John Dickson Carr
Encyclopedia
John Dickson Carr was an American
author
of detective stories, who also published under the pen name
s Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.
The son of Wooda Nicholas Carr
, a U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania, Carr graduated from The Hill School
in Pottstown in 1925 and Haverford College
in 1929. Carr lived for a number of years in England beginning around 1930, as his career as a mystery writer began, and he married an English woman. Many of his novels had English settings, his best-known detective characters were English, and he is sometimes loosely grouped among "British-style" mystery writers. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest writers of so-called "Golden Age" mysteries
; complex, plot-driven stories in which the puzzle is paramount. He was influenced in this regard by the works of Gaston Leroux
and by the Father Brown
stories of G. K. Chesterton
.
Carr was a master of the locked room mystery
, in which a detective solves apparently impossible crimes. The Dr. Fell mystery The Hollow Man
(1935), usually considered Carr's masterpiece, was selected in 1981 as the best locked-room mystery of all time by a panel of 17 mystery authors and reviewers.
In 1950, his biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brought Carr the first of his two Special Edgar Award
s from the Mystery Writers of America
; the second came in 1970, in recognition of his 40-year career as a mystery writer. He was also presented the MWA's Grand Master award in 1963.
In early spring 1963, while living in Mamaroneck, New York
, Carr suffered a stroke
, which paralyzed his left side. He continued to write using one hand, and for several years contributed a regular column of mystery and detective book reviews, "The Jury Box", to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
. Carr eventually moved to Greenville, South Carolina
, and he died there of lung cancer in 1977.
and is at all times a model of civility and geniality. He has a great mop of untidy hair that is often covered by a "shovel hat" and he generally wears a cape. He lives in a modest cottage and has no official connection to any public authorities.
"H.M.", on the other hand, although stout and with a majestic "corporation", is physically active and is feared for his ill-temper and noisy rages. In a 1949 novel, A Graveyard to Let
, for example, he demonstrates an unexpected talent for hitting baseballs improbable distances. A well-heeled descendant of the "oldest baronetcy" in England, he is an Establishment figure (even though he frequently rails against it) and in the earlier novels is the head of the British Secret Service. In The Plague Court Murders
he is said to be qualified as both a barrister
and a medical doctor. Even in the earliest books the bald, bespectacled, and scowling H.M. is clearly a Churchillian
figure and in the later novels this similarity is somewhat more consciously evoked.
Many of the Fell novels feature two or more different impossible crimes, including He Who Whispers
(1946
) and The Case of the Constant Suicides
(1941
). The novel The Crooked Hinge
(1938
) weaves a seemingly impossible throat-slashing, witchcraft, a survivor of the Titanic, an eerie automaton modelled on Johann Maelzel's chess player, and a case similar to that of the Tichborne claimant into what is often cited as one of the greatest classics of detective fiction. But even Carr's biographer, Douglas G. Greene, notes that the explanation, like many of Carr's in other books, seriously stretches plausibility and the reader's credulity.
Dr. Fell's own discourse on locked room mysteries in chapter 17 of The Hollow Man
is critically acclaimed and is sometimes printed as a stand-alone essay in its own right.
, and Colonel March
. Many of the Merrivale novels, written under the Carter Dickson byline, rank with Carr's best work, including the highly praised The Judas Window
(1938).
A few of his novels do not feature a series detective. The most famous of these, The Burning Court
(1937
), involves witchcraft, poisoning, and a body that disappears from a sealed crypt in suburban Philadelphia; it was the basis for the French film La Chambre ardente (1962
).
Carr wrote in the short story format as well. "Most of Carr's stories are compressed versions of his locked-room novels, and at times they benefit from the compression. Probably the best of them are in the Carter Dickson book, The Department of Queer Complaints (1940), although this does not include the brilliantly clever H.M. story The House in Goblin Wood or a successful pastiche which introduces Edgar Allan Poe as a detective."
In 1950
Carr wrote a novel called The Bride of Newgate
, set in 1815 at the close of the Napoleonic Wars
, one of the earliest full-length historical whodunnit
s. The Devil in Velvet
and Fire, Burn! are the two historical novel
s with which he himself was most pleased. With Adrian Conan Doyle
, the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
, Carr wrote Sherlock Holmes
stories that were published in the 1954 collection The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes
. He was also honored by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by being asked to write the biography for the legendary author. The book, The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, appeared in 1949 and received generally favorable reviews for its vigor and entertaining style.
, for instance, writes in his essay "My Favorite Sleuths" that Dr. Fell is one of the three great successors to Sherlock Holmes
(the other two are Father Brown
and Nero Wolfe
) and that H.M., "according to me is an old bore." This may be in part because in the Merrivale novels written after World War II H.M. frequently became a comic caricature of himself, especially in the physical misadventures in which he found himself at least once in every novel. Humorous as these episodes were intended to be, they also tended to have the unwanted effect of diminishing his overall persona. Earlier, however, H.M. had been regarded more favorably by a number of critics. Howard Haycraft, author of the seminal Murder for Pleasure: The Life and Times of the Detective Story, wrote in 1941 that H.M. or "The Old Man" was "the present writer's admitted favorite among contemporary fictional sleuths". In 1938 the British mystery writer R. Philmore wrote in an article called "Inquest on Detective Stories" that Sir Henry was "the most amusing of detectives". And further: "Of course, H.M. is so much the best detective that, once having invented him, his creator could get away with any plot."
There is a book-length critical study by S. T. Joshi
, John Dickson Carr: A Critical Study (1990) (ISBN 0-87972-477-3).
The definitive biography of Carr is by Douglas G Greene, John Dickson Carr: The Man Who Explained Miracles (1995) (ISBN 1-883402-47-6). From an obituary published in Greenville, South Carolina, Carr would appear to have written under the name of Fenton Carter but no works by anyone of this name have yet been identified.
scripts, particularly for the Suspense (radio program)
series in America and for its UK equivalent Appointment With Fear introduced by Valentine Dyall
, as well as many other dramas for the BBC
, and some screenplay
s. His 1943 half-hour radio play Cabin B-13 was expanded into a series on CBS
in 1948-49 for which Carr wrote all 25 scripts, basing some on earlier works or re-presenting devices that Chesterton had used. The 1943 play Cabin B-13 was also expanded into the script for the 1953 film Dangerous Crossing, directed by Joseph M. Newman
and starring Michael Rennie
and Jeanne Crain
. Carr worked extensively for BBC Radio
during World War II
, writing both mystery stories and propaganda
scripts.
.
Various Carr stories formed the basis for episodes of television series, particularly those without recurring characters such as General Motors Presents. In 1956, the television series Colonel March of Scotland Yard
, starring Boris Karloff
as Colonel March and based on Carr's character and his stories, ran for 26 episodes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of detective stories, who also published under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
s Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.
The son of Wooda Nicholas Carr
Wooda Nicholas Carr
Wooda Nicholas Carr was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. His son was the mystery novelist John Dickson Carr....
, a U.S. congressman from Pennsylvania, Carr graduated from The Hill School
The Hill School
The Hill School is a preparatory boarding school for boys and girls located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia....
in Pottstown in 1925 and Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
in 1929. Carr lived for a number of years in England beginning around 1930, as his career as a mystery writer began, and he married an English woman. Many of his novels had English settings, his best-known detective characters were English, and he is sometimes loosely grouped among "British-style" mystery writers. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest writers of so-called "Golden Age" mysteries
Whodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
; complex, plot-driven stories in which the puzzle is paramount. He was influenced in this regard by the works of Gaston Leroux
Gaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera , which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, notably the 1925 film starring Lon...
and by the Father Brown
Father Brown
Father Brown is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor , a parish priest in Bradford who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922...
stories of G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
.
Carr was a master of the locked room mystery
Locked room mystery
The locked room mystery is a sub-genre of detective fiction in which a crime—almost always murder—is committed under apparently impossible circumstances. The crime in question typically involves a crime scene that no intruder could have entered or left, e.g., a locked room...
, in which a detective solves apparently impossible crimes. The Dr. Fell mystery The Hollow Man
The Hollow Man (1935 novel)
The Hollow Man is a famous locked room mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , published in 1935. It was published in the US under the title The Three Coffins, and in 1981 was selected as the best locked room mystery of all time by a panel of 17 mystery authors and reviewers.-Plot...
(1935), usually considered Carr's masterpiece, was selected in 1981 as the best locked-room mystery of all time by a panel of 17 mystery authors and reviewers.
In 1950, his biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle brought Carr the first of his two Special Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
s from the Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
; the second came in 1970, in recognition of his 40-year career as a mystery writer. He was also presented the MWA's Grand Master award in 1963.
In early spring 1963, while living in Mamaroneck, New York
Mamaroneck (town), New York
Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...
, Carr suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, which paralyzed his left side. He continued to write using one hand, and for several years contributed a regular column of mystery and detective book reviews, "The Jury Box", to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine is an American monthly digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction...
. Carr eventually moved to Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, and he died there of lung cancer in 1977.
Dr. Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale
Carr's two major detectives, Dr. Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale, are superficially quite similar. Both are large, blustery, upper-class, eccentric Englishmen somewhere between middle-aged and elderly. Dr. Fell, who is frankly fat and walks only with the aid of two canes, was clearly modelled on the British writer G. K. ChestertonG. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
and is at all times a model of civility and geniality. He has a great mop of untidy hair that is often covered by a "shovel hat" and he generally wears a cape. He lives in a modest cottage and has no official connection to any public authorities.
"H.M.", on the other hand, although stout and with a majestic "corporation", is physically active and is feared for his ill-temper and noisy rages. In a 1949 novel, A Graveyard to Let
A Graveyard to Let
A Graveyard To Let is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
, for example, he demonstrates an unexpected talent for hitting baseballs improbable distances. A well-heeled descendant of the "oldest baronetcy" in England, he is an Establishment figure (even though he frequently rails against it) and in the earlier novels is the head of the British Secret Service. In The Plague Court Murders
The Plague Court Murders
The Plague Court Murders is the first Sir Henry Merrivale mystery, by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who wrote it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery of the subtype known as an "impossible crime"....
he is said to be qualified as both a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and a medical doctor. Even in the earliest books the bald, bespectacled, and scowling H.M. is clearly a Churchillian
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
figure and in the later novels this similarity is somewhat more consciously evoked.
Many of the Fell novels feature two or more different impossible crimes, including He Who Whispers
He Who Whispers
He Who Whispers is a mystery novel by detective novelist John Dickson Carr. Like Many of the works by this author feature so-called impossible crimes...
(1946
1946 in literature
The year 1946 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 7 - Walker Percy marries Mary Bernice Townsend.*Launch in the United Kingdom of Penguin Classics under the editorship of E. V...
) and The Case of the Constant Suicides
The Case of the Constant Suicides
The Case of the Constant Suicides, first published in 1941, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr. Like much of Dickson Carr's work, this novel is a locked room mystery, in addition to being a whodunnit. Unlike most of the other Dr...
(1941
1941 in literature
The year 1941 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Frank Herbert marries Flora Parkinson.*F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished work, The Last Tycoon, is edited and published by Edmund Wilson.-New books:...
). The novel The Crooked Hinge
The Crooked Hinge
The Crooked Hinge is a mystery novel by detective novelist John Dickson Carr. It combines a seemingly impossible throat-slashing with elements of witchcraft, an automaton modelled on Maelzel's Chess Player, and the story of the Tichborne Claimant....
(1938
1938 in literature
The year 1938 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The trilogy, U.S.A. by John Dos Passos, is published containing his three novels The 42nd Parallel , 1919 , and The Big Money ....
) weaves a seemingly impossible throat-slashing, witchcraft, a survivor of the Titanic, an eerie automaton modelled on Johann Maelzel's chess player, and a case similar to that of the Tichborne claimant into what is often cited as one of the greatest classics of detective fiction. But even Carr's biographer, Douglas G. Greene, notes that the explanation, like many of Carr's in other books, seriously stretches plausibility and the reader's credulity.
Dr. Fell's own discourse on locked room mysteries in chapter 17 of The Hollow Man
The Hollow Man (1935 novel)
The Hollow Man is a famous locked room mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , published in 1935. It was published in the US under the title The Three Coffins, and in 1981 was selected as the best locked room mystery of all time by a panel of 17 mystery authors and reviewers.-Plot...
is critically acclaimed and is sometimes printed as a stand-alone essay in its own right.
Other works
Besides Dr. Fell, Carr mysteries feature three other series detectives: Sir Henry Merrivale (H.M.), Henri BencolinHenri Bencolin
Henri Bencolin is a fictional detective created by John Dickson Carr. He is Carr's first series detective, appearing in five "locked-room" and "impossible crime" mystery novels of the 1930s, and four short stories from an even earlier date...
, and Colonel March
Colonel March
Colonel March is a fictional detective created by John Dickson Carr. He appeared in a number of short stories written in the 30s and 40s about "locked-room" and "impossible crime" mysteries. He was an official attached to Scotland Yard in the so-called Department of Queer Complaints.He was played...
. Many of the Merrivale novels, written under the Carter Dickson byline, rank with Carr's best work, including the highly praised The Judas Window
The Judas Window
The Judas Window is a famous locked room mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , writing under the name of Carter Dickson, published in 1938 and featuring detective Sir Henry Merrivale....
(1938).
A few of his novels do not feature a series detective. The most famous of these, The Burning Court
The Burning Court
The Burning Court is a famous locked room mystery by John Dickson Carr. However, it contains neither Gideon Fell, or Henry Merrivale, Carr's two major detectives. It was published in the United States, and was highly controversial upon its first printing, due to its unorthodox ending...
(1937
1937 in literature
The year 1937 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 9 - The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States.*Thomas Quinn Curtiss meets Klaus Mann.-New books:*Eric Ambler - Uncommon Danger...
), involves witchcraft, poisoning, and a body that disappears from a sealed crypt in suburban Philadelphia; it was the basis for the French film La Chambre ardente (1962
1962 in film
The year 1962 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May - The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards are officially founded by the Taiwanese government....
).
Carr wrote in the short story format as well. "Most of Carr's stories are compressed versions of his locked-room novels, and at times they benefit from the compression. Probably the best of them are in the Carter Dickson book, The Department of Queer Complaints (1940), although this does not include the brilliantly clever H.M. story The House in Goblin Wood or a successful pastiche which introduces Edgar Allan Poe as a detective."
In 1950
1950 in literature
The year 1950 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Kazuo Shimada wins the "Mystery Writer Of Japan" award for his book Shakai-bu Kisha .*Jack Kerouac has his first novel published....
Carr wrote a novel called The Bride of Newgate
The Bride of Newgate
The Bride of Newgate, first published in 1950, is a historical whodunnit story by John Dickson Carr which does not feature any of Carr's series detectives. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit and also a historical novel set in 1815 in England...
, set in 1815 at the close of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, one of the earliest full-length historical whodunnit
Historical whodunnit
The historical whodunnit is a sub-genre of historical fiction which bears elements of the classical mystery novel, in which the central plot involves a crime and the setting has some historical significance. One of the big areas of debate within the community of fans is what makes a given setting...
s. The Devil in Velvet
The Devil in Velvet
The Devil in Velvet, first published in 1951, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr. This novel is both a mystery and a historical novel, with elements of the supernatural.-Plot summary:...
and Fire, Burn! are the two historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s with which he himself was most pleased. With Adrian Conan Doyle
Adrian Conan Doyle
Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle was the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his second wife Jean, Lady Conan Doyle. He had two siblings, a sister, Jean, and a brother, Denis....
, the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, Carr wrote Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories that were published in the 1954 collection The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes
The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes
The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes is a short story collection written by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr, first published in 1954.The stories contained in the collection are:*"The Adventure of the Seven Clocks"*"The Adventure of the Gold Hunter"...
. He was also honored by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by being asked to write the biography for the legendary author. The book, The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, appeared in 1949 and received generally favorable reviews for its vigor and entertaining style.
Critical appraisal
For many years now Dr. Fell has generally been considered to be Carr's major creation. The British novelist Kingsley AmisKingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
, for instance, writes in his essay "My Favorite Sleuths" that Dr. Fell is one of the three great successors to Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
(the other two are Father Brown
Father Brown
Father Brown is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor , a parish priest in Bradford who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922...
and Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective, created in 1934 by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases of the detective genius. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City. Wolfe's...
) and that H.M., "according to me is an old bore." This may be in part because in the Merrivale novels written after World War II H.M. frequently became a comic caricature of himself, especially in the physical misadventures in which he found himself at least once in every novel. Humorous as these episodes were intended to be, they also tended to have the unwanted effect of diminishing his overall persona. Earlier, however, H.M. had been regarded more favorably by a number of critics. Howard Haycraft, author of the seminal Murder for Pleasure: The Life and Times of the Detective Story, wrote in 1941 that H.M. or "The Old Man" was "the present writer's admitted favorite among contemporary fictional sleuths". In 1938 the British mystery writer R. Philmore wrote in an article called "Inquest on Detective Stories" that Sir Henry was "the most amusing of detectives". And further: "Of course, H.M. is so much the best detective that, once having invented him, his creator could get away with any plot."
There is a book-length critical study by S. T. Joshi
S. T. Joshi
Sunand Tryambak Joshi — known as S. T. Joshi — is an award-winning Indian American literary critic, novelist, and a leading figure in the study of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and other authors of weird and fantastic fiction...
, John Dickson Carr: A Critical Study (1990) (ISBN 0-87972-477-3).
The definitive biography of Carr is by Douglas G Greene, John Dickson Carr: The Man Who Explained Miracles (1995) (ISBN 1-883402-47-6). From an obituary published in Greenville, South Carolina, Carr would appear to have written under the name of Fenton Carter but no works by anyone of this name have yet been identified.
Radio Plays
Carr also wrote many radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
scripts, particularly for the Suspense (radio program)
Suspense (radio program)
-Production background:One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, was subtitled "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era...
series in America and for its UK equivalent Appointment With Fear introduced by Valentine Dyall
Valentine Dyall
Valentine Dyall was an English character actor, the son of veteran actor Franklin Dyall. Dyall was especially popular as a voice actor, due to his very distinctive sepulchral voice, he was known for many years as "The Man in Black", narrator of the BBC Radio horror series Appointment With Fear.In...
, as well as many other dramas for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, and some screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s. His 1943 half-hour radio play Cabin B-13 was expanded into a series on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1948-49 for which Carr wrote all 25 scripts, basing some on earlier works or re-presenting devices that Chesterton had used. The 1943 play Cabin B-13 was also expanded into the script for the 1953 film Dangerous Crossing, directed by Joseph M. Newman
Joseph M. Newman
Joseph M. Newman was an American film director most famous for his 1955 film This Island Earth. His credits include episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour....
and starring Michael Rennie
Michael Rennie
Michael Rennie was an English film, television, and stage actor, perhaps best known for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the 1951 classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, he appeared in over 50 other films since 1936, many with Jean Simmons and other...
and Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain was an American actress.-Early life:Crain was born in Barstow, California, to George A. Crain, a school teacher, and Loretta Carr; she was of Irish heritage on her mother's side, and of English and distant French descent on her father's...
. Carr worked extensively for BBC Radio
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, writing both mystery stories and propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
scripts.
Film and television
Carr's works were the basis for a number of films, including 1951's The Man with a Cloak, and Dangerous Crossing in 1953. The Emperor's Snuffbox was filmed as That Woman Opposite in 1957; La chambre ardente, from 1962, was a loose adaptation of The Burning CourtThe Burning Court
The Burning Court is a famous locked room mystery by John Dickson Carr. However, it contains neither Gideon Fell, or Henry Merrivale, Carr's two major detectives. It was published in the United States, and was highly controversial upon its first printing, due to its unorthodox ending...
.
Various Carr stories formed the basis for episodes of television series, particularly those without recurring characters such as General Motors Presents. In 1956, the television series Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Colonel March of Scotland Yard is a 1950s British television series based on author John Dickson Carr's fictional detective Colonel March from his book The Department of Queer Complaints . Carr was a mystery author who specialised in locked-room whodunnits and other 'impossible' crimes: murder...
, starring Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
as Colonel March and based on Carr's character and his stories, ran for 26 episodes.
Novels as John Dickson Carr
- It Walks By NightIt Walks By NightIt Walks by Night, first published in 1930, is the first detective novel by John Dickson Carr which features for the first time Carr's series detective Henri Bencolin. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a Whodunit....
(detective Henri Bencolin) - 1930 - Castle SkullCastle SkullCastle Skull, first published in 1931, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which features Carr's series detective Henri Bencolin. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(Bencolin) - 1931 - The Lost Gallows (Bencolin) - 1931
- Poison In JestPoison in JestPoison In Jest, first published in 1932, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which does not feature any of Carr's series detectives. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
- 1932 - The Waxworks MurderThe Waxworks MurderThe Waxworks Murder, first published in 1932, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Henri Bencolin of the Parisian police. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(Bencolin) - 1932 (US title: The Corpse In The Waxworks) - Hag's NookHag's NookHag's Nook, first published in 1933, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr and the first to feature his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(detective Dr. Gideon Fell) - 1933 - The Mad Hatter MysteryThe Mad Hatter MysteryThe Mad Hatter Mystery, first published in 1933, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(Fell) - 1933 - The Blind BarberThe Blind BarberThe Blind Barber, first published in 1934, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(Fell) - 1934 - The Eight of SwordsThe Eight of SwordsThe Eight of Swords, first published in 1934, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:Mr...
(Fell) - 1934 - Death-Watch (Fell) - 1935
- The Hollow ManThe Hollow Man (1935 novel)The Hollow Man is a famous locked room mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , published in 1935. It was published in the US under the title The Three Coffins, and in 1981 was selected as the best locked room mystery of all time by a panel of 17 mystery authors and reviewers.-Plot...
(Fell) - 1935 (US title: The Three Coffins) - The Arabian Nights MurderThe Arabian Nights MurderThe Arabian Nights Murder, first published in 1936, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(Fell) - 1936 - The Burning CourtThe Burning CourtThe Burning Court is a famous locked room mystery by John Dickson Carr. However, it contains neither Gideon Fell, or Henry Merrivale, Carr's two major detectives. It was published in the United States, and was highly controversial upon its first printing, due to its unorthodox ending...
- 1937 - The Four False WeaponsThe Four False WeaponsThe Four False Weapons, first published in 1937, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Henri Bencolin. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
, Being the Return of Bencolin (Bencolin) - 1938 - To Wake the DeadTo Wake the DeadTo Wake the Dead, first published in 1938, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:...
(Fell) - 1938 - The Crooked HingeThe Crooked HingeThe Crooked Hinge is a mystery novel by detective novelist John Dickson Carr. It combines a seemingly impossible throat-slashing with elements of witchcraft, an automaton modelled on Maelzel's Chess Player, and the story of the Tichborne Claimant....
(Fell) - 1938 - The Black SpectaclesThe Black SpectaclesThe Black Spectacles , first published in 1939, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell...
(Fell) - 1939 (US title: The Problem Of The Green Capsule) - The Problem of the Wire CageThe Problem of the Wire CageThe Problem of the Wire Cage, first published in 1939, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell...
(Fell) - 1939 - The Man Who Could Not ShudderThe Man Who Could Not ShudderThe Man Who Could Not Shudder, first published in 1940, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell...
(Fell) - 1940 - The Case of the Constant SuicidesThe Case of the Constant SuicidesThe Case of the Constant Suicides, first published in 1941, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr. Like much of Dickson Carr's work, this novel is a locked room mystery, in addition to being a whodunnit. Unlike most of the other Dr...
(Fell) - 1941 - Death Turns the TablesDeath Turns the TablesDeath Turns the Tables, first published in 1941 , is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which features Carr's series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit.-Plot summary:Mr...
(Fell) - 1941 (UK title: The Seat of the Scornful, 1942) - The Emperor's Snuff-BoxThe Emperor's Snuff-BoxThe Emperor's Snuff-Box is a non-series mystery novel by mystery novelist John Dickson Carr. The detective is psychologist Dr. Dermot Kinross....
- 1942 - Till Death Do Us PartTill Death Do Us Part (1944 mystery novel)Till Death Do Us Part, first published in 1944, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a locked room mystery.-Plot summary:...
(Fell) - 1944 - He Who WhispersHe Who WhispersHe Who Whispers is a mystery novel by detective novelist John Dickson Carr. Like Many of the works by this author feature so-called impossible crimes...
(Fell) - 1946 - The Sleeping SphinxThe Sleeping SphinxThe Sleeping Sphinx, first published in 1947, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which features Carr's series detective Gideon Fell...
(Fell) - 1947 - Below Suspicion (Fell) - 1949 (also features Patrick Butler)
- The Bride of NewgateThe Bride of NewgateThe Bride of Newgate, first published in 1950, is a historical whodunnit story by John Dickson Carr which does not feature any of Carr's series detectives. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit and also a historical novel set in 1815 in England...
- 1950, historical mystery - The Devil in VelvetThe Devil in VelvetThe Devil in Velvet, first published in 1951, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr. This novel is both a mystery and a historical novel, with elements of the supernatural.-Plot summary:...
- 1951, historical mystery - The Nine Wrong AnswersThe Nine Wrong AnswersThe Nine Wrong Answers, first published in 1952, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which does not feature any of Carr's series detectives. This novel is a whodunnit mystery, with an emphasis on the puzzle aspect...
- 1952 - Captain Cut-Throat - 1955, historical mystery
- Patrick Butler for the Defence (detective Patrick Butler) - 1956
- Fire, Burn! - 1957, historical mystery
- The Dead Man's KnockThe Dead Man's KnockThe Dead Man's Knock, first published in 1958, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which features Carr's series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a locked room mystery.-Plot summary:...
(Fell) - 1958 - Scandal at High ChimneysScandal At High ChimneysScandal at High Chimneys: A Victorian Melodrama is a historical mystery novel by John Dickson Carr. It was published in the USA and Canada by Harper & Row in August 1959....
: A Victorian Melodrama - 1959, historical mystery - In Spite of ThunderIn Spite of ThunderIn Spite of Thunder, first published in 1960, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr which features Carr's series detective Gideon Fell...
(Fell) - 1960 - The Witch of the Low TideThe Witch of the Low TideThe Witch of the Low Tide, first published in 1961, is a detective story/historical novel by John Dickson Carr set in the England of 1907. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a locked room mystery as well as being a historical novel.-Plot summary:David Garth, M.D., has fallen in love...
: An Edwardian Melodrama - 1961, historical mystery - The DemoniacsThe DemoniacsThe Demoniacs, first published in 1962, is a detective story/historical novel by John Dickson Carr set in the London of 1757. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a whodunnit as well as being a historical novel.-Plot summary:...
- 1962, historical mystery - Most Secret - 1964 (This was a revision of a novel by Carr that was published in 1934 as Devil Kinsmere under the pseudonym "Roger Fairbairn")
- The House at Satan's ElbowThe House at Satan's ElbowThe House at Satan's Elbow, first published in 1965, is a detective story by John Dickson Carr featuring his series detective Gideon Fell. This novel is a mystery of the type known as a locked room mystery...
(Fell) - 1965 - Panic in Box C (Fell) - 1966
- Dark of the Moon (Fell) - 1968
- Papa La-Bas - 1968, historical mystery
- The Ghosts' High Noon - 1970, historical mystery
- Deadly Hall - 1971, historical mystery
- The Hungry Goblin: A Victorian Detective Novel - 1972 (Wilkie CollinsWilkie CollinsWilliam Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He was very popular during the Victorian era and wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and over 100 non-fiction pieces...
is the detective)
Novels as Carter Dickson
- The Bowstring MurdersThe Bowstring MurdersThe Bowstring Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who wrote it under the name of Carr Dickson. It is a whodunit and the only one of his many works to be published under this name; subsequent reprints have been under his main pseudonym of "Carter Dickson"...
- 1934 (Originally published as by Carr Dickson, but Carr's publishers complained that the name was too similar to Carr's real name, so Carter Dickson was substituted.) - The Plague Court MurdersThe Plague Court MurdersThe Plague Court Murders is the first Sir Henry Merrivale mystery, by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who wrote it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery of the subtype known as an "impossible crime"....
(detective: Sir Henry Merrivale) - 1934 - The White Priory MurdersThe White Priory MurdersThe White Priory Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a locked room mystery and features his series detective, Sir Henry Merrivale, assisted by Scotland Yard Inspector Humphrey Masters.-Plot summary:Marcia...
(Merrivale) - 1934 - The Red Widow MurdersThe Red Widow MurdersThe Red Widow Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1935 - The Unicorn MurdersThe Unicorn MurdersThe Unicorn Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1935 - The Punch and Judy MurdersThe Punch and Judy MurdersThe Punch and Judy Murders is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) -1936 (US title: The Magic Lantern Murders) - The Ten TeacupsThe Ten TeacupsThe Ten Teacups , is a locked room mystery by American mystery writer John Dickson Carr, writing as Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1937 (US title: The Peacock Feather Murders) - The Judas WindowThe Judas WindowThe Judas Window is a famous locked room mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , writing under the name of Carter Dickson, published in 1938 and featuring detective Sir Henry Merrivale....
(Merrivale) - 1938 (US title: The Crossbow Murder) - Death in Five BoxesDeath in Five BoxesDeath in Five Boxes is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.-Plot summary:Dr...
(Merrivale) - 1938 - Drop to His DeathDrop to His DeathDrop To His Death is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson, in collaboration with John Rhode...
(in collaboration with John Rhode) - 1939 (US title: Fatal Descent) - The Reader is WarnedThe Reader is WarnedThe Reader is Warned is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1939 - And So To MurderAnd So to MurderAnd So to Murder is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1940 - Murder in The Submarine ZoneMurder in the Submarine ZoneMurder in the Submarine Zone is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.-Plot summary:Nine oddly-assorted passengers aboard the S.S...
(Merrivale) - 1940 (US title: Nine - And Death Makes Ten, also published as Murder in the Atlantic) - Seeing is BelievingSeeing is Believing (novel)Seeing is Believing is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1941 (also published as Cross of Murder) - The Gilded ManThe Gilded ManThe Gilded Man is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1942 (also published as Death and The Gilded Man) - She Died A LadyShe Died a LadyShe Died a Lady is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale.-Plot summary:Elderly Dr...
(Merrivale) - 1943 - He Wouldn't Kill PatienceHe Wouldn't Kill PatienceHe Wouldn't Kill Patience is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1944 - The Curse of the Bronze LampThe Curse of the Bronze LampThe Curse of the Bronze Lamp is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1945 (UK title: Lord of the Sorcerers, 1946) - My Late WivesMy Late WivesMy Late Wives is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his long-time associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.-Plot summary:Roger...
(Merrivale) - 1946 - The Skeleton in the ClockThe Skeleton in the ClockThe Skeleton in the Clock is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson. It is a whodunnit and features the series detective Sir Henry Merrivale and his long-time associate, Scotland Yard's Chief Inspector Humphrey Masters.-Plot...
(Merrivale) - 1948 - A Graveyard To LetA Graveyard to LetA Graveyard To Let is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1949 - Night at the Mocking WidowNight at the Mocking WidowNight at the Mocking Widow is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1950
- Behind the Crimson BlindBehind the Crimson BlindBehind the Crimson Blind is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1952 - The Cavalier's CupThe Cavalier's CupThe Cavalier's Cup is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr , who published it under the name of Carter Dickson...
(Merrivale) - 1953 - Fear Is the Same - 1956, historical mystery
Short story collections
- The Department of Queer Complaints (as Carter Dickson) (detective: Colonel March) - 1940 (The 1940 volume contains 7 stories about Colonel March and 4 non-series stories. The 7 March stories were reprinted as Scotland Yard: Department of Queer Complaints, Dell mapbackMapbackMapback is a term used by paperback collectors to refer to the earliest paperback books published by Dell Books, beginning in 1943. The books are known as mapbacks because the back cover of the book contains a map that illustrates the location of the action. Dell books were numbered in series...
edition, 1944.) - Dr. Fell, Detective, and Other StoriesDr. Fell, Detective, and Other StoriesDr. Fell, Detective, and Other Stories, is a mystery short story collection written by John Dickson Carr and first published in the US by Lawrence E. Spivak in 1947.Most of the stories feature his series detective Gideon Fell....
- 1947 (Fell) - The Third Bullet and Other Stories of Detection - 1954
- The Exploits of Sherlock HolmesThe Exploits of Sherlock HolmesThe Exploits of Sherlock Holmes is a short story collection written by Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr, first published in 1954.The stories contained in the collection are:*"The Adventure of the Seven Clocks"*"The Adventure of the Gold Hunter"...
, with Adrian Conan DoyleAdrian Conan DoyleAdrian Malcolm Conan Doyle was the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his second wife Jean, Lady Conan Doyle. He had two siblings, a sister, Jean, and a brother, Denis....
- 1954 (Sherlock Holmes) - The Men Who Explained MiraclesThe Men Who Explained MiraclesNot to be confused with The Man Who Explained Miracles, a non-fiction book about CarrThe Men Who Explained Miracles, first published in 1963, is a volume of short stories written by John Dickson Carr; the stories feature his series detectives Gideon Fell, Henry Merrivale and Colonel March, of the...
- 1963 (Fell, Merrivale, and others) - The Door to Doom and Other Detections - 1980 (includes radio plays)
- The Dead Sleep Lightly - 1983 (radio plays)
- Fell and Foul Play - 1991 (includes the full version of The Third Bullet)
- Merrivale, March and Murder - 1991 (includes all the stories from The Department of Queer Complaints + one, that is: all Colonel March stories)
Plays
- Speak of the Devil - Crippen & Landru, 1994 (a radio play in 8 parts). First publication of Carr's radio script. Written in 1941. (Crippen & Landru)
- 13 to the Gallows - Crippen & Landru, 2008. A collection of 4 stage plays, written during the early 1940s—2 by Carr alone, and 2 in collaboration with the BBC's Val Gielgud (Crippen & Landru)
- The Old Time Radio Series "SuspenseSuspense (radio program)-Production background:One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, was subtitled "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era...
" contains 22 plays by Carr, many of them not available in printed form. The radio plays can be downloaded from this site in MP3 format: http://www.archive.org/index.php] - BBC has issued a set of two 90 minute cassettes containing radio versions of The Hollow Man and Till Death us Do Part.
Non-fiction
- The Murder of Sir Edmund GodfreyEdmund Berry GodfreySir Edmund Berry Godfrey was an English magistrate whose mysterious death caused anti-Catholic uproar in England...
- 1936, historical analysis of a noted murder of 1678 - The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - 1949, the authorized biography
External links
- Illustrated Bibliography of 1st Editions
- The John Dickson Carr Society on the internet
- The John Dickson Carr Collector pictures of first edition covers
- John Dickson Carr: Explaining the Inexplicable by Douglas G. Greene on MysteryNet.com
- Page about Carr from the Books and Writers site.
- John Dickson Carr - Master of the Locked Room Mystery by Alexander G. Rubio at Bits of News.com, 30 November 2006.
- John Dickson Carr One Hundred Years On 'Of the Moment' article by Nicholas Fuller on http://www.mystericale.com/ Spring 2007.
- The Ministry of Miracles: The Detective Fiction of John Dickson Carr a site made by Nicholas Lester Fuller which includes book reviews.