Philo Vance
From Academic Kids
Philo Vance was a fictional American detective created by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s who appeared in 12 novels. Although largely forgotten today, for a few years he was immensely popular in books, movies, and on the radio. He was portrayed as being a super-dandy, super-intellectual, and super-man-about-town in Manhattan.
Van Dine's first three mystery novels were unusual for mystery fiction because he planned them as a trilogy but plotted and wrote them in short form, more or less at the same time. After they were accepted as a group by famed editor Maxwell Perkins, Van Dine expanded them into full-length novels.
To most modern readers his character would be supercilious and highly irritating. He struck some contemporaries that way, as well: At the height of Philo Vance's popularity, comic poet Ogden Nash wrote:
- Philo Vance
- Needs a kick in the pants
Books featuring Philo Vance
- The Benson Murder Case (1926)
- The Canary Murder Case (1927)
- The Greene Murder Case (1928)
- The Bishop Murder Case (1929)
- The Scarab Murder Case (1930)
- The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
- The Dragon Murder Case (1934)
- The Casino Murder Case (1934)
- The Garden Murder Case (1935)
- The Kidnap Murder Case (1936)
- The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1938)
- The Winter Murder Case (1939)
External links
- Bibliography of UK first Editions (http://www.classiccrimefiction.com/ssvandinebib.htm)
