A pill of some sort, sure, but was it some sort of medicine or was it speed? I've driven cross country and I naturally assumed it was some variety of stimulant. If so that's pretty overt drug use for 1945.
What was it? A piece of paper crawling with germs, couldn't buy anything I wanted.
We may never know, but I'd agree that it could've been speed. I mean, it definitely could've been something he'd overdose on, since he mysteriously passed out (or died) for no determined reason. No one sleeps while they're being rained on like that.
shareIt had to have been heart medication. Did they have that back then? There is no way it was speed because he fell soundly asleep shortly after taking a pill.
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It was probably medication for his "ailment", which he died from in his sleep;hence, making it believable to the movie viewer that he could randomly die in his sleep... What does the novel tell us?
shareFor what it is worth the novel Detour has just been re-issued and in the book Haskell has a stash of pot in the glove compartment that he samples a few times. The book was written by Martin M. Goldsmith and he also wrote the screenplay for the film
shareThey looked like very small pills. I bet it was supposed to be 'Nitroglycerin' for his weak heart.
shareAgreed
shareAlso, agreed.
Nitroglycerin tablets are placed under the tongue for fast absorption into the blood stream in case of chest pain from heart disease. They are not swallowed and do not need to be taken with water.
As far as I know, they are still used, somewhere.
Ebert claims he died of a heart attack. Although we never know the cause of death for sure, that kind of thing happens a lot just like in the movie; you just pass away quietly in your sleep. If this is what we are suppose to think, then it seems reasonable that the drugs Haskell was taking was heart medicine, presumably digitalis.
shareIt was definitely either digitalis or nitro, and he died in his sleep from a heart attack. But, since someone mentioned that the book was recently reissued, does anyone know whether the plan to have Al Roberts play the part of Charlie Haskell in an effort to inherit Haskell Sr.'s fortune was carried out in the book?
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