The Cutting Room Floor¶

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Story Details¶

Story Number: 3 of 8 First Published: Black Mask Magazine, September 1939 Setting: Hollywood, 1939 Case Type: Murder investigation and conspiracy

Synopsis¶

When Sam Kilroy, Mammoth Studios' head editor, is found dead in his editing bay, the official verdict is accidental electrocution. But Marlowe, hired by Kilroy's widow, suspects foul play. His investigation plunges him into the high-stakes world of studio politics and the cutthroat competition for box office supremacy.

Marlowe discovers that Kilroy had been working late nights on a secret project, splicing together footage from various films to create something new—and potentially scandalous. As he follows the trail of celluloid, Marlowe uncovers a conspiracy involving stolen war footage, compromised politicians, and a cover-up that reaches the highest levels of Hollywood and Washington D.C.

The case takes Marlowe from the claustrophobic editing rooms of Mammoth Studios to the sun-baked sets of a Western shoot in the Mojave Desert. He dodges knife-wielding thugs in Chinatown, outwits a femme fatale starlet with secrets of her own, and goes toe-to-toe with a corrupt studio security chief who'll stop at nothing to keep the lid on the scandal.

As Marlowe closes in on the truth, he realizes that what's on Kilroy's cutting room floor could rewrite Hollywood history—and some powerful people will kill to keep it there. The story climaxes in a pulse-pounding chase through the catwalks and scaffolding of a massive soundstage, where Marlowe must outwit his pursuers and expose the conspiracy before he becomes the next victim of the final cut.

Key Themes¶

Power of the Image: How edited footage can create or destroy truth
Political Corruption: Hollywood's ties to Washington
Conspiracy: Web of power protecting itself
The Editor's Art: What we don't see is as important as what we do

Innovative Elements¶

The Secret Footage: Never fully revealed, building tension Multiple Locations: Prescott's most geographically diverse story Political Intrigue: Expanding beyond pure Hollywood noir Technical Detail: Authentic editing room and film processing details

Memorable Quotes¶

"In an editing room, reality is whatever you splice together. Kilroy had found footage someone wanted to erase from existence entirely."

"The cutting room floor holds more truth than what makes it to the screen. That's where the real story lies—in what's been cut out."

Critical Reception¶

Considered by many the first story where Prescott fully hit his stride, combining mystery, action, and political commentary seamlessly.

Semper curiosus. Semper creatrix.