Casey, Crime Photographer

Casey, Crime Photographer (aka Crime photographer; Flashgun Casey; Casey, Press Photographer; Stephen Bristol, Crime Photographer) was a media franchise, in the 1930s until the 1960s. Created by George Harmon Coxe, the photographer Casey was featured in radio, film, theater, novels, magazines and comic books.^[3] Launched in a 1934 issue of the pulp magazine Black Mask, the character Jack "Flashgun" Casey, was a crime photographer for the newspaper The Morning Express. With the help of reporter Ann Williams (portrayed on radio and TV by Jan Miner), he solved crimes and recounted his stories to friends at The Blue Note, their favorite tavern.^[4]

George Harmon Coxe

Casey's creator, George Harmon Coxe, was the 1964 recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's prestigious Grand Master Award representing the pinnacle of achievement in the mystery field. This award represents significant output of quality in mystery writing.

Black Mask

"Flashgun" Casey began in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, in the story Return Engagement. This story was later used in the film "Here's Flash Casey". Twenty more stories appeared in the magazine over the next decades, and collections of these stories were published in anthology form as well. Two of the subsequent novels were serialized in the magazine, in addition to the 21 short stories.^[5]

In 1941, three parts of the early novels; Silent are the Dead were published in Black Mask in September, October and November as Killers Are Camera Shy; and in 1943, Murder for Two was serialized in January, February and March as Blood on the Lens.

Novels

Coxe wrote five novels featuring Casey.

• Deadly Image (1964)^[6]
• Error of Judgement (1961)^[7]
• The Man Who Died Too Soon (1962)^[8]
• Murder For Two (1943)^[9]

serialized in Black Mask over three issues.

• Silent Are the Dead (1942)^[10]

serialized in Black Mask over three issues.

Paul Ayres (Pseudonym of Edward S. Aaron) wrote a novel starring Casey, based on the works of Coxe

• Dead Heat (1950)^[11]

Films

Here's Flash Casey

• Women Are Trouble (1936)
• Here's Flash Casey (1938)

Radio

Begun as stories in Black Mask, the stories were brought to radio under multiple names. The series aired on CBS for its entirety. 07/07/43 - 11/16/50 and 01/13/54 - 04/22/55.

Selected cast

• Matt Crowley, Casey
• Staats Cotsworth, Casey
• Jan Miner, Ann Williams
• John Gibson,

Titles of show

• Flashgun Casey
• Casey, Press Photographer
• Crime Photographer

The radio show was sustained by the network, sponsored by Anchor Hocking, Toni home permanents, Toni Shampoo and Philip Morris. The Blue Note was a jazz club; the Archie Bleyer Orchestra and first Herman Chittison and later the The Teddy Wilson Trio were featured, usually in the introduction and wrapup of the show.

Comic books

A four-part Marvel Comics tie-in to the radio show began August 1949.^[12]

Television

1951 photo from the television series

In 1951 the popular series moved to television

• First Telecast: April 19, 1951
• Last Telecast: June 5, 1952

Cast

• Casey (June 1951-April 1952): Darren McGavin
• Ann Williams: Jan Miner (reprising her role on radio)

On Darrin McGavin's website, he is quoted as saying "The cast of Crime Photographer didn’t go down fighting. "They took off for the hills. It was so bad that it was never re-run, and that’s saying something when you recall the caliber of television programs in those days."^[13]

References