▁re work ed ▁the ▁story ▁as ▁the ▁novel ▁I , ▁the ▁J ury , ▁converting ▁Mike ▁D anger ▁to ▁Mike ▁Ham mer ▁and ▁supporting ▁character ▁Hol ly ▁to ▁Vel da . ▁ ▁Character ▁While ▁pul p ▁detect ives ▁such ▁as ▁Sam ▁Sp ade ▁and ▁Philip ▁Mar low e ▁are ▁hard - bo iled ▁and ▁c yn ical , ▁Ham mer ▁is ▁in ▁many ▁ways ▁the ▁arch et yp al ▁" hard ▁man ": ▁brut ally ▁violent , ▁and ▁fue led ▁by ▁a ▁genu ine ▁ra ge ▁against ▁violent ▁crime ▁that ▁never ▁aff lic ts ▁Raymond ▁Ch and ler ' s ▁or ▁D ashi ell ▁Hamm ett ' s ▁hero es . ▁In ▁The ▁Big ▁Kill ▁Ham mer ▁describes ▁himself ▁to ▁a ▁b arg irl ▁as ▁a ▁mis anth ro pe . ▁Sp ill ane ▁admitted ▁to ▁pul p ▁writer ▁Car roll ▁John ▁Dal y , ▁generally ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁invent or ▁of ▁the ▁hard - bo iled ▁private ▁eye ▁figure , ▁that ▁Ham mer ▁was ▁also ▁lo os ely ▁mode led ▁on ▁Race ▁Williams , ▁Dal y ' s ▁most ▁frequently ▁used ▁detect ive ▁character . ▁ ▁While ▁other ▁hard bo iled ▁hero es ▁b end ▁and ▁manipulate ▁the ▁law , ▁Ham mer ▁often ▁views ▁it ▁as ▁an ▁imped iment ▁to ▁justice , ▁the ▁one ▁virtue ▁he ▁holds ▁in ▁absolute ▁este em . ▁Ham mer ▁never theless ▁has ▁a ▁strong ▁respect ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁police , ▁real izing ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁difficult ▁job ▁and ▁their ▁hands ▁are ▁frequently ▁tied ▁by ▁the ▁law