Analysis

The Lew Archer series is a perfect candidate for a new movie series.  The Galton Case is just on of many detective stories involving a detective seeking justice.  The series could be easily adapted to a series of movies creating a vast fan base and large revenue. Here is just but one example from the story…

The scene begins with Archer waiting for the Lembergs on the boardinghouse porch. When they arrive, Tommy Lemberg attempts to put up an intimidating front by “spitting in the dust at [Archer’s] feet.” This façade vanishes quickly once Archer, without speaking a word, strikes Tommy in the jaw, knocking him unconscious. The hit is Archer’s vengeance from the incident in Reno with Otto Schwartz and shows Archer’s toughness and anger. With his brother out cold in the street, Roy lets down his guard and speaks in “small, shocked noises” and tells Archer that Tommy was “putting on a big bluff” because they were drunk, two things the brilliant detective already knew from the way the Lemberg’s had been “walking a bit unsteadily down the street.”

With Tommy still unconscious, Archer gets down to business discussing the Peter Culligan murder with Roy. Archer claims Tommy stabbed Culligan, but Roy defends his brother saying Tommy was only sent to intimidate, not injure, and was surprised when Culligan was at the Sable’s house with a knife and gun. Archer doesn’t believe Roy’s story because it was a reaction “to a world of treacherous little hustlers that wouldn’t let a man believe in it,” showing his hate for organized crime. Archer tells Roy that if Tommy is really innocent then he should go to the police and explain his story. He then questions why Roy, who is holding “his brother’s head possessively against his shoulder,” why he continues to support his brother while his wife is struggling, but Roy clearly wants to stick by his brother’s side.

When Tommy comes to, Archer offers to listen to his story, but only the truth. Tommy explains that Schwartz paid him to put fear into someone, who Archer assumes is Culligan, but Tommy explains that Alice Sable was the one he was sent to scare. Both brothers state that Culligan’s presence, particularly “armed to the teeth,” was a shock to Tommy who didn’t know how to react and was shot trying to restrain Culligan. Archer asks if Tommy stabbed Culligan with the knife as he was leaving, and Tommy explains that he just wanted to get out of there as fast as he could. After hearing his story, Archer convinces Tommy to come peacefully to Santa Teresa County to repeat his story to Sheriff Trask.

Archer harshly interrogates Tommy in this scene, using a much different method than he does in most of his other interrogations. One reason is because Tommy is associated with organized crime, which Archer detests, and is used to having violent measures receive results. The other reason is more personal; Archer was still furious over his beating in Reno and was taking out his anger on Tommy, particularly with the punch in the beginning. Archer continually doubts Tommy’s story and accuses him of murder, which forces Tommy to reveal the entire true story in order to prove his innocence to the murder. Archer uses a similar method to get Tommy to talk to the sheriff. He explains that if Tommy does not come out on his own and explain his side of the story voluntarily then the authorities would have to believe he was guilty and in hiding to protect himself. 

Scenes like this will create tension and immerse the viewer.  It is the involvement of the viewer that will have them returning to follow their hero Archer as he continues to bring justice to the world.