Philo's Files

The gentleman amateur is as much an archetype of detective fiction as the dogged policeman and the hard-boiled private eye. Perhaps the most famous of this more refined school of crime-solver is Philo Vance. The debonair detective appeared in 12 novels written by Willard Huntington Wright (under the pen name S.S. Van Dine) and enjoyed a run as a film and radio star from the 1920s into the 1940s. Vance's tenure as a radio detective began with a broadcast on July 5, 1945. Vance was an intellectual, a gourmand, a polyglot, and an expert on everything from psychology to Chinese pottery. He fenced, played polo and poker, and even bred show dogs. Described by Wright/Van Dine as “unusually good-looking,” he was always dressed to the nines and usually wore a monocle. His creator inserted himself into the drama, with “S.S. Van Dine” acting as narrator and a Dr. Watson for Vance as he embarked on his mysteries. Also appearing alongside Vance in the books were District Attorney Markham, a no-nonsense prosecutor, and Sgt. Heath, who was as gruff and guttural as Vance was refined. Vance solved baffling cases in and around New York for twelve novels, including one where he partnered with comedienne Gracie Allen! The Vance novels were constructed as puzzle mysteries, with their intricate plots taking priority over the characters, and were well-received, especially the earliest novels in the series. Not everyone was a fan, however; poet Ogden Nash famously observed “Philo Vance/Needs a kick in the pance.” Raymond Chandler, creator of Philip Marlowe, derided Vance as “the most asinine character in detective fiction.” Despite the chilly reception Vance received from these writers, Hollywood came calling to bring the character to the big screen. In 1929, William Powell (five years away from The Thin Man) became the screen’s first Philo Vance and starred in three films. Basil Rathbone, nine years from his run as Sherlock Holmes, stepped in as Vance for The Bishop Murder Case (1930) before Powell returned in 1933’s The Kennel Murder Case. Directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood), The Kennel Murder Case is hailed as not only the best Philo Vance film, but one of the best film adaptations of a Golden Age mystery novel. Other actors who played Vance include Warren William (who also starred as Perry Mason in a series of Warner Brothers films), Paul Lukas, and William Wright. The final Vance films hit the screen in 1947, when the character was also solving crimes on the radio. John Emery, the one-time husband of Tallulah Bankhead, was radio’s first Philo Vance in 1943. Future Academy Award winner Jose Ferrer starred as Vance in a 1945 summer series. But the actor with the longest run as Philo Vance on radio was not a classic leading man, but rather a versatile radio actor. Jackson Beck was the narrator of The Adventures of Superman on radio; it was his thunderous delivery of the introduction “Faster than a speeding bullet…” that became a hallmark of the program. Beck was one of radio’s most versatile actors. Not only could he fill in as background characters on the Superman shows he narrated, but he could mimic world leaders on The March of Time and ride the radio range as The Cisco Kid. Beck was tapped to star as Philo Vance in a syndicated series from producer Frederick W. Ziv. Ziv also brought Richard Kollmar to radio as Boston Blackie. The Ziv series toned down some of the character’s less endearing characteristics; Vance was still a brilliant detective, but he was a more down-to-earth character. The preening fop of the novels (and even the early films) was gone. Jackson Beck’s performance created a Vance who had a taste for the finer things but was no dandy. He wasn’t a tough guy, but had no problem landing a punch when he needed to. The syndicated episodes also built a team around Vance. His secretary, Ellen Deering, was on hand for assistance and some playful office banter. Ellen was played by Beck’s Superman co-star Joan (Lois Lane) Alexander. District Attorney Markham carried over from the Van Dine novels, and was played on the series by George Petrie. Usually, Vance would get entangled in a case because Markham sought out his assistance. The Ziv series ran for 104 episodes, each following Van Dine’s template of titling: “The [something] Murder Case.” Like Ziv’s Boston Blackie series, Philo Vance didn’t have an introduction or opening credits. Instead, the first thing the listener hears is the organ followed by a teaser. Usually the crime is heard in this scene, or the criminals are overheard planning their next steps. Vance enters the story either at the behest of a client or by working alongside D.A. Markham. After dismissing the too-obvious solution to the crime at the scene, Vance makes his way through the suspects, interrogating but always with a gentleman’s charm, before he solves the crime and reveals the murderer. His adventures aren’t hard-boiled, but Philo Vance provides entertainment for listeners (particularly when Jackson Beck is at the microphone). These puzzlers are cleverly plotted mysteries cast with an assortment of New York radio players. It’s the type of quality programming the real Vance might enjoy in an easy chair with a cocktail at the ready.