Dulwich on the BBC

[Nero]

It's one of the most popular stories right now (Sunday 4th July, 08.20)

[SimonM]

Interesting. Shame about the "blonde" misquote :))

[PeckhamRose]

"Chandler was American".

I believe he was not.

He went to America subsequently and worked for an oil company where he went on to become a head of accounts.

His headmaster, Gilkes, thought he would rather see a boy dead than hear him swear, and thus it is that in his books no matter how awful the crimes his characters witness, there is not one swear word.

[HAL9000]

According to wiki, which describes him as an Anglo-American, Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1888, and moved to the United Kingdom in 1900. ... In 1907, he was naturalised as a British subject in order to take the civil service examination.

That may explain the confusion about his nationality.

[PeckhamRose]

His Mum was American. Thanks for this. My interest is that I played his wife in a play about his life which incorporated a Faustian twist!

[HAL9000]

I can see how he would make a great subject for a play - a fascinating yet deeply troubled character. His mother, Florence, was an Irish-born American, as I'm sure you know. Who wrote your play and what is it called?

[PeckhamRose]

PM sent!