Robert Leslie Bellem

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About Robert Leslie Bellem

His friend's called him Leslie, but the pulp editors of the 40s insisted he publish under his first name, so that no one thought he was a woman.

Robert Leslie Bellem wrote over 3000 pulp stories, with Detective DanTurner starring in at least 300 of them, along with 60 or 70 comic book stories and a few novels. In his prime, Bellem was pumping out a million words annually, and selling every one to pulp magazines.

Before becoming a writer he worked in Los Angeles as a newspaper reporter, radio announcer and film extra. After the demise of the pulps, Bellem switched to writing for television, including a number of scripts for The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Superman (1950s version), The original Perry Mason show, 77 Sunset Strip and other shows.

Bellem wrote in a variety of genres for many pulp magazines, particularly those owned by Culture Publications such as Spicy Detective, Spicy Adventure, Spicy Western and Spicy Mystery (one of the weird menace pulps). The word "spicy" in the titles of these magazines was meant to indicate sexual content, although this was very tame compared with current standards.

Bellem's most famous creation was the hardboiled detective Dan Turner, whose stories were written in the first person in a racy, slangy style that made them extremely popular. Set against the background of the Hollywood film industry (of which Bellem had personal knowledge), the Dan Turner stories appeared first in the pages of Spicy Detective (subsequently retitled Speed Detective) and later in his "own" magazine, Hollywood Detective, which ran from January 1942 to October 1950.

Noir House recently re-introduced Dan Turner to modern audiences through hardboiled mash-ups merging pulp fiction with pop culture. In the debut Kindle book, a Hollywood starlit turns to Detective Dan Turner to protect her from a blackmailer, but Dan's already on the blackmailer's payroll. It's takes the spirit of Marilyn Monroe to put Dan on the straight and narrow and save the Girl with the Donkey Tattoo.

Jeff Vorzimmer

Dashiell Hammett

Otto Penzler

Jonathan W. Sweet

Peter Schweizer

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Books By Robert Leslie Bellem

All Formats Kindle Edition Hardcover Paperback

Thrilling Detective Pulp Tales Volume 4 Jun 2, 2020

by Brick Pickle Media , G. Wayman Jones , Paul Ernst , Henry Kuttner , Norman A. Daniels , Robert Leslie Bellem

$2.99

For more than 20 years, detectives and criminals found a home in the pages of Thrilling Detective. This edition collects eight vintage pulp novels and stories from the tattered pages of the classic detective pulp from Robert Leslie Bellem, Paul Ernst, G. Wayman Jones, Norman A. Daniels, Henry Kuttner and more . Reset in an easy-to-read font, with new introductions, and including the original illustrations!

Other Formats: Paperback

Russian Run Around: Dan Turner May 14, 2014

by Robert Leslie Bellem

$0.99

Donaldson’s crack had been meant as a joke, but the girl who overheard it wasn’t in a joking mood. After that, it didn’t matter what Dan Turner said. To her he was a Russian wife-deserter, and a bad actor.

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… the Dead Don't Dream: A Dan Turner Mystery Sep 17, 2014

by Robert Leslie Bellem

$0.99

What was the grim mystery in this disappearance of the fat gag writer’s cousin? Hollywood’s ace gumshoe, Dan Turner, had to meet and combat a heap of rough to-do before he neared finish.

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Half-Size Homicide: Dan Turner Story May 21, 2014

by Robert Leslie Bellem

$0.99

Dan wasn’t even working for the movie star when she slapped his face and fired him in the most public way possible! To make matters worse, the whole thing was right under the nose of the gabbiest gossip columnist in Hollywood.

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The Cock Crows Murder and Other Tales from the Pulps Mar 13, 2008

by Robert Leslie Bellem

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$4.99

This volume collects seven Bellem tales from pulp magazines such as "Spicy Mystery Stories," "Fifth Column Stories," and "The Ghost -- Super-Detective." Included are: "The Man Who Was Not," "Enough Glory," "The Cock Crows 'Murder'," "Knife in the Dark," "Kill That Headline," "War Plans Divided," and "Murder's Messenger." Introduction by Darrell Schweitzer.

Other Formats: Paperback

Beyond Justice Jul 25, 2014

by Robert Leslie Bellem

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$0.99

Dan didn’t like this beauty contest, even though he was a judge. He liked it even less when the winning beauty was knifed. Was the dead girl’s murder an act of vengeance—or a legacy of love?

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Feature Snatch Aug 23, 2013

by Robert Leslie Bellem

$0.99

The idea was new—and was tops! Whoever thought of stealing a million dollar production before it was released? And behind it was the ransom angle, and there was blackmail, too. Sometimes a detective likes to get his teeth into a case like that. It’s like matching your wits with a genius.

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Arrow From Nowhere May 10, 2012

by Robert Leslie Bellem

$0.99

There was only one man on the set who could have shot the arrow, yet Dan hated to think Jeff could be guilty. Motive tumbles over motive, and suspect waltzes around with suspect—but there still remains the question: Where did the arrow come from?

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The Short-Wave Superman Aug 21, 2010

by Robert Leslie Bellem

$0.99

Metal squeezed like putty in Brad Brandon's fingers. How had he acquired such might?

An ugly premonition slithered into Brad Brandon's heart as he came within view of the open door and saw what lay beyond. "Good God—!" he choked; and he broke into a loping run; catapulted himself along the carpeted corridor.
Then, at the threshold of Celene Verlaine's efficienette apartment, he drew up short; stared with dazed disbelief at the chaos which lay before him.
Ordinarily homelike and feminine, the interior of the flat was now a shambles of overturned furniture, disordered drapes and shattered bric-a-brac. Lu-cite glow-rods countersunk in the ceiling cast down heatless artificial sunlight upon a havoc apparently wrought by some stupendous struggle; and over in a far corner of the living room stood the mute wreckage of a phonovis instrument, its power line sundered, its stroboscope view plate cracked and rendered useless, its audiomitter ripped out by the roots.

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