TO KILL FOR

When this trio gets together, plagiarism escalates to blackmail and , finally, to murder and a twisted kind of retribution. A very dark story in a sunny land. This is a novel to die for!

This is pure 'noir,' my favorite form of fiction. I cut my teeth on the novels of James Cain, Raymond Chandler and John Ross McDonald. Their books became movies such as 'The Postman always rings Twice', 'The Big Sleep', 'Harper' -- classics of the genre.
Look them up by name or title, You'll never be disappointed!

MIKE RAMIREZ

The incomparable Michael Ramirez -- easily America's most skilled cartoonist. He was fired from the Los Angeles Times for his conservative viewpoint. One that obviously doesn't conform to the leftist ideology of that publication

THE SOAPS

Art Hansl finished his acting career on the Soap Opera, 'General Hospital'. He played a well-tailored detective lieutenant, pretty much the opposite of Colombo. This was a different form of the medium, being taped rather than filmed. Shot live and no retakes. Blow it and you go back and take it from the top. The alternative, of course, was to improvise because you didn't want to stop camera. Everybody did that, leading to some inventive dialogue.

After years on screen, he switched to writing suspense novels and an autobiography.
All are on display on his web site www.arthansl.com as well as film clips. www.arthansl.blogspot.com hosts his commentary on B films and the life he led making them back the sixties and seventies.

FLASHBACKS

Stills from my autobiography, FLASHBACKS, about the trials and tribulations of working in those B pictures of long ago. These are from Mission Apocalypse, an Italian James Bond rip-off  that did a lot of traveling around Europe, behind the Iron Curtain and on to Casablanca and Marrakech in Morocco.
In Switzerland we created an avalanche but blew the shot because our director signaled for the blast that took down the mountain too soon and there were no cameras rolling. In Zagreb, Yugoslavia, I was mobbed by a crowd that thought I was fleeing the police because the same idiot wanted realism (or didn't want to pay extras).
We saw slaves being brought to market on the road to Marrakech, where I got a couple of ribs cracked by a local "stuntman". But what the hell, I walked away from the turkey in one piece.
For more books, stills and film clips, visit my web site at www.arthansl.com.

FLASHBACKS

Excerpted from my memoir, FLASHBACKS.

Probably a second or so before getting a couple of ribs cracked by an inept stunt man in Marrakech, Morocco, while shooting MISSION APOCALYPSE. Stunt fighting isn't as dangerous as working with horses or taking long falls, but actors should know the fudamentals; stunt men should know a great deal more.

For books, stills, film clips and more check my web site, http://www.arthansl.com/.

STORM WARNING

Jon Storm, ex-LAPD detective exiled to Mexico, returns to California with a film crew substituting for the star’s double, whom he has injured in a brawl.

In California, he meets an old rival, Ned Davenport, now a United States Senator lusting to be president. Davenport’s past is his problem and Storm is part of it. When the senator’s financial backer is murdered, Storms affair with the victim’s wife, a scheming beauty, makes him an instant suspect. To clear himself, he reverts to his old skills, plunging into a maze of corruption and colliding ambitions in the intersecting worlds of California politics and Hollywood hi jinks.

Available through Amazon and now on e-readers Kindle, I-Pad, Sony, Nook, Kobo.. Visit arthansl.com for more books, film clips..

TO KILL FOR

Coming soon -- TO KILL FOR is a tense, suspense novel set amidst the glamour and grit of coastal California where two "brothers" mature into dangerous enemies as the talent, evil and jealousy of one corrupts the basic decency of the other. Manipulated by a wicked beauty, their enmity leads to plagiarism, blackmail, murder and, finally, to a twisted form of retribution. A dark tale in a sunny land.

For available books, film clips, check http://www.arthansl.com/

A Gracious gesture

Ronald Reagan holding one of my early books. A fine gentleman and a great President. Needless to say, I felt very honored by this gracious gesture.

Recently Captain Honor,Commander of an aircraft carrier, was fired from his command for showing raunchy films to his crew in order to provide a little humorous entertainment during long hours at sea. From all accounts he was an exceptional officer and still has the full support of his crew.

Over half a century ago, when I was in the Marine Corps, we pretty much worshipped a Commandant named Chesty Puller, a profane tyrant who fought alongside his men and made sure they had everything they wanted when they drew liberty. Everything!

Jesus! Imagine firing Chesty over a few feet of film!

Well, we now live under a Commander in chief with no military experience, no liking for anything military, no interest in any thing but sucking up (ducking and bowing) to every third world nonentity who, along with everyone else, holds him in contempt for his weakness and inexperience.

Let's hope this New Year will at least put a dent in his program of surrender and socialism!

MADNESS IN MEXICO

Mexican movies mixed horror with the bizarre. In House of Madness (Mansion de la Locura) the lady, clad only in grapes, passed out in the middle of this scene. All night partying seemed to be the cause, not me looming over her. We shot a lot of this picture in an old monastery where the remains of dozens of aborted fetuses had been recently discovered. Evidently the offspring of nuns and priests who had taken their vows none too seriously.

From my autobiography, FLASHBACKS, available on all e-readers as well as through Amazon and B&N.

Check my web site http://www.arthansl.com/ for more books and film clips.