Great stuff, Bob. I think Madge is less prominent tonally in the novel--my copy of DARK PASSAGE is frustratingly missing from the rest of my Goodis stash, but my memory suggests that the scene in Irene's apartment is not quite as frenetic as how it's played on screen. I think Agnes pumped up the part to make it worth her while...feel free to check into it if your copy happens to be handy.

It's absolutely an iconic building and part of the great overall lore of San Francisco noir--wonder if Eddie will ever show it again now that he's ensconced over in the East Bay. That group of Blackboard folk who went up past the Malloch Building to Julius' Castle during NC4 has pretty much scattered to the wind, but there is still hope that the "kooky" restaurant might still re-open--would definitely go back, since there are pictures of Bogey and Bacall dining there during the DARK PASSAGE shoot.