35. Coppola Cast #17: Hammett (1982)

After our lengthy hiatus, we’re back to celebrate Noir-vember with Hammett (1982) directed by Wim Wenders for Francis Coppola’s short lived Zoetrope Studios. Based on a novel that has author Dashiell Hammett solving a mystery like the ones he wrote about, Hammett’s production faced almost as many troubles as Coppola’s One From the Heart. Coppola, acting as the studio head, actually shut production down, Wim Wenders left, then came back and reshot nearly the entire film with a different script. Ultimately, Hammett was a major box office flop and was forgotten about until its DVD release which sparked rumors that Coppola secretly directed the reshoots. We go over the sources of this rumor, examine the film for clues, and talk about Wenders’s other, more distinctive, films. We also talk about another film famous for being secretly directed by its producer (Poltergeist with Tobe Hooper as director and Steven Spielberg as producer), the Noir genre, David Lynch, and life advice from Garry Marshall. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Merlot 2017 and Sofia Blanc du Blanc.