Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio And Beyond [Paperback]

J. Randolph Cox (Author), David S. Siegel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1891379054 | ISBN-13: 978-1891379055

All there is to know about the crime fighting hero created by mystery writer George Harmon Coxe -- from his debut in Black Mask, the popular 1930s pulp magazine, to his 10 year stint on radio, his short lived television career plus his exploits in the movies, novels, comic books and a play. Includes the complete very first Casey short story, "Return Engagement," that appeared in Black Mask, synopses of ALL 21 Casey short stories and novelettes, 6 novels, 4 comic books, 2 films and a play, 2 uncirculated radio scripts, a complete Program Log for radio series -- 431 programs, 1943-1950, 1954-1955, a complete Program Log for television series -- 62 programs, 1945, 1951-1952, 31 photographs and illustrations, including cast photographs for radio and television series, and the first-ever literary biography of George Harmon Coxe, twice President of the Mystery Writers of America and recipient of the MWA Grand Master Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the mystery genre and the consistently high quality of his work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A comprehensive, first-rate history of the sleuthing shutterbug. Chock full with valuable information. -- Blood and Thunder, Fall/Winter, 2006

A richly detailed portrait that secures the program's rightful place in radio's history. -- Dick Bertel, Host of WTIC's Golden Age of Radio broadcast

Both Coxe and Casey are long gone but their books brings them back, as fresh as ever. -- Francis M. Nevins, Noted mystery writer and critic

This is a great book that follows the career of Flashghun Casey for over two decades. -- J. David Goldin, The Man Who Saved Radio

From the Publisher

Includes a complete Casey short story that originally appeared in Black Mask PLUS two Casey radio scripts, complete program logs of the radio and TV series, a literary biography of George Harmon Coxe, a synopses of all 21 Casey short stories, novelettes, novels, comic books, films and play, and 31 photographs and illustrations.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 205 pages
• Publisher: Book Hunter Pr (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891379054
• ISBN-13: 978-1891379055
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,131,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All about Flashgun Casey aka Casey, Crime Photographer, February 4, 2006

By 

OTR Researcher (The Rocky Mountain West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio And Beyond (Paperback)

As with many Radio series, Casey, Crime Photographer had its origins in pulp fiction. A new book by J. Randolph Cox and David S. Siegel covers the Casey character from the first stories in a pulp magazine, to novels and comic books, plays, motion pictures, Radio and television. The authors have uncovered much previously unpublished information and have presented it in a very readable format.

The Casey character was created by award-winning mystery writer George Harmon Coxe and premiered in a short story in a popular pulp magazine of the 1930s, Black Mask. Included in Flashgun Casey are that original short story, "Return Engagement," and a biography of Casey's creator, who was twice President of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) and recipient of the MWA Grand Master Award in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the mystery genre.

The non-Radio manifestations of Casey are thoroughly documented in the book. Background information is provided on the various literary, theatrical, motion picture and video productions involving the crime-fighting photographer. The authors trace how the Casey character and supporting cast changed with the demands of the different media. They also provide synopses of all 21 short stories and novelettes, six novels, four comic books, two films and a play. Additionally, there is a broadcast log for the 1945 and 1951-1952 television series.

The sections on the Radio series cover approximately 40 percent of the book. There are photographs and an illustration of all main cast and crew members. A variety of topics relating to the Radio series are elaborated on:

how Casey came to Radio;

an overview of Casey's Radio career; cast and crew information and program changes;

series title, times slot, and opening changes;

an assessment of Casey's popularity;

ratings; and

a sampling of plot summaries.

Radio scripts for two Casey episodes that are not in circulation, "Hanged by the Neck" and "The White Monster," also have been included by the authors.

The Radio log was compiled from many sources including CBS archives materials, the scripts of the primary writer, Alonzo Deen Cole, and information from a variety of newspapers and other sources. The log includes broadcast dates for all episodes, titles for all but 19 episodes, writer credits, broadcast days and times, and whether or not an episode is in circulation. The log also lists those episodes whose scripts were reused.

Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio and Beyond is well-written and researched and highly informative. David S. Siegel and J. Randolph Cox should be congratulated for bringing much new information into print. If you are a fan of this popular radio series and/or would like to learn more about the various incarnations of this character, this book is for you.

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect, May 30, 2010

By 

Israel Colon, PhD - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio And Beyond (Paperback)

I am an OTR (old time radio) fan and appreciate works such this one. The only drawback is that it does not have an index which makes searching for answers to specific questions somewhat cumbersome.