Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective was a pulp magazine that spun out of the immense popularity of Robert Leslie Bellem’s hardboiled character, Dan Turner. The title ran from 1942 to 1950, published by Culture Publications, and specialized in breezy, slang-filled detective yarns set against the glitzy but seedy backdrop of Hollywood. Turner was a wisecracking private eye who mixed tough talk with a relentless eye for trouble, often embroiled in cases that blended murder, scandal, and sensational showbiz intrigue.
The stories leaned heavily into colorful language—Turner’s slang-heavy narration was a hallmark—and offered readers a unique mix of crime fiction and satirical takes on Hollywood’s glamour and grime.
The magazine was also notable for its bold and often risqué presentation. Covers frequently depicted glamorous women in compromising or dangerous situations, emphasizing both sex appeal and menace, in keeping with the broader “spicy” pulp tradition.
The stories themselves, while formulaic, were fast-paced and heavy on action, with Turner out-talking, out-fighting, and out-charming crooks and femmes fatales alike. Though the magazine eventually faded with the decline of the pulp market in the early 1950s, Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective remains a memorable part of pulp history, representing the collision of hardboiled detective fiction with Hollywood excess, all delivered with a wink, a wisecrack, and a smoking gun.
Here’s a Top 5 list of standout Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective tales:
1. “Murder on the Sound Stage” — Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective (Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1942)
The debut issue’s lead story set the tone for the entire magazine. Packed with wisecracks, dames in distress, and studio intrigue, it introduced readers to Turner’s slang-heavy narration and cemented him as the archetypal Hollywood gumshoe.
2. “Death’s Dress Rehearsal” — Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective (Oct. 1943)
One of the most lurid and colorful Turner tales, this story combined showbiz glamour with backstage murder. It’s remembered for Bellem’s over-the-top prose and for being frequently reprinted in later Turner collections.
3. “Pin-up Corpse” — Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective (Nov. 1944)
A quintessential Turner yarn, this story highlighted Bellem’s knack for outrageous titles and Hollywood-themed crime plots. Its mix of cheesecake, violence, and Turner’s zany wisecracks makes it one of the magazine’s most collectible issues.
4. “Homicide Highball” — Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective (Spring 1945)
This tale is often cited by pulp historians as a showcase for Bellem’s slang-saturated style. With Turner wading through a cocktail of murder, booze, and bombshells, it captures the excess that made the magazine both beloved and mocked.
5. “The Book of the Phantom Bullet” — Hollywood Detective (Sept. 1948)
A later standout that demonstrated Turner’s staying power. While the pulp market was shrinking, Bellem kept the formula fresh with outrageous plots, rapid-fire dialogue, and studio satire—hallmarks that made the character iconic.
