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Reel Trouble

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Story Details

Story Number: 7 of 8 First Published: Black Mask Magazine, September 1940 Setting: Hollywood, 1940 Case Type: Theft and underground film trafficking

Synopsis

When a canister of film goes missing from Mammoth Studios' heavily guarded vault, studio head Jack Woltz calls in Zeb Marlowe to recover it discreetly. The stolen reel contains footage so scandalous it could bring down not just the studio, but several of Hollywood's biggest names.

Marlowe's investigation plunges him into the shadowy world of underground film screenings and forbidden footage. His search takes him from secret movie palaces hidden in the Hollywood Hills to smoky basement clubs in Chinatown where cinephiles trade in celluloid contraband.

As he digs deeper, Marlowe uncovers a network of film purists, disgruntled editors, and avant-garde artists trafficking in everything from censored scenes to stolen newsreels. He crosses paths with eccentric collectors willing to pay top dollar for taboo imagery, and dodges enforcers working for a mysterious figure known only as "The Projectionist."

The case takes a dark turn when Marlowe learns the missing reel contains evidence of a years-old unsolved murder involving one of the studio's biggest stars. Now he's not just racing against time to recover the film, but also to prevent a killer from silencing potential witnesses.

The story climaxes in an abandoned movie theater, where Marlowe confronts The Projectionist during a clandestine screening of the stolen footage. In a tense standoff amid the whir of film projectors, Marlowe must outwit his opponent and secure the incriminating reel before it exposes secrets that could rewrite Hollywood history.

Key Themes

  • Forbidden Knowledge: What we're not allowed to see
  • Film as Evidence: Permanent record vs. malleable truth
  • Underground Culture: Hidden subcultures beneath mainstream Hollywood
  • Preservation vs. Suppression: What should be saved vs. destroyed

The Underground Film World

Prescott creates a fascinating subculture: - Secret screenings of banned or censored films - Collectors of forbidden footage - Artists working outside the studio system - The intersection of art and contraband

Memorable Quotes

"The Projectionist's theater showed films Hollywood didn't want you to see. Not because they were obscene, but because they were true."

"Every piece of film that ends up on the cutting room floor has to go somewhere. This is where the discarded truths come to find an audience."

Cinematic Details

Prescott's love of film shines through: - Technical details about film stock and projection - The art of editing and censorship - Underground cinema culture - Film preservation and destruction

The Projectionist

A memorable antagonist: - Ideologically motivated, not just greedy - Believes truth should be accessible - Sees himself as librarian of forbidden knowledge - Tragic figure rather than simple villain

Connection to Real History

Reflects actual issues: - Hayes Code censorship - Lost or destroyed films - Underground film movements - Studio control over what audiences saw

Semper curiosus. Semper creatrix.