Following in Cain's footsteps down to Skid Row for the origins of the noir narrative. Click for more photos from the June '08 tour.
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The Birth of Noir: James M. Cain's Southern California Nightmare
How did this East Coat sophisticate go from managing editor of “The New Yorker” to populist novelist accused of writing dirty books? The tour explores Cain’s L.A. from Hollywood to Glendale and along old Route 66, and includes illuminating visits to Forest Lawn Memorial Park (a Glendale institution and site of the funeral of Mildred Pierce’s “other” daughter, Ray), the Glendale Train Station where the “Double Indemnity” murder plot played out, and the punch line to a Billy Wilder joke so subtle, it’s taken 63 years for anyone to get. The tour will also cover the artisans who transformed Cain’s tales into film, including Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler, Joan Crawford and Lana Turner, each an important contributor to the Film Noir canon. ( categories: Literary LA )
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upcoming James M. Cain Toursupcoming tours
 Raymond Chandler Mystery Map Returns!
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Lost in the Grooves LLC, d/b/a Esotouric, offers fee-paid guided walking and bus tours. All sales for tours are final and admission fee is non-refundable from 72 hours before tour departure. No shows will be charged in full. Tours are all weather events and operate rain or shine. There are no paper tickets; your name will be on a list. Latecomers may be able to join the tour in progress, but it is not assured, and absolutely no refunds or make goods will be given. This ticket is a license which can be revoked at any time for any reason. Holder assumes all risk and danger of personal injury and all other hazards arising from or related in any way to the event for which this ticket is issued whether occurring prior to, during or after the event and agrees that Lost in the Grooves LLC, d/b/a Esotouric are not liable under any conditions. Esotouric is not liable in any way for event and tour cancellations due to Acts of God or otherwise with events out of our control. Event data, tour route, sites and attractions, times and size of tours are subject to change without notice. In the event that any one or more of the provisions or parts of a provision contained in these Terms & Conditions shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision or part of a provision of this Agreement or the validity or enforceability of such provision or portion thereof in any other jurisdiction. The recording of any part of the guided tour, including, but not limited to, the narrative, stories, depictions, and the like, by any means whatsoever, is strictly prohibited without the advance written permission of an authorized representative of Lost in the Grooves LLC. Note that the organizers may film, photograph or record the tours and your participation, or permit members of the press to do so.
Southern California 1931: Amongst the burgeoning urban sprawl built atop bulldozed orange groves and the bitter realization that you can’t eat the sunshine, recent emigré James M. Cain found a kernel of truth and his voice, which would eventually distill through his novels, ”The Postman Always Rings Twice,” “Mildred Pierce” and “Double Indemnity” and subsequent film adaptations into the unique American genre: Film Noir. 
