Vanity Row

by W.R. Burnett, Rick Ollerman (Introduction)

A crime novel that probes the political corruption of a big Midwestern city, where the important deals are always made behind closed doors, and the real power is wielded behind the throne. Along with The Asphalt Jungle and Little Men Big World, this novel forms a thematic trio known as the Urban Trilogy.

Genres: Crime, Noir, Fiction, Mystery, Hard Boiled

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

William Riley "W. R." Burnett was an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for the crime novel Little Caesar, the film adaptation of which is considered the first of the classic American gangster movies. Burnett was born in Springfield, Ohio. He left his civil service job there to move to Chicago when he was 28, by which time he had written over 100 short stories and five novels, all unpublished.

Burnett kept busy, producing a novel or more a year and turning most into screenplays (some as many as three times). Thematically Burnett was similar to Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain but his contrasting of the corruption and corrosion of the city with the better life his characters yearned for, represented by the paradise of the pastoral, was fresh and original. He portrayed characters who, for one reason or another, fell into a life of crime. Once sucked into this life they were unable to climb out. They typically get one last shot at salvation but the oppressive system closes in and denies redemption.

Burnett's characters exist in a world of twilight morality — virtue can come from gangsters and criminals, malice from guardians and protectors. Above all his characters are human and this could be their undoing.

Burnett worked with many of the greats in acting and directing, including Raoul Walsh, John Huston, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Nicholas Ray, Douglas Sirk, Michael Cimino, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino, Paul Muni, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood.

He received an Oscar nomination for his script for "Wake Island" (1942) and a Writers Guild nomination for his script for "The Great Escape". In addition to his film work he also wrote scripts for television and radio.

On his death in 1982, in Santa Monica, California,Burnett was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that will have strong appeal for readers who enjoy classic, hard-boiled novels from the early 1950's. W. R. Burnett, who was also a prolific screenwriter, was a master of the genre, and among his other books are Little Caeser, High Sierra, and The Asphalt Jungle, all of which were made into classic films.

Burnett specialized in novels about urban corruption, and Vanity Row is set in an unspecified large city, perhaps modeled after Chicago. The city is tightly controlled by bosses tied to a criminal syndicate, and as the book opens, a powerful lawyer named Frank Hobart is gunned down. The initial impression is that mobsters associated with the syndicate may have killed Hobart.

The city's political boss calls in Captain Roy Hargis, a brilliant and powerful policeman who deals with sensitive matters. The orders for Hargis are clear: Find someone to take the rap for the killing; get the heat off the bosses and get things back to normal ASAP. Hobart was in a stormy relationship with Ilona Vance, a woman of questionable character, as they used to say back in the day. The Powers That Be suggest that Ilona might make an excellent fall guy (or woman).

Hargis appears to have no problem with this idea until he meets the lady in question. Ilona is a large but exceptionally beautiful woman who seems to exert a strange power over every man she meets. And once Hargis lays eyes on her, all bets are out the window.

It's a great story and Burnett creates a wonderful cast of characters to populate it, beginning with a young newsboy who witnesses the killing and who doesn't take crap from anyone, including the cops. All in all, a fine way to spend an evening.

[Jayakrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is touted as an account of big city corruption. But that is only a sub-plot. It is actually about how a tough police captain falls for an extraordinarily beautiful and voluptuous woman who is guilty as hell and longs to possess her, no matter what.

When eminent lawyer Paul Hobart is shot dead, the powers that be summon Captain Roy Hargis who is a tough and corrupt police officer capable of settling the case the way they want it to be settled. Roy does what he wants, has a woman on the side and a cottage on the beach, neither of them belong to him. But Roy is also a man of the system and that is why the powers that be want him to handle case. The city is a den for gambling and prostitution rackets. Nobody wants it all to end because of a murder. If one of the gangs had bumped off Hobart, then a bloody gang war could break lose which is not in anyone's interest. The powers that be want Roy to pin the murder on some nobody. A few days into the investigation, they get exactly what they want when Llona Vance, an aspiring singer/escort/Hobart's girlfriend is suspected of the murder. There is enough proof to send her to death row. But there is only one problem. The usually tough as nails Roy Hargis has an erotic epiphany after he lays his eyes on the buxomly Miss Vance. Now he will go to any lengths to save this "big bim" (1950s slang for bimbo), even if she is guilty as hell and even if it is his life and career on the line.

Vanity Row was the least favorite of the four Burnett novels I read this year. The problem is that the book does not really work as an account of big city corruption or as a police procedural. It is actually about one man's obsession for a beautiful woman. Things only get going when we realize that Roy Hargis is really going to make a move on Llona Vance. This happens only in the last thirty pages or so. Until then, it just plods on like an uninspired orchestra having a bad day. The novel jumps to life in the last few chapters. Some other problems also killed what was actually a pretty interesting story. There are two many characters. Roy Hargis' sidekicks - Joe Boley (a loser who is bored with his wife and wants to kill himself) and Emmet Lackey (an outwardly pleasing but inwardly malevolent shy giant who envies Roy) could have been one character. Also, something was off with the character build up. Llona Vance's past is revealed in a sudden glut towards the end. Her character reminded me of Camille Oaks in Steinbeck's The Wayward Bus (1947) - a woman trapped by her own extraordinary beauty.

I think one of the major themes of the novel is the dark side of male sexuality and how it kind of influences politics and various power equations. The toughest and most reasonable of men could lose their minds at the sight of a curvy thigh or a thick bosom.

The Asphalt Jungle contained some vivid descriptions of the city. Vanity Row is no different. Burnett knew how to describe a city:

As Roy turned out his light and opened the window, he heard a clock some place in the little hotel striking three. He stood looking out at the city. There was a gauze-like haze over the big buildings north of him, and a few blue-white stars were twinkling through it. A delicate plume of steamy smoke trailed from a small stack on one of the skyscrapers, turning from red to blue in the intermittent light from a mammoth electric sign on an adjoining building. The city was silent till you listened more closely, then it seemed to breathe like some fabulous, gigantic, soulless animal.

[Francesc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante novela del gran escritor William R. Burnett. Para mi, es la novela más floja de su trilogía urbana: La jungla de asfalto (1950), Little Men, Big World (1951) y Vanity Row (1952). Aunque en "Vanity Row" la corrupción está muy bien tratada, toda la acción se traza a través de una historia de amor entre los dos protagonistas, un capitán de policía y una cabaretera muy hermosa que conquista con su encanto a todos los hombres (y mujeres).
Hay muy poca acción y el ritmo es más bien lento. La mayor habilidad escritora se halla en los diálogos.
Es interesante leer las tres novelas para quién desee completar la trilogía, pero son novelas independientes.

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Interesting novel by the great writer William R. Burnett. For me, it is the weakest novel of his urban trilogy: The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Little Men, Big World (1951) and Vanity Row (1952). Although in "Vanity Row" corruption is very well treated, all the action is traced through a love story between the two main characters, a police captain and a very beautiful cabaret girl who conquers all men (and women) with her charm.
There is very little action and the pace is rather slow. The greatest writing skill is in the dialogue.
It is interesting to read all three novels for those who wish to complete the trilogy, but they are independent novels.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Έκτο βιβλίο του Γ. Ρ Μπερνέτ που διαβάζω και δυστυχώς μάλλον το τελευταίο, γιατί δεν έχουν μεταφραστεί άλλα δικά του στα ελληνικά, ενώ θεωρώ απίθανο το ενδεχόμενο να δούμε κάποια καινούργια κυκλοφορία βιβλίου του στα ελληνικά ή να βρω και να διαβάσω κάποιο άλλο βιβλίο του στα αγγλικά. Τέλος πάντων, αυτά έχει η ζωή ενός Έλληνα βιβλιοφάγου, καιρός να το συνηθίσω. Λοιπόν, πρόκειται για ένα πραγματικά εξαιρετικό σκληροτράχηλο μυθιστόρημα της Αμερικάνικης σχολής της δεκαετίας του '50, και πραγματικά δεν μπορώ να καταλάβω γιατί δεν είναι πιο γνωστό ή γιατί δεν έγινε ποτέ ταινία.

Ένας μεγαλοδικηγόρος που έκανε δουλειές με γκάνγκστερ και τη διεφθαρμένη διοίκηση της ανώνυμης μεγαλούπολης της ιστορίας μας, δολοφονείται σαν σκυλί στον δρόμο, και ψύλλοι μπαίνουν στα αυτιά των διεφθαρμένων τύπων που διοικούν την πόλη. Αν τον δικηγόρο τον σκότωσαν γκάνγκστερ, θα προκληθεί μεγάλη φασαρία και όλες οι βρωμοδουλειές θα πάνε κατά διαόλου. Αν, όμως, φορτώσουν τον φόνο σε κάποιον κακομοίρη ή σε κάποια κακομοίρα, τότε καθάρισαν. Η δουλειά θα ανατεθεί στον Ρόι Χάρτζις, ένα μεγάλο κεφάλι στη διοίκηση της Αστυνομίας, ενώ το εξιλαστήριο θύμα θα είναι μια γυναικάρα που ταράζει όλον τον αντρικό πληθυσμό, η οποία είχε σχέσεις με τον μεγαλοδικηγόρο και σίγουρα δεν ήταν και το καλύτερο κορίτσι στην πιάτσα... Τι θα γίνει όμως αν ο αστυνομικός τα χάσει για πάρτη της και τινάξει όλο το σχέδιο στον αέρα;

Ειλικρινά, είναι ένα από τα πιο καλογραμμένα νουάρ μυθιστορήματα που είχα την τύχη να διαβάσω. Οι διάλογοι είναι πραγματικά εξαιρετικοί, σκληροί, ρεαλιστικοί, με κυνικό χιούμορ εδώ και κει, γεμάτοι ατάκες που σπάνε κόκαλα. Οι περιγραφές είναι λιτές αλλά συνάμα απόλυτα ακριβείς και ρεαλιστικές, δημιουργούν μια απίστευτη ατμόσφαιρα, ενώ ο κυνισμός είναι παντού διάχυτος. Γενικά η γλώσσα είναι μάγκικη και "σκληρή", όπως αρμόζει σε ένα μυθιστόρημα αυτής της σχολής. Όσον αφορά την πλοκή, δεν κρύβει κανένα φοβερό μυστήριο, αλλά μέσω αυτής ο Μπερνέτ παρουσιάζει όλη τη διαφθορά που μπορεί να επικρατεί στη διοίκηση μιας πόλης και όλα τα σχέδια που υπάρχουν για την αντιμετώπιση μιας κρίσης. Και, ναι, υπάρχει αγωνία για το πώς θα καταλήξει η όλη ιστορία, ενώ μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον έχουν οι αντιδράσεις των πρωταγωνιστικών χαρακτήρων μπροστά στα προβλήματα που ανακύπτουν. Αν δεν ένιωθα ότι θα αδικούσα άλλα βιβλία, πιο μεγαλεπήβολα και πολυσύνθετα, δεν θα δίσταζα να βάλω σε τούτο το βιβλιαράκι ακόμα και πέντε αστεράκια. Αλλά, εντάξει, και τα τέσσερα είναι μια χαρά!

[Qt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great tale of big-city corruption from W.R. Burnett--this one is also something of a murder mystery.

[Ron Chicaferro · Rating 4 out of 5]

W.R. Burnett's writing is reminiscent, to me, of Elmore Leonard. Each sentence is a delight - not so much in what it says but in how its said. The dialogue between the characters sounds just like any regular conversation you might hear today. Vanity Row is, essentially, a murder mystery but the book is so much more - The characters are like any you find anywhere - mostly good but not exactly - - and, the folks who are bad are mostly bad but not exactly. The main character is the Captain of Police who is investigating the murder of a prominent citizen of an unknown city. The one point I deducted (four star instead of five) is because Burnett does not use an identified city - - it sort of hints around and you sort of guess but, for me, the location is an important aspect of a story and not having an identified city was troublesome. But, that said, this is a wonderful story and a treat to read - I will want to read all of W. R. Burnett's books.

[Alessandro Giuliani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ritratto cinico di una società dominata dalla corruzione e dal malaffare che non risparmiano nulla e nessuno, nemmeno il capitano della Polizia lanciato verso una sfolgorante carriera.
L’entrata in scesa di un’imputata bellissima sconvolge il capitano e sembra il preludio per un finale scontato.
Ma nulla è scontato e la conclusione non fa che confermarlo, amaramente, lasciando impuniti o quasi tutti i protagonisti della vicenda.
Libro interessante, da recuperare, dello stesso autore, “Giungla d’asfalto“

[James Prosser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have been *** for any other author, but Burnett capable of so much more than this.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairly small story in terms of plot, but the human element is explored in minute dynamism. Burnett is especially brilliant at elucidating a woman's limited options when under the thumb of male power. Turning the hard boiled "femme fatale" narrative on its ass.

[Δήμος Καραχάλιος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Σκληροί ντετέκτιβ, κέντρα διασκέδασης, μαφία, διαφθορά στη διοίκηση, μια μοιραία γυναίκα.

[Steve Shilstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

1950 big city political and police corruption at play. Murder story picks up a full head of steam in the second half.