MYSTERY SERIES CHARACTERS: FROM THE PRINTED PAGE TO TELEVISION

by Marvin Lachman


    Once again, any additions and corrections are very welcome.


Part 3: F - K

Fickling, G.G.: HONEY WEST, played by Anne Francis in a 1965-1966 American series.

Flanagan, Thomas: MAJOR TENNENTE, played by Everett Sloane in “The Customs of the Country” on Mystery Theatre in 1957.  Flanagan was a famous historical novelist who earlier in his career wrote short stories for EQMM; Tennente was his series character in four stories.

Fleming, Ian: JAMES BOND, played by Barry Nelson in the TV version of the novel Casino Royale in the American series Climax in 1954.

Francis, Dick: SID HALLEY, played by Michael Gwilym on Mystery! in 1979 in the TV series The Racing Game.  The first of six episodes was based on Francis’s novel Odds Against.  Ian McShane played another Francis character, DAVID CLEVELAND, in the three episodes of Dick Francis Mysteries (1989).

Fraser, Antonia: JEMIMA SHORE, played by Maria Aitken in British series beginning in mid-1980s.

Freeling, Nicholas: INSPECTOR VAN DER VALK, played by Barry Foster in a British series circa 1975.

Freeman, R. Austin: DR. JOHN E. THORNDYKE, played by John Neville in 1971, and by Barrie Ingham in 1973.  Both stories were on The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes.

Futrelle, Jacques: PROF. AUGUSTUS VAN DUSEN (“THE THINKING MACHINE”), played by Claude Dauphin in “The Problem of Cell 13” on Kraft Mystery Theatre in 1962.  That same short story was televised in 1973 as “Cell 13” as part of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes in with Douglas Wilmer as Van Dusen.

Gardner, Erle Stanley: In the first series that ran from 1957 through 1966, PERRY MASON was played by Raymond Burr; DELLA STREET was Barbara Hale; PAUL DRAKE was William Hopper; HAMILTON BURGER was William Talman; LT. TRAGG was Ray Collins.   The critically-derided revival as The New Adventures of Perry Mason (1973) had the following cast: Monte Markham as Mason, Sharon Acker as Street, Albert Stratton as Drake, Harry Guardino as Burger, and Dane Clark as Tragg.  When there was a series of Perry Mason TV movies, beginning in the 1980s, Burr and Hale returned.  Since Hopper had died, William Katt (the son of Hale and Bill Williams) played Paul Drake, Jr.
    Jim Hutton played another Gardner character, DOUG SELBY (“THE D.A.”) in a 1971 television movie They Call It Murder.

Gash, Jonathan: LOVEJOY, played by Ian McShane in British series begun circa 1990.

Gault, William Campbell: BROCK “THE ROCK” CALLAHAN, played by Ken Clark in a 1956 pilot for a series that never materialized.

George, Elizabeth: On The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, a British series begun early in the 21st century, INSPECTOR THOMAS LYNLEY is played by Nathaniel Parker and SGT. BARBARA HAVERS is played by Sharon Small.

Graham, Caroline: DET. CHIEF INSPECTOR TOM BARNABY, played by John Nettles in Midsomer Murders, a British series based on her novels and begun circa 2000.  Daniel Casey plays SGT. TROY.

Halliday, Brett: MIKE SHAYNE, played by Richard Denning in the series Michael Shayne, Private Detective (1960-1961).  Other regulars from the books were LUCY HAMILTON played by Patricia Donahue; TIM ROURKE played by Jerry Paris; and WILL GENTRY played by Herbert Rudley.

Hamilton, Donald: MATT HELM, played by Tony Franciosa in a series that ran four months (1975-1976).  Helm was changed from an espionage agent to a swinging private eye.

Hammett, Dashiell: NICK and NORA CHARLES were Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk in the 1957-1959 American series The Thin Man.  Craig Stevens and Jo Ann Pflug played the roles in the 1975 TV movie Nick and Nora.  Hammett’s The Dain Curse was filmed as a TV movie in 1978 with James Coburn as THE CONTINENTAL OP, who was given a name, Hamilton Nash, which resembles Dashiell Hammett.
    Sam Spade’s secretary EFFIE PERRINE (played by Cloris Leachman) showed up as the secretary to Charlie Wild, Private Detective, in the 1950-1952 series.  That series had first appeared on radio due to the “Red Scare” when Hammett’s Sam Spade series was dropped from radio due to his politics and that of Howard Duff who played Spade.

Heard, H.F.: MR. MYCROFT, played by Boris Karloff in 1955 in Sting of Death, an adaptation of Heard’s novel A Taste of Honey.

Hess, Joan: ARLY HANKS was played by Kate Jackson in a 1993 television movie of that name.  It was based on Hess’s series about the small Arkansas town of Maggody.

Hill, Reginald: Warren Clarke is ANDY DALZIEL and Colin Buchanan is PETER PASCOE in Dalziel and Pascoe, the BBC series that has been on since the mid-1990s.

Hillerman, Tony: JOE LEAPHORN and JIM CHEE, played by Wes Studi and Adam Beach, respectively, in the filming since 2002 of three (so far) of Hillerman’s novels for the American Mystery! series.  Sheila Tousey is EMMA LEAPHORN and Alex Rice is JANET PETE.

Hodgson, William Hope: CARNACKI, played by Donald Pleasance in “The Horse of the Invisible,” an episode of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes series in 1971.

Holding, James: “THE PHOTOGRAPHER was played by Jack Cassidy in “The Photographer and the Undertaker” on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, March 15, 1965.  In Holding’s series, the real name of the hit man called “The Photographer” is Manuel Andradas.  On TV, the name of the character played by Cassidy was Arthur Mannix.  This episode was based on a story with the same title in EQMM for November 1962.

Huggins, Roy: STU BAILEY, played by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., first in an episode of Conflict, a 1956-1957 anthology series and then on 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964).

Hume, Fergus: HAGAR STANLEY, played by Sara Kestleman in “The Mystery of the Amber Beads,” an episode of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, 1973.

Hyne, C.J. Cutcliffe: MR. HORROCKS, played by Ronald Fraser in “The Looting of the Specie Room,” an episode of The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, 1973.

James, P.D.: COMMANDER ADAM DALGLIESH, played by Roy Marsden and later Martin Shaw in a British series on Mystery! based on her novels.

Jennings, Maureen: On The Murdoch Mysteries, a 21st century Canadian series, DETECTIVE WILLIAM MURDOCH is played by Peter Outerbridge.

Jesse, F. Tennyson: SOLANGE FONTAINE, played by Pamela Brown.  I read that Jesse’s series character appeared in a episode, “Lot’s Wife,” on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, but I have not been able to confirm this in the standard reference book on that series.

Kellerman, Jonathan: ALEX DELAWARE, played by Ted Danson in When the Bough Breaks, a 1986 television movie based on that novel.  Richard Masur was MILO STURGIS.

Kemelman, Harry: RABBI DAVID SMALL, played by Stuart Margolin in Friday The Rabbi Slept Late, a 1977 television movie based on Kemelman’s first novel.  Art Carney was POLICE CHIEF LANIGAN.  Carney played that role in the 1977 television series Lanigan’s Rabbi; Bruce Solomon was the rabbi.

Kendrick, Baynard: MIKE LONGSTREET, played by James Franciscus on the Longstreet series (1971-1972).  The blind detective was based on Kendrick’s blind sleuth CAPT. DUNCAN MACLAIN.

   
     To be continued ...


Part One (A through C)

Part Two (D through E)

Part Four (L through O)

Part Five (P through Z)







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