L. Joseph Shosty
Great question!
My character, Johnny Hardwood (Herbie's Diner), is influenced by several actors. Before World War II, Johnny, whose stage name was William Crisp, was a B-movie and radio actor. He was poised to move up in the world, but the war broke out first. I decided on this career trajectory after watching a documentary about Ronald Reagan which suggested WWII derailed Reagan's momentum as a star.
But, while Reagan would switch to television after the film roles dried up, Johnny discovered that, while he was serving his country, Hollywood had inexplicably typecast him. After returning home, he could only get roles playing detectives, heavies, or soldiers who throw themselves on hand grenades. Boris Karloff is an obvious influence here, as he was typecast playing monsters for much of his career.
While the Johnny Hardwood series owes a great deal to radio dramas like Boston Blackie, the template of the wisecracking, fast-talking gumshoe is more that of Mike Shayne. In fact, I use Richard Dennings, who played Shayne in the 60s TV series, as Johnny's physical lookalike.
My character, Johnny Hardwood (Herbie's Diner), is influenced by several actors. Before World War II, Johnny, whose stage name was William Crisp, was a B-movie and radio actor. He was poised to move up in the world, but the war broke out first. I decided on this career trajectory after watching a documentary about Ronald Reagan which suggested WWII derailed Reagan's momentum as a star.
But, while Reagan would switch to television after the film roles dried up, Johnny discovered that, while he was serving his country, Hollywood had inexplicably typecast him. After returning home, he could only get roles playing detectives, heavies, or soldiers who throw themselves on hand grenades. Boris Karloff is an obvious influence here, as he was typecast playing monsters for much of his career.
While the Johnny Hardwood series owes a great deal to radio dramas like Boston Blackie, the template of the wisecracking, fast-talking gumshoe is more that of Mike Shayne. In fact, I use Richard Dennings, who played Shayne in the 60s TV series, as Johnny's physical lookalike.
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