Raymond Chandler and the Case of the Split Infinitive

March 13, 2026

TL;DR

Raymond Chandler had grievances with the Oscars and The Atlantic's editorial department in early 1948.
He wrote an essay for The Atlantic criticizing Hollywood's mediocrity, originally titled "Juju Worship in Hollywood."
Chandler objected to a copy editor, Margaret Mutch, correcting a split infinitive in his text.
He felt his writing style, a mix of "patois" and "barroom vernacular," was being stifled.
Chandler expressed his frustration in a poem titled "Lines to a Lady With an Unsplit Infinitive."
The essay, "Oscar Night in Hollywood," ultimately contained one split infinitive: "to greatly excel."
Margaret Mutch, a Radcliffe graduate, worked as a copy editor and proofreader for The Atlantic.
Chandler viewed his conflict with Mutch similarly to his critique of Hollywood, seeing both as forces pulling toward mediocrity or strict adherence to rules.
The article contrasts Chandler's perspective with the actual Oscar winner of 1948, "Gentleman's Agreement," which addressed societal issues.
Mutch's personal perspective on Chandler's poem is not recorded; she died in 1997 at age 99.

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