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Damon Runyon's popularity and importance in shaping Amer-ican popular culture during the first half of the twentieth century can hardly be exaggerated. In lively and exuberant chapters that include a panoramic view of New York City between the World Wars-with an emphasis on the city's colorful nightlife-Schwarz examines virtually every facet of Runyon's career, from sports-writer, daily columnist, trial re-porter, and Hollywood figure to the author of the still widely read short stories that were the source of the Broad-way hit Guys and Dolls. While analyzing Runyon's high-spirited work in terms of historical contexts, popular culture, and of the changing function of the media, Schwarz argues that in his columns and stories Runyon was an indispensable figure in creating our public images of New York City culture, inclu-ding our interest in the demimonde and underworld that explains in part the success of The Godfather films and the Sopranos. As part of his discussion of Runyon's art and artistry of Runyon's fiction, he skillfully examines the special language of the Broadway stories known as 'Runyonese' and explains how 'Runyonese' has become an adjective describing flamboyant behavior.
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BROADWAY BOOGIE WOOGIE DAMON RUNYON AND THE MAKING OF NEW YORK CITY CULTURE DANIEL R. SCHWARZ For my wife, Marcia Jacobson, my sons, Dave and Jeff Schwarz, and my parents, Joseph and Florence Schwarz BROADWAY BOOGIE WOOGIE: DAMON RUNYON AND THE MAKING OF NEW YORK CITY CULTURE Copyright © Daniel R. Schwarz, 2003. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. First published 2003 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™ 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England RG21 6XS. Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the PALGRAVE MACMILLAN division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 0–312–23948–3 hardback Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schwarz, Daniel R. Broadway boogie woogie : Damon Runyon and the making of New York City culture / by Daniel R. Schwarz. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-312-23948-3 1. Runyon, Damon, 1880–1946—criticism and interpretation. 2. Runyon, Damon, 1880–1946—contributions in journalism. 3. Broadway (New York, N.Y.)—In literature. 4. New York (N.Y.)—In literature. 5. New York (N.Y.)—History. 6. Criminals in literature. 7. Crime in literature. I. Title. PS3535.U52 Z75 813'.52—dc21 2003 2002074885 Design by Letra Libre, Inc. First edition: April 2003 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations for Runyon References v vi Introduction: Who Was Damon Runyon? 1 1. 2. Runyon’s New York: Historical Contexts and Fictional Universe 29 The Eyes and Ears of the City: Runyon’s Collected Journalism 66 3. Runyon’s Trial Reporting and the Spectator Culture 111 4. The Art and Artistry of Runyon’s Fiction 141 5. The Genres of Runyon’s Fiction: Noir and Sentiment in a Male-Dominated World 167 The Genres of Runyon’s Fiction : Gangsters, Gamblers, and Boxers 212 The Genres of Runyon’s Later Fiction: Nicely-Nicely, Political Satire, Ambrose Hammer, Miami Noir, and Wartime Stories 249 The Turps: Domesticity in Brookl