Born on this day – Cormac McCarthy:

Cormac McCarthy

Writer

July 20, 1933 – June 13, 2023

Credits:

Books:

All the Pretty Horses (1992); Blood Meridian (1985); Child of God (1973); Cities of the Plain (1998); No Country for Old Men (2005); Outer Dark (1968); Stella Maris (2022); Suttree (1979); The Counselor (2013); The Crossing (1994); The Gardener's Son (1996); The Orchard Keeper (1965); The Passenger (2022); The Road (2006); The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation (2024); The Stonemason (1994); The Sunset Limited (2006); Writers: Their Lives and Works (2018).

Movies and television:

All the Pretty Horses (2000); Child of God (2013); Cormac McCarthy's Veer (2022); Hollywood Insider (2021); Looking for Cormac (1995); Los 10 magníficos (2008); No Country for Old Men (2007); Outer Dark (2009); Red West (2023); Sunday Today with Willie Geist (2023); TCM Remembers 2023 (2023); The Counselor (2013); The Oprah Winfrey Show (2007); The Road (2009); The Sunset Limited (2011); The Tommy Tiernan Show (2023); The Unbelievers (2013); Truth of the Situation: Making 'the Counselor' (2014); Visions (1977).

Born on this day – Lola Albright:

Lola Albright

Actress

Singer

July 20, 1924 – March 23, 2017

Credits:

A Cold Wind in August (1961); ABC's Nightlife (1965); Adventures in Paradise (1961); Adventures of the Falcon (1954); Airwolf (1984); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1962); All Star Revue (1951–1952); Arctic Flight (1952); Armstrong Circle Theatre (1951); Beauty on Parade (1950); Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1966–1967); Bodyhold (1949); Bonanza (1965–1967); Branded (1965–1966); Burke's Law (1963–1965); Celebrity Playhouse (1956); Champion (1949); Cimarron Strip (1967); Code 3 (1957); Columbo (1976); Delta County, U.S.A. (1977); Dr. Kildare (1964); Duffy's Tavern (1954); Easter Parade (1948); Filmmaking on the Riviera (1964); Fireside Theatre (1954); Four Star Playhouse (1956); General Electric Theater (1961); Gunsmoke (1955); Here's Hollywood (1961); He's a Cockeyed Wonder (1950); How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967); I'll Bet (1965); Images of Indians: How Hollywood Stereotyped the Native American (2003); It's a Great Life (1955); Joy House (1964); Julia Misbehaves (1948); Kid Galahad (1962); King of Diamonds (1961); Kojak (1973); Kraft Theatre / The United States Steel Hour (1961); Laredo (1966); Lord Love a Duck (1966); Lux Video Theatre (1951); McMillan & Wife (1976); Medical Center (1972–1974); Michael Shayne (1960); Mr. Broadway (1964); My Three Sons (1962); Off to See the Wizard (1968); Oregon Passage (1957); Panic! (1958); Pawnee (1957); Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1962); Peter Gunn (1958–1961); Peyton Place (1965–1966); Police Story (1975); Pour le plaisir (1965); Quincy, M.E. (1983); Racket Squad (1953); Rawhide (1964–1965); Ready and Willing (1967); René Clément, témoin et poète (2013); Saints and Sinners (1962); Screen Directors Playhouse (1955); Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Cowboy Stars (1955); Seven Guns to Mesa (1958); Sierra Passage (1950); Starsky and Hutch (1976); Stump the Stars (1950); Svengoolie (2014); Switch (1978); Tales of Tomorrow (1952); Target (1958); TCM Remembers 2017 (2017); Terraces (1977); The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (1973); The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962–1964); The Beverly Hillbillies (1963); The Bob Cummings Show (1955–1957); The Celebrity Game (1965); The Detectives (1961); The Dick Van Dyke Show (1964); The Eddie Capra Mysteries (1978); The Eleventh Hour (1963); The George Gobel Show (1960); The Girl from Jones Beach (1949); The Good Humor Man (1950); The Helicopter Spies (1968); The Hollywood Squares (Daytime);  (1967); The Impossible Years (1968); The Incredible Hulk (1981); The Ken Murray Show (1951–1952); The Killer That Stalked New York (1950); The Linkletter Show (1958); The Magnificent Matador (1955); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1967); The Mighty O (1962); The Mike Douglas Show (1965–1978); The Money Jungle (1967); The Monolith Monsters (1957); The Nurse Killer (1975); The People's Choice (1956); The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (1954); The Pirate (1948); The Red Skelton Hour (1956–1957); The Silver Whip (1953); The Soundman (1950); The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1959); The Tender Trap (1955); The Thin Man (1958); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1965); The U.S. Royal Showcase (1952); The Unfinished Dance (1947); The Way West (1967); This Is Your Life (1971); Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955); Tulsa (1949); Valentine's Day (1965); Wagon Train (1964); What's This Song? (1965); When You're Smiling (1950); Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968); Whirlybirds (1957); Will Banner (1965); You Don't Say (1965–1967).

Born on this day – Thomas Berger:

Thomas Berger

Writer

July 20, 1924 – July 13, 2014

Credits:

Books:

Adventures of the Artificial Woman (2004); Arthur Rex (1978); Being Invisible (1987); Best Friends (2003); Changing the Past (1989); Crazy in Berlin (1958); Granted Wishes (1984); Killing Time (1967); Little Big Man (1964); Meeting Evil (1992); Neighbors (1980); Nowhere (1985); Orrie's Story (1990); Regiment of Women (1973); Reinhart in Love (1962); Reinhart's Women (1981); Robert Crews (1994); Sneaky People (1975); Suspects (1996); The Feud (1983); The Houseguest (1988); The Return of Little Big Man (1999); Vital Parts (1970); Who Is Teddy Villanova? (1977).

Movies and television:

Little Big Man (1970); Meeting Evil (2012); Neighbors (1981); The Feud (1989).

Born on this day – Marcelle Derrien:

Marcelle Derrien

Actress

July 20, 1923 – November 2, 2008

Credits:

Chéri (1950); Cinéma cinémas (1983); Dieu a choisi Paris (1969); Le secret de Monte-Cristo (1948); Les J3 (1946); L'impeccable Henri (1948); L'inconnue n° 13 (1949); Man About Town (1947); Sombre dimanche (1948); The King's Musketeers (1951); To Each His Own Cinema / Segment: Épilogue (2007).

Born on this day – K.T. Stevens:

K.T. Stevens

Actress

July 20, 1919 – June 13, 1994

Credits:

About Faces (1960); Adam at Six A.M. (1970); Adam-12 (1975); Address Unknown (1944); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956); Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969); Bold Venture (1959); Bronk (1976); Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979); Corrina, Corrina (1994); Crossroads (1957); Days of Our Lives (1966–1969); Don't Tell Everything (1921); Ethel Barrymore Theater (1956); General Hospital (1963); Going My Way (1963); Harriet Craig (1950); Hawaiian Eye (1961); Here's Hollywood (1962); I Love Lucy (1952); Iron Horse (1966); Kitty Foyle (1940); Knots Landing (1989); Lights Out (1951); Little House on the Prairie (1976); Lux Video Theatre (1957); M Squad (1960); Manhunt (1960); Mannix (1971); Marcus Welby, M.D. (1976); Matinee Theatre (1956); Mike Hammer (1959); Missile to the Moon (1958); Mr. Novak (1964); One Step Beyond (1960); Paradise Bay (1965); Peck's Bad Boy (1921); Perry Mason (1959–1965); Pets (1973); Port of New York (1949); Profiles in Courage (1965); Rawhide (1960); Run for Your Life (1966); S.W.A.T. (1975); Savage Drums (1956); Schlitz Playhouse (1954–1957); Soldiers of Fortune (1955); State Trooper (1956); Studio 57 (1955); The Adventures of Ellery Queen (1952); The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962); The Big Valley (1966–1967); The Brothers Brannagan (1961); The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1961); The Ford Television Theatre (1953); The Great Man's Lady (1941); The Lineup (1959); The Millionaire (1956); The Patty Duke Show (1965); The Real McCoys (1957–1961); The Rebel (1960); The Rifleman (1960–1963); The Third Man (1963); The Young and the Restless (1979–1981); They're Playing with Fire (1984); This Is the Life (1963); Thriller (1961–1962); Tumbleweed (1953); Vice Squad (1953); Wagon Train (1957); Zane Grey Theatre (1961).

Born on this day – John Godey:

John Godey

Writer

July 20, 1912 – April 16, 2006

Credits:

Books:

Fatal Beauty (1984); Killer at His Back (1960); Nella (1981); Never Put Off Till Tomorrow What You Can Kill Today (1970); Sun and Mr. Smith (1976); The Blonde Betrayer (1951); The Blue Hour / aka Next to Die (1948); The Clay Assassin (1959); The Crime of the Century (1973); The Fifth House (1960); The Gun and Mr. Smith (1947); The Man in Question (1953); The Reluctant Assassin / aka A Thrill a Minute With Jack Albany (1966); The Snake (1978); The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973); The Talisman (1976); The Three Worlds of Johnny Handsome (1972); This Year's Death (1953).

Movies and television:

Johnny Handsome (1989); Never a Dull Moment (1968); The Magical World of Disney (1979); The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009); The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 / 1998).

Recommended reading - The Best American Noir Of The Century (2011):

The Best American Noir Of The Century (2011).

Edited by James Ellroy and Otto Penzler.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0547577443

ISBN-13: 978-0547577449

Back cover description:

“Well worth its impressive weight in gold, it would be a crime not to have this seminal masterpiece in your collection.” – New York Journal of Books.

In his introduction to The Best American Noir of the Century, James Ellroy writes, “Noir is the most scrutinized offshoot of the hard-boiled school of fiction… It’s the nightmare of flawed souls with big dreams and the precise how and why of the all-time sure thing that goes bad.” Offering the best examples of literary sure things gone bad, this collection ensures that nowhere else can readers find a darker, more thorough distillation of American noir fiction.

James Ellroy and Otto Penzler mined the past century to find this treasure trove of thirty-nine stories, with selections from James M. Cain, Mickey Spillane, Elmore Leonard, Patricia Highsmith, Harlan Ellison, Jeffrey Deaver, Joyce Carol Oates, Dennis Lahane, and many more.

“Delightfully devilish . . . A strange trek through the years that includes stories from household names in the hard-boiled genre to lesser-known authors who nonetheless can hold their own with the legends.” – Associated Press.

James Ellroy is the author of the Underworld U.S.A. trilogy – American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood’s a Rover – and the L.A. Quartet novels, The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz. His most recent book is The Hillicker Curse, a memoir.

Otto Penzler is the founder of the Mysterious Bookshop and Mysterious Press, has won two Edgar Allan Poe Awards (most recently for The Lineup), and is series editor of The Best American Mystery Stories.

Contents:

Foreword by Otto Penzler; Introduction by James Ellroy; Spurs, by Tod Robbins; Pastorale, by James M. Cain; You'll always remember me, by Steve Fisher; Gun crazy, by MacKinlay Kantor; Nothing to worry about, by Day Keene; The homecoming, by Dorothy B. Hughes; Man in the dark, by Howard Browne; The lady says die!, by Mickey Spillane; Professional man, by David Goodis; The hunger, by Charles Beaumont; The gesture, by Gil Brewer; The last spin, by Evan Hunter; Forever after, by Jim Thompson; For the rest of her life, by Cornell Woolrich; The dripping, by David Morrell; Slowly, slowly in the wind, by Patricia Highsmith; Iris, by Stephen Greenleaf; A ticket out, by Brendan DuBois; Since I don't have you, by James Ellroy; Texas city, by James Lee Burke; Mefisto in onyx, by Harlan Ellison; Out there in the darkness, by Ed Gorman; Hot spings, by James Crumley; The weekender, by Jeffery Deaver; Faithless, by Joyce Carol Oates; Poachers, by Tom Franklin; Like a bone in the throat, by Lawrence Block; Crack, by James W. Hall; Running out of dog, by Dennis Lehane; The paperhanger, by William Gay; Midnight emissions, by F.X. Toole; When the women come out to dance, by Elmore Leonard; Controlled burn, by Scott Wolven; All through the house, by Christopher Coake; What she offered, by Thomas H. Cook; Her lord and master, by Andrew Klavan; Stab, by Chris Adrian; The hoarder, by Bradford Morrow; Missing the morning bus, by Lorenzo Carcaterra.