 February 1975
- "The Vanished Man", aired 6 March 1975
- "Blood Money", aired 13 March 1975
Le Loup de la côte Ouest (2002, Hugo Santiago
Hugo Santiago
Hugo Santiago was born Hugo Santiago Muchnick in 1939 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has lived in France since 1959. He studied Literature, Philosophy and Music. From 1959 to 1966 he was assistant director to Robert Bresson...
from the short story "Guilt-Edged Blonde") starring James Faulkner
James Faulkner
James Sebastian Faulkner is a British actor, known for his many various appearance on television and in movies, usually in supporting roles.Faulkner made his big screen debut as Josef Strauss in The Great Waltz in 1972...
as Lew Millar. (Alternate Title: The Wolf of the West Coast)
- Warren Zevon was a well-known fan of Ross MacDonald's work; during the 2008 season of the show "Californication," a character based loosely on Zevon named "Lew Ashby" was a nod to the Archer character.