Chamblee54

Jimmy Breslin wrote a book, Damon Runyon. As you might guess, it is about the journalist and story teller. Mr. Breslin appeared on the CBS radio network to promote the book. The interview he gave is available on Wired for Books.
Even if Mr. Breslin did not write the book, he should have given this interview. He sounds like a New Yorker, with the rough edges intact. As it turns out, Mr. Runyon was from Manhattan KS, and only moved to New York after a wild career out west. He covered Pancho Villa, and had a cigarette lighter given to him by the raider. William Randolph Hearst, the employer of Damon Runyon, was fond of Pancho Villa, until 600 head of cattle was stolen from a Hearst owned ranch. At that point, Pancho Villa became a terrorist.
W.R. Hearst is a player in another story. It seems like “Citizen Kane” supported Germany at the start of World War One. After the armistice was signed, Mr. Hearst wanted to welcome a ship of soldiers to New York. The fighting men did not like this idea, and threatened to make trouble.
Damon Runyon was asked to serve as a go between. He knew George Patton, from his days of fighting Pancho Villa. Mr. Runyon spoke to the General, who ordered his men to wave politely to William Randolph Hearst.
Damon Runyon flourished during the roaring twenties. Jimmy Breslin argues that Mr. Runyon invented much of the mystique of that era. Mr. Runyon wrote for the Hearst Newspapers. He thrilled America with stories about gangsters, horse players, and the “colorful characters” that populated Broadway. Mr. Runyon wrote short stories. These formed the basis for the show “Guys and Dolls”.
This was a time before movies and radio took over, and newspapers had a monopoly. At one time New York had sixteen daily papers, many of which were horrible. There is a story about a writer who was describing some shooting, and coined the phrase “innocent bystander”. He was so proud of himself that he went to a bar to celebrate. He got to talking to a young lady. She said that someone she knew was a “stuffed shirt”. The writer put his drink down, went to the newspaper office, and typed a story with the phrase “stuffed shirt” in it. Another cliche was born.
To hear Mr. Breslin tell it, the best thing that Damon Runyon did was when he died. Mr. Runyon used his Pancho Villa lighter many, many times. The smoking caught up with him, and he developed throat cancer. In 1946, cancer was never mentioned. People died after a “long illness”. When Damon Runyon perished, the cause of death was listed as cancer. He may have been the first famous person to openly die of cancer.