Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Obscurity of the Day: Philo Vance
Here are a few really bad samples from microfilm of the very rare Philo Vance comic strip. It was distributed by Bell Syndicate and seems to have been released between two more popular series of the same genre, Sherlock Holmes and Fu Manchu.
These Bell series were notable not only for their fan-favorite characters but also their very short stories, rarely running more than a month long. Without much chance for character and plot development they make for pretty dull reads though collectors seek them out because of the famous subjects.
Philo Vance was an amateur detective created by S.S. Van Dine. Vance, a a foppish man about town appeared in a series of bestselling novels. The character was popular enough to have many of his tales adapted into movies, some starring the great William Powell (unfortunately missing his Thin Man better half Myrna Loy in these outings).
The only paper I've found that ran Philo Vance is the Atlanta World, a black daily newspaper whose microfilm, as you can tell from the quality of the scans, is in awful shape. The World ran only two stories - The Insurance Mystery (story E) and The Skull Mystery (F), each 24 strips. F seems to have been the last in the series, leaving 4 stories unaccounted for. The strip was credited to Van Dine, of course, but he almost certainly had nothing to do with these productions. The name signed to the strips is R.B.S. Davis who is a complete mystery to me.
Providing running dates for any of these Bell mystery series is tough because the strips were sold in batches. Some papers ran them late and out of order, and very few newspapers stuck with the series all the way through. Philo Vance is a particularly tough nut to crack because it is far rarer than the other two series, and the more popular Sherlock Holmes and Fu Manchu series weren't exactly running in a lot of papers themselves. My guess that this strip was meant to run between the other two (which would have it starting around April 1931) really isn't borne out by the tentative running dates I have for the other two strips, but as I said, they ran in very few papers, seldom as a complete series, and frequently out of order. If someone has made a study of this trio and would like to compare notes I'd love to hear from you.Labels: Obscurities
Comments:
Great find!!! (never heard or seen)
I think you're absolutely right saying that Van Dine had nothing to do with it. Even if all the original books (but the last) start with a "dramatis personae", it seems suspicious that the two known comic stories titles aren't "The [...] murder case" but "The [...] mistery", given that all the 12 Vance novels have as title "The [...] murder case". It seems to me that the stories weren't "translations" of Van Dine books. And this is very different from the two O'Mealia strips (SHERLOCK HOLMES and FU MANCHU), that were strictly based upon original novels (and had no ballons).
BTW in 1931 Van Dine had written only his first 5 Vance novels.
---Fortunato
I think you're absolutely right saying that Van Dine had nothing to do with it. Even if all the original books (but the last) start with a "dramatis personae", it seems suspicious that the two known comic stories titles aren't "The [...] murder case" but "The [...] mistery", given that all the 12 Vance novels have as title "The [...] murder case". It seems to me that the stories weren't "translations" of Van Dine books. And this is very different from the two O'Mealia strips (SHERLOCK HOLMES and FU MANCHU), that were strictly based upon original novels (and had no ballons).
BTW in 1931 Van Dine had written only his first 5 Vance novels.
---Fortunato
# posted by 
: 1/09/2008 9:09 AM
: 1/09/2008 9:09 AM
Hi Fortunato -
My reason for lumping the three together, despite the artistic and source differences you point out, is that they're all mysteries, appeared in the same timeframe, used those story letters, and in the World at least the Fu Manchu series started at the end of the brief Philo Vance run.
--Allan
My reason for lumping the three together, despite the artistic and source differences you point out, is that they're all mysteries, appeared in the same timeframe, used those story letters, and in the World at least the Fu Manchu series started at the end of the brief Philo Vance run.
--Allan
Hello, Allan----I wonder who was the "S.J.Wright" in the PHILO VANCE copyright? ------These strips were based on Van Dine's actual writings. "THE INSURANCE CASE" is actually his Vance novel "THE COLE CASE", and I venture to guess "THE SKULL CASE" is really "THE SKULL MURDER CASE". Perhaps the names were changed to prevent some kind of conflict of interest, since the novels and films of these stories were then current. ------Cole Case Johnson.
# posted by : 1/09/2008 12:54 PM
: 1/09/2008 12:54 PM
Interesting info, Cole.
So there's a Vance novel titled THE COLE CASE?
I never heard of it (but I'm not a PHILO VANCE expert).
I have read all 12 Vance novel (if they're really 12) and no Coles in them.
Titles (as I know it) are:
1. The Benson Murder Case (1926)
2. The Canary Murder Case (1927)
3. The Greene Murder Case (1928)
4. The Bishop Murder Case (1928)
5. The Scarab Murder Case (1929)
6. The Kennel Murder Case (1932)
7. The Dragon Murder Case (1933)
8. The Casino Murder Case (1934)
9. The Garden Murder Case (1935)
10. The Kidnap Murder Case (1936)
11. The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1938)
12. The Winter Murder Case (1939)
When the strip presumably, started only first 5 novels were already written.
Maybe THE COLE CASE was a Vance short story or was a S.S. Van Dine novel with with other characters?
In this second option, the cartoonist, having no more Vance novel to adapt, started adapting Van Dine (no Vance) novels.
Can you give us more info about it?
So there's a Vance novel titled THE COLE CASE?
I never heard of it (but I'm not a PHILO VANCE expert).
I have read all 12 Vance novel (if they're really 12) and no Coles in them.
Titles (as I know it) are:
1. The Benson Murder Case (1926)
2. The Canary Murder Case (1927)
3. The Greene Murder Case (1928)
4. The Bishop Murder Case (1928)
5. The Scarab Murder Case (1929)
6. The Kennel Murder Case (1932)
7. The Dragon Murder Case (1933)
8. The Casino Murder Case (1934)
9. The Garden Murder Case (1935)
10. The Kidnap Murder Case (1936)
11. The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1938)
12. The Winter Murder Case (1939)
When the strip presumably, started only first 5 novels were already written.
Maybe THE COLE CASE was a Vance short story or was a S.S. Van Dine novel with with other characters?
In this second option, the cartoonist, having no more Vance novel to adapt, started adapting Van Dine (no Vance) novels.
Can you give us more info about it?
# posted by : 1/10/2008 6:44 AM
: 1/10/2008 6:44 AM
Hello, Everyone----I ask your forgiveness. THE COLE CASE and THE SKULL MURDER MYSTERY were not actually Philo Vance stories, but from another series that S.S.Van Dine wrote, centering on "Dr. Crabtree", an elderly amateur slueth, and "Inspector Carr", his stock befuddled foil from the police department.These were made into a series of twelve two-reel shorts by Warner Brothers in 1931-32, starring Donald Meek as Dr. Crabtree, and John Hamilton (best known as Perry White on the SUPERMAN TV series) as Inspector Carr. For some reason, it seems some of these were adapted to be Philo Vance stories. The titles of the Dr. Crabtree films, officially known as the "S.S.VAN DINE MYSTERIES", are: 1]-THE CLYDE CASE 2]-THE COLE CASE 3]-THE SYMPHONY MURDER MYSTERY 4]-THE CAMPUS MYSTERY 5]-THE CRANE POISON CASE 6]-THE WEEK END MYSTERY 7]-THE WALL STREET MYSTERY 8]-THE STUDIO MURDER MYSTERY 9]-THE TRANS-ATLANTIC MYSTERY 10]-THE SIDE SHOW MYSTERY 11]-THE SKULL MURDER MYSTERY 12]-MURDER IN THE PULLMAN.----------Cole Johnson.
# posted by : 1/10/2008 9:25 AM
: 1/10/2008 9:25 AM
HI!
I'M INTRIGUED BY YOUR WRITEUP OF THE RARE "PHILO VANCE" COMIC STRIP. I HAVE THE ISSUES OF "THE FUNNIES", A RARE COMIC BOOK FROM THE EARLY FORTIES, WHICH CONTAIN A "PHILO VANCE" STORY EXTENDING OVER THE THE LAST FEW ISSUES OF THE PUBLICATION (SAID STORY REMINISCENT OF THE SECOND S.S. VAN DINE "VANCE" NOVEL, "THE 'CANARY' MURDER CASE"). I SUSPECT THIS COMIC-BOOK APPEARANCE WAS ALSO ORIGINALLY A COMIC STRIP; "THE FUNNIES" APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A KIND OF REPRINT MEDIUM FOR SUCH FARE.
I'M A FREELANCE WRITER, WHILE BY NO MEANS PROLIFIC. HAVE SOLD TO CITADEL; ST. MARTIN'S; McGRAW-HILL; ET AL., MOSTLY TO DO WITH FILM HISTORY. SOME OF THIS MATERIAL CAN BE SEEN ONLINE WHERE IT WAS REPRODUCED. YOU MIGHT FIND MY LINER NOTES FOR RADIO ARCHIVE'S "PHILO VANCE" CD BOX SETS OF INTEREST; THESE CAN STILL BE READ, FEATURED WITH THE SECOND VOLUME IN THIS SERIES COLLECTING THE ZIV RADIO PROGRAMS FROM THE LATE FORTIES TO THE EARLY FIFTIES; I INTERVIEWED ITS STAR, JACKSON BECK (WHICH CONSTITUTES A STORY IN ITSELF!).
I SPECIALIZE IN THE GENRES OF VINTAGE MYSTERIES, HORROR AND CRIME. VAN DINE REPRESENTS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR, WHO STARTED OUT WITH BESTSELLERS BUT WHOSE POPULARITY HAD WANED BY THE MID-THIRTIES. IT'S LONG BEEN THE FASHION TO KNOCK HIM, BUT I CONSIDER HIS "THE GREENE MURDER CASE", "THE BISHOP MURDER CASE", AND "THE DRAGON MURDER CASE" THE FINEST DETECTIVE NOVELS EVER WRITTEN. "DRAGON', TO ME, IS SCARIER THAN ANY HORROR FICTION I'M FAMILIAR WITH; I HAVE THE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING FOR THE COVER OF THE INITIAL MAGAZINE INSTALMENT, WHICH WAS ALSO USED FOR THE DUST-JACKET OF THE SCRIBNER'S FIRST EDITION AND THE GROSSET & DUNLAP REPRINT. DETECTIVE-FICTION AUTHORITY OTTO PENZLER REFERRED TO THIS ART WHEN PUBLISHING HIS REPLICATED FIRST EDITION AS "TO DIE FOR!" OF MY SUNDRY COLLECTIONS (ALMOST LITERALLY DRIVING ME FROM HOUSE AND HOME!), THIS IS MY MOST TREASURED ITEM (I CAN EMAIL YOU PHOTOS OF THE FRAMED PAINTING IF OF INTEREST). I'M ALSO A FILM COLLECTOR, SOME OF THESE HAVING BEEN USED BY THE U.C.L.A. FILM & TELEVISION ARCHIVE AND THE GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS (MY COPY OF THE 1929 TALKIE SHORT, "THE LINE-UP", CAN BE VIEWED ON YOUTUBE - BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY EXISTING PRINT!). I'VE APPEARED ON TV PROGRAMS, SUCH AS WOR-TV'S "THE JOE FRANKLIN SHOW", AND PRODUCED FILM PROGRAMS FOR THE WISTARIAHURST MUSEUM AND THE MARK TWAIN HOUSE. MY CINEMA PUBLICATION, "K'SCOPE", WAS CHOSEN BY THE XEROX COMPANY FOR THEIR UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS PROGRAM. BUT I'M RAMBLING HERE SO WILL WRAP THIS UP, IN HOPES THAT IT REACHES YOU.
CORDIALLY,
RAY CABANA, JR.
RGCABANA@outlook.com
I'M INTRIGUED BY YOUR WRITEUP OF THE RARE "PHILO VANCE" COMIC STRIP. I HAVE THE ISSUES OF "THE FUNNIES", A RARE COMIC BOOK FROM THE EARLY FORTIES, WHICH CONTAIN A "PHILO VANCE" STORY EXTENDING OVER THE THE LAST FEW ISSUES OF THE PUBLICATION (SAID STORY REMINISCENT OF THE SECOND S.S. VAN DINE "VANCE" NOVEL, "THE 'CANARY' MURDER CASE"). I SUSPECT THIS COMIC-BOOK APPEARANCE WAS ALSO ORIGINALLY A COMIC STRIP; "THE FUNNIES" APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A KIND OF REPRINT MEDIUM FOR SUCH FARE.
I'M A FREELANCE WRITER, WHILE BY NO MEANS PROLIFIC. HAVE SOLD TO CITADEL; ST. MARTIN'S; McGRAW-HILL; ET AL., MOSTLY TO DO WITH FILM HISTORY. SOME OF THIS MATERIAL CAN BE SEEN ONLINE WHERE IT WAS REPRODUCED. YOU MIGHT FIND MY LINER NOTES FOR RADIO ARCHIVE'S "PHILO VANCE" CD BOX SETS OF INTEREST; THESE CAN STILL BE READ, FEATURED WITH THE SECOND VOLUME IN THIS SERIES COLLECTING THE ZIV RADIO PROGRAMS FROM THE LATE FORTIES TO THE EARLY FIFTIES; I INTERVIEWED ITS STAR, JACKSON BECK (WHICH CONSTITUTES A STORY IN ITSELF!).
I SPECIALIZE IN THE GENRES OF VINTAGE MYSTERIES, HORROR AND CRIME. VAN DINE REPRESENTS MY FAVORITE AUTHOR, WHO STARTED OUT WITH BESTSELLERS BUT WHOSE POPULARITY HAD WANED BY THE MID-THIRTIES. IT'S LONG BEEN THE FASHION TO KNOCK HIM, BUT I CONSIDER HIS "THE GREENE MURDER CASE", "THE BISHOP MURDER CASE", AND "THE DRAGON MURDER CASE" THE FINEST DETECTIVE NOVELS EVER WRITTEN. "DRAGON', TO ME, IS SCARIER THAN ANY HORROR FICTION I'M FAMILIAR WITH; I HAVE THE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING FOR THE COVER OF THE INITIAL MAGAZINE INSTALMENT, WHICH WAS ALSO USED FOR THE DUST-JACKET OF THE SCRIBNER'S FIRST EDITION AND THE GROSSET & DUNLAP REPRINT. DETECTIVE-FICTION AUTHORITY OTTO PENZLER REFERRED TO THIS ART WHEN PUBLISHING HIS REPLICATED FIRST EDITION AS "TO DIE FOR!" OF MY SUNDRY COLLECTIONS (ALMOST LITERALLY DRIVING ME FROM HOUSE AND HOME!), THIS IS MY MOST TREASURED ITEM (I CAN EMAIL YOU PHOTOS OF THE FRAMED PAINTING IF OF INTEREST). I'M ALSO A FILM COLLECTOR, SOME OF THESE HAVING BEEN USED BY THE U.C.L.A. FILM & TELEVISION ARCHIVE AND THE GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS (MY COPY OF THE 1929 TALKIE SHORT, "THE LINE-UP", CAN BE VIEWED ON YOUTUBE - BELIEVED TO BE THE ONLY EXISTING PRINT!). I'VE APPEARED ON TV PROGRAMS, SUCH AS WOR-TV'S "THE JOE FRANKLIN SHOW", AND PRODUCED FILM PROGRAMS FOR THE WISTARIAHURST MUSEUM AND THE MARK TWAIN HOUSE. MY CINEMA PUBLICATION, "K'SCOPE", WAS CHOSEN BY THE XEROX COMPANY FOR THEIR UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS PROGRAM. BUT I'M RAMBLING HERE SO WILL WRAP THIS UP, IN HOPES THAT IT REACHES YOU.
CORDIALLY,
RAY CABANA, JR.
RGCABANA@outlook.com
In researching Bob Davis for an article on Novelty Comics (no new details discovered), I did uncover some details re: his work on Philo Vance. The E Story, The Insurance Mystery also appeared in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, beginning on a Saturday, 4/30/1932, in addition to the Deseret News and the Atlanta World. The F Story, The Skull Mystery apparently didn't run in the Honolulu paper or Deseret News. It DID run in the Lincoln State Journal and Lincoln Evening Journal (two editions of the same paper so far as I can tell) complete from Sat 5/7/32 to Thursday 6/2/1932. The final caption promised a new story starting tomorrow "The Trans-Atlantic Mystery," another title from the Dr. Crabtree series of shorts, which appeared nowhere that I could find. A little extra data and nice in a weird way that the strip got at least a little more exposure. Keep up your wonderful work! Mark Carlson-Ghost
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