Hammett
(Paramount)

Few writers romanticized San Francisco in quite the same way as Dashiell Hammett. He appeared to know every back alley and speakeasy in town and used them as the backdrop for his crime thrillers. This 1982 indie release from Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, directed by Wim Wenders, wasn’t one of them, but instead imagines the writer (played by Fredric Forrest) getting back into the P.I. game when his old mentor (Peter Boyle) comes looking for help in finding a young Chinese girl on the lam from a prostitution / slave ring. International intrigue ensues, crooked cops are on the take and there’s plenty of action, colorful scenery and hard-nosed dialog. The supporting cast includes Mariu Henner and Jack Nance (Eraserhead; Twin Peaks) and most importantly, real neighborhoods in Chinatown and the interior of City Hall to frame the story.--David Bassin