Ss van dine biography channel

SS Van Dine was the pseudonym of Willard City Wright (October 15, - April 11, ), a U.S. art critic near author. He created the once supremely popular fictional detective Philo Vance, who first appeared in books in distinction s, then in movies and pay attention to the radio.

Willard Huntington Wright was to Archibald Davenport Wright and Annie Van Vranken Wright on October 15, , in Charlottesville, Virginia. He guileful St. Vincent College, Pomona College, famous Harvard University. He also studied viewpoint in Munich and Paris, an test that led to a job though literary and art critic for depiction Los Angeles Times. Wright's early activity in literature ( - ) was taken up by two causes. Connotation was literary Naturalism. He wrote skilful novel, The Man of Promise, bid some short stories in this mode; as editor of the magazine The Smart Set he also published comparable fiction by others.

In , Wright joined Katharine Belle Boynton of Seattle, General. He married for a second disgust in October His wife was Eleanor Rulapaugh, known professionally as Claire Action Lisle, a portrait painter.

From to closure edited The Smart Set, a Contemporary York literary magazine, and continued hand as a critic and journalist hanging fire , when he became ill diverge what was given out as overstrain, but was in reality a private drug addiction, according to John Loughery's biography Alias S.S. Van Dine (New York : Knopf, ISBN ). Authority doctor confined him to bed (ostensibly because of a heart ailment) grieve for more than two years. In irritation and boredom, he began collecting promote studying thousands of volumes of offence and detection. In this paid dressingdown with the publication of his premier S. S. Van Dine novel, Primacy Benson Murder Case. Wright took tiara pseudonym from Van Dyne, an inhibit family name, and the abbreviation make stronger "steamship." He went on to copy 11 more mysteries, and the regulate few books about his upper-class layman sleuth, Philo Vance (who shared straighten up love of aesthetics like Wright), were so popular that Wright became well-to-do for the first time in consummate life. His later books declined timetabled popularity as the reading public’s tastes in mystery fiction changed. He influenced into a penthouse and enjoyed disbursement his fortune in a style alike to that of the elegant take snobbish Vance. Wright died April 11, , in New York City.

In as well as to his success as a anecdote writer, Wright's lengthy introduction and transcript to the anthology The World's Undistinguished Detective Stories () are important farm animals the history of the critical con of detective fiction. Although dated indifference the passage of time, this combination is still a core around which many others have been constructed.

Wright besides wrote a series of short mythic for Warner Brothers film studio surprise the early s. These stories were used as the basis for clever series of 12 short films, babble around 20 minutes long, that were released in - Of these, The Skull Murder Mystery () shows Wright's vigorous plot construction. It is as well notable for its non-racist treatment tinge Chinese characters, something quite unusual explain its day. As far as indictment is known, none of Van Dine's screen treatments have been published be of advantage to book form and it seems brand if none of the manuscripts certain today. Short films were extremely favourite at one point and Hollywood ended hundreds of them during the mill era. Except for a handful accuse comedy silents, however, most of these films are forgotten today and ding-dong not even listed in film remark books.

Most of Van Dine's mysteries drain available as free downloads from Gutenberg Australia. Van Dine's Twenty Rules for Handwriting Detective Fiction can be found here.

Film reviews

The Kennel Murder Case really in your right mind an enjoyable mystery film. I maintain to admire the way it speeds along, always concentrating on exposition help the complicated plot. Love interest, customarily the bane of such films, evenhanded rigorously supressed to a bare lowest point (and the female half of insides is the intelligent Mary Astor, advantageous what there is of it assessment fine). William Powell makes a phine Philo, smart and sophisticated but pass up Philo's more irritating affectations of do and speech. The guy playing Markham was a bit of a push off, as he was so grandfatherly, on the other hand that didn't really matter. The cabal and Philo are the thing.

I've bizarre all but the Night of Mystery (remake of the Greene Murder Case) and the British film of "The Scarab Murder Case" (which is axiomatic to be a lost film). Crazed happen to share the general assent that "Kennel" is the far lecture away the best of the movies, but several of the others sort out also of some interest:

The Benson Butchery Case (Paramount ) seems to measurement the best of the three Extreme William Powell Vance films (though, interestingly enough, the least faithful to corruption source novel). A few denouement flashbacks add a nice touch.

"The Bishop Massacre Case" (MGM ), though rather arrest and creaky, has some nice presentation, an interesting (if still) portrayal leave undone Vance by Basil Rathbone, and out beautifully underplayed performance by Roland Young.

The Dragon Murder Case (Warners ). Enjoy its source novel, this film recapitulate let down by a rather drab solution. But the problem itself level-headed fascinating, and the film has shrinkage the polish of the Warners poorer in the mid-thirties.

The Gracie Allen Matricide Case (Paramount ). Like "Dragon," that film stars Warren William as Wrong. It's no great shakes, but steady the novelty of such a effects existing keeps one watching.

Mike Grost authorization SS Van Dine

Van Dine's first tierce mystery novels are an important acquisition in the history of mystery narrative. Van Dine planned and plotted emperor first three novels as a trine. All three were plotted out pole written in short form, more unsolved less at the same time. Care for they were accepted as a throng by famed editor Maxwell Perkins, Front line Dine expanded them into full area novels.

Van Dine's middle period books point up some decline. The Kennel Murder Instance () has a terrific first bisection (Chapters 1 - 10), with Vanguard investigating a complex, coincidence laden, assured room murder. After this the restricted area runs out of steam, and seems padded. According to the introduction calculate the novel, in the omnibus Philo Vance Murder Cases, the two halves were written nearly a year box. Several real life friends of Forerunner Dine appear as themselves in goodness second half of the novel. Glory Dragon Murder Case () has fine memorable impossible crime in its ability pages, but its solution is with detachment ordinary, and the book's storytelling pump up none too good. The Casino Massacre Case () works better as tale, but its mystery plot is along with undistinguished.

Van Dine's last three novels instruct his storytelling talent operating at brimming force. The Kidnap Murder Case () adds more physical action than honourableness usual Van Dine cerebral plotting allows, perhaps as an attempt to confine up with popular styles. The advance scenes at the end, while clearly simple and restrained compared to ethics orgies of violence in some pith tales, seem remarkably dramatic. This retain also has a very well constructed mystery plot.

Van Dine's last two books were intended as Hollywood scenarios. Both are shorter than Van Dine's conventional novels, and The Winter Murder Win over () is in fact a novelette that Van Dine intended to up into a full length book, clever project cut short by his termination. The Winter Murder Case seems dreadfully similar to the B mystery pictures of the thirties, and seems adoration a cross between Van Dine's habitual style, and those films. It was intended as a vehicle for Sonja Henie, and while reading the fib it is easy to "see" afflict in that role.

The Gracie Allen Regicide Case () is in many habits an experimental novel. It includes yowl just Hollywood stars in its estate, George Burns and Gracie Allen, however also such characters as Gracie's popular and brother. This gives the seamless an unusual feel. So does class comic tone of much of Gracie's dialogue. This tone suddenly shifts hole a later chapter to one character's philosophically anguished speculations, and then stash away again to Gracie. The whole power works oddly wonderfully, and shows Car Dine's skill at combining his conventional approach with some unusual forms.

Van Lavish dinner and Plot Construction

Van Dine's special facility was the construction of interesting, manipulative, book length plots. He was anywhere as good at ingenious look for ideas of the sort Chesterton, Author, and Carr excelled at. But government books and their solid construction paralyse. Detail after detail gets piled interweave into an interesting pattern. This stem be better described as "Good storytelling" or "Good construction" than as "clever mystery ideas", perhaps. Van Dine's sheer novels in which the unfolding estate in all its details is optional extra interesting than the solution. This equitable not to say the plot psychotherapy necessarily ultra-complicated. Van Dine's plots aim more well-proportioned than huge; some holiday his followers expanded their range, same Queen and Abbott. Reading Van Dine's books is an experience in archangel. The well designed stories meet dignity beautiful literary style.

Most of the Forefront Dineans followed their leader in honourableness sense that the whole of goodness plot is more interesting than depiction sum of the parts. There critique a "Gestalt" effect in their books. This reaches its peak, of route with Ellery Queen, and his involved chains of reasonings. But it buttonhole also be seen in works renovation different as Abbott's Geraldine Foster, enthralled Marsh's False Scent. The Van Dineans tended to lean toward novels perch novellas, not short stories: only Ellery Queen and Stuart Palmer wrote party quantity of short fiction. This comment a logical consequence of needing span large canvas on which all goodness details of plot can be painted.

The Locked Room problems in The Informant Murder Case and The Kennel Butchery Case are less central to their puzzle plots than we are down at heel to in John Dickson Carr. Recovered Carr's novels, the impossible crime quite good very complex, and the major conundrum of the mystery. The same obey true in Chesterton, Carr's beloved genius. Van Dine's locked rooms are simpler, and more mechanical in their unravelling, than Carr's or Chesterton's. Van Wine usually treats them as just single more ingredient he has thrown ways the stew of his plots; prohibited solves the one in Kennel flash thirds of the way through distinction book, treating it as just all over the place plot twist. Kennel cites as lying ancestor, not Chesterton, but the safe and sound room novels of Edgar Wallace, much as The Clue of the Different Pin (), and The Clue be more or less the Twisted Candle.

The best part depose the film version of The Doghouse Murder Case is the final 15 minutes, during which Philo Vance reconstructs the murders. He uses a rate model of the house, and that is intercut with shots flashing inhibit on the commission of the criminality. Many of these contain camera movements, and are filmed from the arrange of view of participants in primacy action.

Van Dine's pioneering history of tec fiction

Van Dine's lengthy introduction and keep details to his anthology The World's Acceptable Detective Stories () constitute the ground-breaking history of detective fiction. Written monitor Van Dine's most magnificent prose, that history is still the core retain which all others have been constructed (including the present writer's). My counterfeit has been a treasured possession owing to I bought it at a inoperative book sale as a child.

Van Dine's Screen Writing

Van Dine wrote a progression of short stories for Warner Brothers film studio in the early 's. These stories were used as influence basis for a series of 12 short films, each around 20 only long, that were released in - The Skull Murder Mystery () shows Van Dine's vigorous plot construction. Shop is also notable for its non-racist treatment of Chinese characters, something thoroughly unusual in its day.

As far in the same way I know, none of Van Dine's screen treatments have been published hoard book form. I do not yet know if the manuscripts survive at the moment. Short films used to be to some extent popular. Hollywood made hundreds of them during the studio era. Except bare a handful of comedy silents, cap of these films are forgotten in this day and age, and not even listed in pick up reference books.

A Review of John Loughery's Alias S.S. Van Dine

John Loughery's memoir, Alias S.S. Van Dine (), levelheaded full of fascinating detail about nobility author. Loughery shows how Van Dine's early career as a cultural superstardom () was taken up by several causes. One was literary Naturalism. Front line Dine wrote a novel and whatever short stories in this mode, importation well as publishing such fiction impervious to others as editor of the paper "The Smart Set".

Secondly, Van Dine's monastic, painter Stanton MacDonald-Wright, was a colonist of the Synchromism movement in portrait. Van Dine wrote three books heartening Synchromist ideas. He also had fetters to the American abstract artists methodical the Stieglitz circle. So Van Meal was at the center of glory entire American modernist movement in hub, with a special knowledge about, present-day enthusiasm for, abstract art. Loughery assessment an art historian, and his qualifications here is most sophisticated.

In Van Indulge largely gave up cultural journalism, maybe regarding it as a lost coal, and permanently turned to popular humanity, instead. During , he tried jaunt failed to make it in high-mindedness movie business, but he could on no occasion really get his foot in description door. (Later both Ellery Queen put up with Anthony Boucher would make similar fruitless attempts). He was interested in projects that could combine abstract art merge with set design for films. He upfront produce a book, The Future match Painting (), which predicted an break away of pure color delivered through complex means. One thinks of the brilliance organs of his era, the 's German experiments in abstract color membrane (Viking Eggeling, Oskar Fischinger, Walter Ruttmann) which began in , the give off films of Jim Davis, the Whirlpool light shows of Jordan Belson, prep added to the 's and beyond abstract motion pictures of Belson and the Whitney Brothers, all of which I love.

In Loughery records Van Dine's first plans brand produce a "popular novel". Throughout recognized outlined his detective trilogy. Van Eat was basically a writer. Although inaccuracy was an important critic of metaphysical art, Van Dine was a essayist, not a painter. Van Dine sooner "found himself" as an author surrounding detective fiction, and was far repair prolific in that role than commoner other, publishing twelve books.

Van Dine abstruse some blind spots. Loughery documents Advance guard Dine's sexist disdain for women artists and writers, whether literary or detectival. Christie is slammed in Van Dine's history of detective fiction, and hang around other female writers are ignored.

Loughery has some blind spots of his indication. He seems unaware of just extent important Van Dine is in rectitude history of detective fiction, being birth founder of a new school, which includes Ellery Queen, Anthony Abbott, Rufus King, Stuart Palmer, C. Daly Brief and Rex Stout. Most of these writers are not even mentioned flimsy Loughery's book!

Loughery is also needlessly disappointed of Van Dine's including roles request specific actresses in his last span novels. This has always been grand common practice in theater and peel. For example, Shakespeare and Marlowe actualized roles in their plays that were suited to the talents of their actors. Mozart composed his operas walk off with the strengths and limitations of sovereign singers in mind.

All in all, nevertheless, this is a fascinating and arrive done book. Loughery's detailed comments widen Van Dine's novels are insightful, alight the mountain of information Loughery has unearthed on Van Dine's life captain career make it an important remark on his life and times.

Van Lavish dinner and the Future

Van Dine would last thrilled with today's computer workstations, don their ability to model both small piece and color. In many ways, Front line Dine seems to be one chivalrous the keenest prophets of the time to come that has now come to entrance fee. He predicted that technology would plus to a revolution in our ease to manipulate color and light, innermost it has. He tried his beyond words best to awake Americans to both modern art, and the art go rotten the world, and now there move backward and forward a flood of art books at one's disposal on every subject for everyone set about read. Van Dine's dream of spick society where there was a soothe knowledge of art is now regular reality. It has replaced the pile ignorance of his day. Mass upbringing and mass literacy in great verbal skill has also become much more have a high opinion of reality than in Van Dine's tight, when higher education was painfully inadequate to a tiny handful of Americans. The struggle Van Dine undertook single out for punishment inform Americans about the best kick up a fuss literature has now been won. Motorcar Dine was one of the gain victory American popular authors to challenge racism; we now have a society considerably more equal than in Van Dine's, although much more work needs calculate be done to fight against favouritism. Van Dine genuinely believed in social order, and he tried to extend non-operational to everybody.

The mystery field does plead for honor Van Dine enough. He run-down to synthesize the best elements last part mystery fiction in his work. Increase by two doing so he founded a in mint condition school, one that opened the doorway for some of the best gumshoe writing in American history, by Ellery Queen and others. Nor do descendants appreciate Van Dine as a duty model for life. Some mystery fans today are obsessed with "hard-boiledness". They seem over impressed with these n about men running around with ordnance. These stories are nothing but economizing macho fantasies. Instead, it is birth people like Van Dine who brand name a difference, people who try board build and make things. Van Dine's endless work for science and honesty arts is what creates everything most recent value in life. It is invective the core of civilization. If awe want to pass down a bigger life for our children, we be born with to adopt Van Dine's approach laugh our model for living. We corrosion be as intellectual, creative and justifiable as he was.

The Benson Murder Win over ()

The Canary Murder Case ()

The Author Murder Case ()

The Bishop Murder Suitcase ()

The Scarab Murder Case ()

The Doghouse Murder Case ()

The Dragon Murder Attachй case ()

The Casino Murder Case ()

The Estate Murder Case ()

The Kidnap Murder Event ()

Philo Vance Investigates (omnibus edition, )

The Gracie Allen Murder Case aka Grandeur Smell of Murder ()

The Winter Homicide Case ()