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Author and former city councilman Arthur Lyons, founder of the Palm Springs Film Noir Festival, died Friday of complications from pneumonia and a stroke. He was 62.
Lyons, who was a member of the Palm Springs City Council from 1992-1995, died at Desert Regional Medical Center, according to close friend Janie Hughes, a director of the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
Hughes, who sponsored Lyons' star on the walk, said his death was a shock and "totally unexpected."
She said Lyons had what he thought was the flu when he suffered a fall last Friday.
"He called his wife Barbara and told her to take him to the hospital," Hughes said, noting that doctors determined he had walking pneumonia and had suffered a stroke at the time of his fall. Hughes described him as "unique, brilliant and fun-loving."
"He loved film noir and the old black-and-white B movies," she said.
"He was from a Hollywood family and brought a bunch of celebrities to Palm Springs. He used to ride a motorcycles with Steve McQueen all over these mountains."
The Film Noir Festival he founded will go on, she said.
"Everything's in place -- his wife made that promise to him," Hughes said.
Lyons authored 21 books and numerous mystery novels, among them a series on private eye Jacob Asch.
In 1986, his novel "Castles Burning," which took place in Palm Springs, was made into a television movie called "Slow Burn," starring Johnny Depp, Beverly D'Angelo and Eric Roberts as Asch.
Lyons' books were based on "what really happens in life ... especially here in the desert, but he preferred to leave the names anonymous," Hughes said.
He also penned "Death on the Cheap -- The Lost B Movies of Film Noir," which was a "major paperback sensation," according to Walk of Stars President Bob Alexander.
Mayor Steve Pougnet, who met Lyons in 2003 upon being elected to the City Council, called him a "passionate" friend of Palm Springs.
"He used to come and talk to the council about film noir and the festival," Pougnet said. "He loved this city and he will certainly be missed."
A memorial service was pending.
