Flashgun Casey

Created by George Harmon Coxe
(1901-84)

Originally appearing in the pages of Black Mask under the watchful eyes of then-editor Joseph Shaw, JACK “FLASHGUN” CASEY of the Boston Globe (and later The Express) was the original fast-talking crime photographer, a big, hot-tempered Boston Mick and World War I vet with a gift for gab and a nose for trouble.

No “artiste”, Casey kept a bottle of hooch and a .38 in his desk drawer, and boasted of being able to put a “slug where he aimed” and having “two big fists he knew how to use.” He appeared in numerous short stories and several novels, regularly tangling with Captain Logan, the loveable but bullheaded BPD detective, who never seemed to get the right clue.

He was often accompanied by his assistantl: young, impressionable fellow shutter-snapper Tom Wade, who was a ray of obstinate sunshine in Flashgun’s rather murky worldview. Tom is a keener — eager to please and ready to step up when he has to, whether it’s squaring off against a gangster’s Tommy gun, or standing up to volatile (but always nattily dressed) city editor Blaine.

Still, both Tom and Blaine follow Casey from the Boston Globe to rival paper the Boston Express when they’re all canned in the pivotal “Murder Picture” (January 1935, Black Mask).

Casey was a hit; so popular that the stories eventually spawned several novels. While writing them, however, Coxe decided that maybe Flashgun of the pulps was a bit too rough-edged for the book racket, so he cleaned him up, made him a bit more “professional” and created a new photographer/PI, Kent Murdock, who worked for a rival Boston paper. Murdock went on to appear in twenty-two novels.

But while his crosstown rival was enjoying much more success in books, ol’ Flashgun became a bit of a multimedia superstar. Besides the Flashgun novels, there were a couple of B-flick adaptations, and a long-running radio show, Casey, Crime Photographer, starring Staats Cotsworth as Casey. The radio show was so successful that there was a four-issue comic book tie-in by Marvel, with photos of Staats Cotsworth on the cover as Casey.

In the radio a show, Casey hung out at the Blue Note Cafe, and related his cases to Ethelbert, the bartender. He landed a girlfriend, Ann Williams, a reporter, and eventually a partner, rookie newshound Jack Lipman who wrote the copy to go with Casey’s pics. Somewhere along the line, Casey had gone from working for the Boston Express to the New York Morning Express, but he was still our Casey, and the popular show ran from 1943 until 1955.

TheThe inevitable television show, which made its debut in 1951, fared less well. Initially starring Richard Carlyle as the intrepid shutterbug, and broadcast live from New York City. The episodes were told in flashback format, with Casey relating his cases to the bartender Ethelbert. It lasted only two seasons.

The television producers decided they weren’t satisfied with the original casting of Carlyle, and so after only a few months, Carlyle and John Gibson, who played Ethelbert, were sacked, replaced by Darren McGavin and Cliff Hall. One of the directors was a then-unknown 27-year old Sidney Lumet, who went on to become a bigshot Hollywood director.

Unfortunately, the show was only so-so, and many critics suggested that it was only McGavin’s performance was all that kept it afloat. But even McGavin wasn’t much of a fan, famously slamming the show in later years. “The cast of Crime Photographer didn’t go down fighting,” McGavin once recalled. “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.”

Still, even as the TV show crashed and burned, Flashgun kept chugging along, appearing on radio, and in a few more novels in the early sixties. Coxe even allowed Flashgun to age over the years, appearing in Deadly Image (1964), having put on a few pounds and with hair graying, but of course more than ready to deal with whatever comes up.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Coxe created other private eye and private eye-adjacent detectives, including Sam Crombie, Max Hale, Leon Morley, and Jack Fenner, as well as hard-nosed cop, Sgt. Jansen and medical examiner Dr. Paul Standish, but he’s best known for his two crime photographers/amateur sleuths, Flashgun Casey and Kent Murdock, who are basically private eyes with cameras.

 

TRIVIA

• A young Charles Bronson starred in a suspiciously similar television series in 1958-60 entitled Man With a Camera.
• The Casey story, “Murder Mixup,” was included in Shaw’s legendary 1946 anthology, Hard Boiled Omnibus — although it was one of three stories dropped from the 1952 paperback reprint from Pocket Books.

UNDER OATH

• “I like the Kent Murdock novels I’ve read quite a bit, but I’ve always been a little more of a Flash Casey fan. Murdock, though plenty tough when he needs to be, is more urbane and sophisticated, while Casey is a big, two-fisted bruiser. Coxe’s stories are always well-plotted and have plenty of action and a nice hardboiled tone. He’s mostly forgotten and shouldn’t be.:”
  — James M. Reasoner (June 2017, Rough Edges)
• “I wouldn’t say Coxe is a bad writer, but the best I could say is that he’s indifferently average.”
  — Steve Lewis (August 2020, Mystery*File)

SHORT STORIES

• “Return Engagement” (March 1934, Black Mask)
• “Special Assignment” (April 1934, Black Mask)
• “Two-Man Job” (May 1934, Black Mask)
• “Push-Over” (June 1934, Black Mask)
• “Hot Delivery” (July 1934, Black Mask)
• “Mixed Drinks” (August 1934, Black Mask)
• “Pinch-Hitters” (September 1934, Black Mask)
• “Murder Picture” (January 1935, Black Mask)
• “Casey — Detective” (February 1935, Black Mask)
• “Earned Reward” (March 1935, Black Mask; aka “Reward for Survivors”)
• “Women Are Trouble” (April 1935, Black Mask)
• “Thirty Tickets to Win” (June 1935, Black Mask)
• “Buried Evidence” (July 1935, Black Mask; aka “Guns in Action”)
• “Mr. Casey Flashgun’s Murder” (October 1935, Black Mask)
• “Portrait of Murder” (February 1936, Black Mask)
• “Murder Mixup” (May 1936, Black Mask)
• “Fall Guy” (June 1936, Black Mask)
• “Too Many Women” (September 1936, Black Mask)
• “Casey and the Blonde Wren” (August 1940, Black Mask)
• “Once Around the Clock” (May 1941, Black Mask; also 1977, The Hard-Boiled Detective)
• “Killers Are Camera Shy” (September 1941, Black Mask)
• “Murder in the Red” (June 1942, Black Mask)
• “Blood on the Lens (Part One)” (January 1943, Black Mask)
• “Blood on the Lens (Part Two)” (February 1943, Black Mask)
• “The Man Who Died Too Soon” (March 10, 1962, Star Weekly; Flashgun Casey)

COLLECTION

• Flash Casey, Detective (1946) | Buy this book
  Reprints four Black Mask stories: “Casey-Detective,” “Once Around the Clock,” “Too Many Women,” and “Women Are Trouble”
• Flash Casey, Hard-boiled Detective (1948) | Buy this book

NOVELS

• Silent Are the Dead (1942) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
• Murder For Two (1943) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
  Originally serialized in Black Mask as “Blood on the Lens”
• Dead Heat (1950; by Paul Ayres [pseudonym of Edward S. Aaron]) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
  Billed as “A Crime Photographer Mystery.”
• Error of Judgement (1961) | Buy this book
• The Man Who Died Too Soon (1962) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
• Deadly Image (1964) | Buy this book | Kindle it!

FILMS

• WOMEN ARE TROUBLE
  (1936, MGM)
  60 minutes, more or less
  Premiere: July 31, 1936
  Based on characters created by George Harmon Coxe
  Screenplay by Michael Fessier
  Director: Errol Taggart
  Cinematography: Oliver T. Marsh
  Produced by Michael Fessier,  Lucien Hubbard
  Starring Stuart Erwin as MATT “FLASH” CASEY
  and Florence Rice as RUTH NOLAN
  This fun but hardly essential B-flick took some major liberties with the source material, making feisty young reporter Ruth the heroine, and transforming fellow reporter “Matt Casey” into her harmless co-worker.
• HERE’S FLASH CASEY | Buy the Blu-Ray
  (aka “Meet Flash Casey”)
  (1937, Grand National)
  Premiere: January 7, 1938
  Based on the short story “Return Engagement” by George Harmon Coxe
  Screenplay by John Kraft
  Directed by Lynn Shores
  Starring Eric Linden as FLASHGUN CASEY
  and Cully Richards as Wade
  Also starring Boots Mallory, Holmes Herbert, Joseph Crehan, Howard Lang, Victor Adams, Harry Harvey, Suzanne Kaaren, Matty Kemp, Dorothy Vaughan, Maynard Holmes
  A bit more like it.

RADIO

• FLASHGUN CASEY
  (aka “Casey, Press Photographer,” “Crime Photographer,” “Casey, Crime Photographer”) 
  (1943-1955, CBS)
  434 (?) episodes
  Written by Alonzo Dean Cole (with some help from Coxe)
  Producer/Directors: Alonzo Dean Cole, John Dietz
  Music: Archie Bleyer Orchestra, Lew White Organist
  Starring Staats Cotsworth as FLASHGUN CASEY
  With Jan Miner as Ann Williams
  and John Gibson as Ethelbert
  Also featuring The Archie Bleyer Orchestra (and later The Teddy Wilson Trio) as The Blue Note Musicians
  Reader Eric Allstrom points out that Wilson was a great jazz pianist of the day, probably more famous than the detective show on which he played.
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER (aka “FLASHGUN CASEY”)
  • “The Case Of Switched Plates” (July 7, 1943)
  • “Murder Off The Record” (July 14, 1943)
  • “The Lost Melody” (July 21, 1943)
  • “Love Is A Whisper”” (July 28, 1943)
  • “The Case Of The Painted Walls” (August 4, 1943)
  • “Murder Comes In Threes” (August 12, 1943)
  • “No Answer”” (August 19, 1943)
  • “Hoodoo For Hire” (August 26, 1943)
  • “The Case Of The Whispering Gun” (September 2, 1943)
  • “Title Unknown” (September 9, 1943)
  • “Title Unknown” (September 16, 1943)
  • “The Kidnapping Of The Rare Book Dealer” (September 23, 1943)
  • “Murder For Breakfast” (September 30, 1943)
  • “The Case Of The Indigant Lady” (October 7, 1943)
  • “The Picture In The Park” (October 14, 1943)
  • “Five Thousand Dollar Reward” (October 21, 1943)
  • “A Butterfly Dies” (October 30, 1943)
  • “Death In The Dentist’s Chair” (November 6, 1943)
  • “Ghosts Work For Money” (November 13, 1943)
  • “The Killer’s Kid” (November 20, 1943)
  • “The Man With The Crippled Arm” (November 30, 1943)
  • “Last Will And Testament” (December 4, 1943)
  • “Mystery Girl” (December 11, 1943)
  • “Set To Kil” (December 18, 1943)
  • “Christmas Is A Family Da” (December 25, 1943)
  • “Casey Begins A New Year” (January 1, 1944)
  • “Casey Goes Into Society” (January 8, 1944)
  • “Casey Compounds A Felony” (January 15, 1944)
  • “Casey Remains To Dance” (January 22, 1944)
  • “Clue In Clouds” (February 26, 1944)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER (aka “CASEY, PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER”)
  • “Casey And The House With The Hedge” (February 5, 1944)
  • “Casey And The Man Called John Doe” (February 12, 1944)
  • “The Mystery Of The Ten Dollar Bills” (February 19, 1944)
  • “The Clue In The Clouds” (February 26, 1944)
  • “Casey And The Strong Man” (March 4, 1944)
  • “Man Overboard” (March 11, 1944)
  • “Casey And The Self-Made Hero” (March 19, 1944)
  • “Star Witness” (March 25, 1944)
  • “The Case Of The Glowing Ghost” (April 1, 1944)
  • “The Man Who Couldn’t Be Killed” ” (April 8, 1944)
  • “It’s A Dog’s Life” (April 15, 1944)
  • “Strange Invitatio” (April 22, 1944)
  • “Air Tight Alibi” (April 29, 1944)
  • “A Matter Of Reputation” (May 6, 1944)
  • “Killer On Patro” (May 13, 1944)
  • “Murder In The Rain” (May 20, 1944)
  • “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There” (May 27, 1944)
  • “Skeleton On Horseback” (June 3, 1944)
  • “Photo Finish” (June 10, 1944)
  • “Lamb To The Slaughter” (June 17, 1944)
  • *Cinderella Girl” (June 24, 1944)
  • “Old Nobody” (July 1, 1944)
  • “The Case Of The Self-Made Hero” (July 8, 1944)
  • “Picture Of Murder” (July 15, 1944)
  • “Danger For Blonds” (July 22, 1944)
  • “One Of The Family” (July 29, 1944)
  • “The Last Beat” (August 5, 1944)
  • “The Little Black Dog” (August 12, 1944)
  • “Man Hunt” (August 19, 1944)
  • “Victory Garden Murder” (August 26, 1944)
  • “Gun Boy” (September 2, 1944)
  • “Birthday Present” (September 9, 1944)
  • “The Case Of The Laughing Dog” (September 12, 1944)
  • “The Old Girl Friend” (September 19, 1944)
  • “The Anonymous Letter” (September 26, 1944)
  • “A Treatment For The Doctor” (October 3, 1944)
  • “Beaten By A Nose” (October 10, 1944)
  • “Bad Luck For Sale” (October 17, 1944)
  • “Hanged By The Neck” (October 24, 1944)
  • “Diary Of Death” (October 31, 1944)
  • “The Picture And The Frame” (November 14, 1944)
  • “The Substitutes”” (November 28, 1944)
  • “Trial Balloon” (December 5, 1944)
  • “A Girl Named Kate” (December 12, 1944)
  • “Group Picture” (December 19, 1944)
  • “The Unknown Caller” (December 26, 1944)
  • “The Engagement Ring” (January 2, 1945)
  • “The Key To Room 424” (January 9, 1945)
  • “Professional Widow” (January 16, 1945)
  • “Beware Of The Dog” (January 23, 1945)
  • “Don’t Call The Cops” (February 6, 1945)
  • “Suicide Note” (February 13, 1945)
  • “Picture In The Dark” (March 13, 1945)
  • “Incredible Evidence” (March 20, 1945)
  • “The White Monster” (March 20, 1945)
  • “The Impossible Crime” (April 3, 1945)
  • “Account Settled” (April 10, 1945)
  • “Outline In Clay” (April 17, 1945)
  • “Gambler’s Luck” (April 24, 1945)
  • “The Killer’s Kid” (May 1, 1945)
  • “Title Unknown” (May 8, 1945)
  • “Free Confession” (May 15, 1945)
  • “The Unexpected Guest” (May 22, 1945)
  • “Degree Of Arson” (May 29, 1945)
  • “The Invisible Man” (June 5, 1945)
  • “The Strange Case Of Mr. Strange” (June 12, 1945)
  • “Vacation In Maine” (June 19, 1945)
  • “Man Overboard” (June 26, 1945)
  • “The Cat’s Paw” (July 4, 1945)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER (aka “CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER”)
  • “The Double Cross”(July 11, 1945)
  • “Uncle John” (July 18, 1945)
  • “The Retired Camera” (July 25, 1945)
  • “Danger For Blonds” (August 1, 1945)
  • “Bird Expert” (August 8, 1945)
  • “Hot Ice” (August 15, 1945)
  • “Tiger On The Loose” (August 22, 1945)
  • “Chamber Of Horrors” (August 29, 1945)
  • “Gun Boy” (September 5, 1945)
  • “A Walk In The Rain” (September 12, 1945)
  • “Death Insurance” (September 19, 1945)
  • “One For The Family” (September 26, 1945)
  • “Cupid Is A Killer” (October 20, 1945)
  • “Title Unknown” (October 27, 1945)
  • “The Case Of The Battered Playboy” (November 3, 1945)
  • “Last Of The Faraday’s” (November 10, 1945)
  • “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There” (November 17, 1945)
  • “Strictly Confidential” (November 24, 1945)
  • “No Evidence” (December 3, 1945)
  • “The Considerate Burglar” (December 10, 1945)
  • “Death Of A Rattlesnake” (December 17, 1945)
  • “Two New One Hundred Dollar Bills” (December 24, 1945)
  • “A Date With Hester” (December 31, 1945)
  • “Earned Reward” (January 7, 1946)
  • “Finger Of Death” (January 14, 1946)
  • “Fighting Fool” (January 21, 1946)
  • “Iron Mike” (January 28, 1946)
  • “Prince Of Darkness” (February 4, 1946)
  • “Killers Can Be Beautiful” (February 11, 1946)
  • “Title Unknown” (February 18, 1946)
  • “Graveyard Gertie” (February 25, 1946)
  • “Motive For Murder” (March 4, 1946)
  • “Beaten By A Nose” (March 12, 1946)
  • “Family Arguement” (March 19, 1946)
  • “Bucanneer’s Cove” (March 26, 1946)
  • “The Body Was Buried Deep” (April 2, 1946)
  • “The Joker”” (April 23, 1946)
  • “The Butterfly” (April 30, 1946)
  • “The Man That Nobody Liked” (May 7, 1946)
  • “Reunion” (June 6, 1946)
  • “Mr. Big” (June 10, 1946)
  • “Social Afternoon” (June 10, 1946)
  • “The Poker Game” (June 10, 1946)
  • “The Bloodless Murder” (July 1, 1946)
  • “The Man Called John Doe” (July 8, 1946)
  • “A Tooth For A Tooth” (July 15, 1946)
  • “A Girl Named Kate” (July 1, 1946)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER (aka “CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER”)
  • “Three Sapphires” (August 8, 1946)
  • “Unlucky Day” (August 15, 1946)
  • “The Fat Lady Dies” (August 22, 1946)
  • “The Red Raincoat” (August 29, 1946)
  • “The Handerchief” (September 5, 1946)
  • “Johnnie’s Got A Gun” (September 12, 1946)
  • “The Duke Of Skid Row” (September 19, 1946)
  • “The Brownze Peacock” (September 26, 1946)
  • “Title Unknown” (October 3, 1946)
  • “The Carved Bed” (October 10, 1946)
  • “The Tip Off” (October 17, 1946)
  • “Prison Break” (October 24, 1946)
  • “Halloween Story” (October 31, 1946)
  • “Missing Persons” (November 7, 1946)
  • “The Cuckoo” (November 14, 1946)
  • “The Searchlight And The Tomb” (November 21, 1946)
  • “Thanksgiving Dinner” (November 28, 1946)
  • “Room 1110” (December 5, 1946)
  • “Dangerous Characters” (December 12, 1946)
  • “Christmas Shopping” (December 19, 1946)
  • “Buried Evidence” (December 26, 1946)
  • “Last Of The Faradays” (January 2, 1947)
  • “Dead Pigeon” (January 9, 1947)
  • “The Surprising Corpse” (January 16, 1947)
  • “The Purloined Payroll” (January 23, 1947)
  • “Held For Ransom” (January 30, 1947)
  • “The Grey Kitten” (February 6, 1947)
  • “The Twenty Minute Alibi” (February 20, 1947)
  • “The Red-Headed Kid” (February 27, 1947)
  • “The Mysterious Lodger” (March 7, 1947)
  • “Undercover Man” (March 14, 1947)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  • “The Demon Miner” (March 20, 1947)
  • “Blood Pact” (March 27, 1947)
  • “The Girl on the Dock” (April 3, 1947)
  • “The Ugly Duckling” (April 10, 1947)
  • “The Box Of Death” (April 17, 1947)
  • “The Gentle Strangler” (April 24, 1947)
  • “The King Of Apes” (May 1, 1947)
  • “The Laughing Killer” (May 8, 1947)
  • “Mad Dog” (May 15, 1947)
  • “The Pickup” (May 22, 1947)
  • “Out Of The Past” (May 29, 1947)
  • “The Haunted House” (June 5, 1947)
  • “In The Sweet Name Of Charity” (June 12, 1947)
  • “Find The Papers” (June 19, 1947)
  • “A Package For Annie” (June 26, 1947)
  • “The Acquitted” (July 3, 1947)
  • “The Lady Killer” (July 10, 1947)
  • “Casey And Selfmade Hero” (July 17, 1847)
  • “The Photo Of the Dead” (July 24, 1847)
  • “The Bright New Star” (July 31, 1847)
  • “The Death Lovers Lane Anchorhocking” (August 7, 1947)
  • “The Chivalrous Gunman” (August 14, 1947)
  • “Busmans Holiday” (August 21, 1947)
  • “Hideout” (August 28, 1947)
  • “Loaded Dice” (September 4, 1947)
  • “Graveyard Gertie” (September 11, 1947)
  • “The Tobacco Pouch” (September 18, 1947)
  • “The Treasure Cave” (September 25, 1947)
  • “Miscarriage Of Justice” (October 2, 1947)
  • “The Wedding Breakfast” (October 9, 1947)
  • “The Camera Bug” (October 16, 1947)
  • “The Lady In Distress” (October 23, 1947)
  • “Great Grandfather’s Rent Receipt” (October 30, 1947)
  • “The Case of the Blonde Lipstick” (November 6, 1947)
  • “Too Many Angels” (November 13, 1947)
  • “The Earned Reward ” (November 21, 1947)
  • “The After Turkey Bill” (November 27, 1947)
  • “The Serpent Goddess” (December 4, 1947)
  • “The New Will” (December 11, 1947)
  • “The Life Of the Party” (December 18, 1947)
  • “The Santa Claus Of Bums Blvd” (December 25, 1947)
  • “The Hot New Years Party” (January 1, 1948)
  • “The Queen Of Amazons” (January 7, 1948)
  • “The Miracle” (January 15, 1948)
  • “The Ex-convict” (January 22, 1948)
  • “The Piggy Bank Robbery” (January 29, 1948)
  • “Music To Die By” (February 5, 1948)
  • “The Key Witness” (February 12, 1948)
  • “Witchcraft” (February 19, 1948)
  • “The Fix” (February 26, 1948)
  • “The Tough Guy” (March 4, 1948)
  • “The Fog” (March 11, 1948)
  • “Murder In Black And White” (March 4, 1948)
  • “Blind Justice” (March 25, 1948)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  • “Sleeping Dogs Awake” (April 1, 1948)
  • “A Present For Percy” (April 8, 1948)
  • “The Considerate Burgla” (April 15, 1948)
  • “You Die Today” (April 22, 1948)
  • “Half Guilty” (April 29, 1948)
  • “‘X’ Marks The Spot” (May 6, 1948)
  • “Dead Man’s Fortune” (May 13, 1948)
  • “My Brother’s Keeper” (May 20, 1948)
  • “Gun Wanted” (May 27, 1948)
  • “Murderers, Ltd” (June 3, 1948)
  • “Letters From Mexico” (June 10, 1948)
  • “Wife Number Eight” (June 17, 1948)
  • “No Tears For Terry” (June 24, 1948)
  • “Missing Heiress” (July 1, 1948)
  • “Old Joe” (July 8, 1948)
  • “Farewell Performance” (July 15, 1948)
  • “In For Trouble” (July 22, 1948)
  • “Man Hater” (July 29, 1948)
  • “Pattern For Murder” (August 5, 1948)
  • “The Pirates” (August 12, 1948)
  • “On The Record” (August 19, 1948)
  • “Kangaroo Court” (August 26, 1948)
  • “Little Feathered Friends” (September 2, 1948)
  • “Winning Streak” (September 9, 1948)
  • “Two Thousand Suspects” (September 16, 1948)
  • “Finger Man” (September 23, 1948)
  • “Poisen Pen” (September 30, 1948)
  • “Old Blankety-Blank” (October 7, 1948)
  • “Only Saps Work For Wages” (October 14, 1948)
  • “Election Bet” (October 21, 1948)
  • “The Ghost See-Ers” (October 28, 1948)
  • “The Mystery Man” (November 11, 1948)
  • “String Of Beads” (November 11, 1948)
  • “Holiday” (November 25, 1948)
  • “The Wild Man” (December 2, 1948)
  • “The Genius” (December 9, 1948)
  • “Blackout” (December 16, 1948)
  • “Two Days Before Christmas” (December 23, 1948)
  • “Meet The Wife” (December 30, 1948)
  • “Box Of Ashes” (January 6, 1949)
  • “Tiger On The Loose” (January 13, 1949)
  • “The Action Photograph” (January 20, 1949)
  • “Pick Up Your Marbles” (January 27, 1949)
  • “Unwelcome Party” (February 3, 1949)
  • “The Grandson Of Mr. Smith” (February 10, 1949)
  • “The Chinese Room” (February 17, 1949)
  • “Blood Money” (February 24, 1949)
  • “You Are The Killer” (March 3, 1949)
  • “Scene Of The Crime” (March 10, 1949)
  • “An Attempt To Murder” (March 17 1949)
  • “Terror” (March 24, 1949)
  • “I’ll See You Hanged” (March 31, 1949)
  • “Murder In The Air” (April 7, 1949)
  • “Too Many Knives” (April 14, 1949)
  • “Rest Cure” (April 21, 1949)
  • “Death From The Dead” (April 28, 1949)
  • “The Wolverine” (May 5, 1949)
  • “Booby Trap” (May 12, 1949)
  • “Cupid Is A Killer” (May 19, 1949)
  • “Return From The Grave” (May 26, 1949)
  • “Brotherly Hate” (June 2, 1949)
  • “Deadline — Midnight” (June 9, 1949)
  • “Notice To The Public” (June 16, 1949)
  • “Dragon Head” (June 23, 1949)
  • “The Lily” (June 30, 1949)
  • “Murder Farm” (July 7, 1949)
  • “Crazy Like A Fox” (July 14, 1949)
  • “Durable Dennis” (July 21, 1949)
  • “Murder-Go-Round” (July 28, 1949)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  • “The Sellout” (August 4, 1949)
  • “The Death Of A Stranger” (August 11, 1949)
  • “Big Danger” (August 18, 1949)
  • “The Snowball” (August 25, 1949)
  • “Scrub Woman” (September 1, 1949)
  • “Peace Mission” (September 8, 1949)
  • “The Maniac” (September 15, 1949)
  • “The Blackmailer” (September 22, 1949)
  • “The Unstandard Model” (September 29, 1949)
  • “The Weasel” (October 6, 1949)
  • “Museum Of Murder” (October 13, 1949)
  • “The Coffin” (October 20, 1949)
  • “The Vampire” (October 27, 1949)
  • “Fall Of The Cards” (November 3, 1949)
  • “Thunderbolt” (November 10, 1949)
  • “The Upholsterer” (November 17, 1949)
  • “A Gift For Thanksgiving” (November 24, 1949)
  • “Murder At The Auction” (December 1, 1949)
  • “Witness For The Prosecution” (December 6, 1949)
  • “Appointment For Murder” (December 15, 1949)
  • “A Picture” (December 22, 1949)
  • “The Chisler” (December 29, 1949)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  • “Justice” (January 5, 1950)
  • “Love Story” (January 12, 1950)
  • “Wanted — A Gun” (January 19, 1950)
  • “Unsolved Murder” (January 26, 1950)
  • “Four Forefingers” (February 2, 1950)
  • “Bad Hunch” (February 9, 1950)
  • “Girl Hitch-Hiker” (February 16, 1950)
  • “The Jinx” (February 23, 1950)
  • “Bad Little Babe” (March 2, 1950)
  • “The Quarrel” (March 9, 1950)
  • “Platonic Friendship” (March 16, 1950)
  • “Rest Cure Murder” (March 23, 1950)
  • “Death Calls A Number” (March 30, 1950)
  • “The Fire” (April 6, 1950)
  • “The Disappearance Of Mr. Dizzel” (April 13, 1950)
  • “Junior Bad Man” (April 20, 1950)
  • “Dead Pigeon” (April 27, 1950)
  • “The Suicide” (May 4, 1950)
  • “The Diamonds Of Mrs. Divonne” (May 11, 1950)
  • “Buried Treasure” (May 18, 1950)
  • “Doll Face” (May 25, 1950)
  • “Death Threat” (June 1, 1950)
  • “Unknown Passenger” (June 8, 1950)
  • “Unlucky Numbers” (June 15, 1950)
  • “Freak House”” (June 22, 1950)
  • “The Master Mind” (June 29, 1950)
  • “Collision” (July 6, 1950)
  • “Murder At The Yacht Club” (July 6, 1950)
  • “Lorelie Killer” (July 6, 1950)
  • “The Red Hots” (July 27, 1950)
  • “Written In Blood” (August 3, 1950)
  • “The Love Death” (July 10, 1950)
  • “Gun Crazy” (July 17, 1950)
  • “The Women With Golden Hair” (July 24, 1950)
  • “The Fatal Visitor” (July 31, 1950)
  • “The Mascot” (September 7, 1950)
  • “Hit And Run” (September 14, 1950)
  • “Inside Job” (September 21, 1950)
  • “Man Of Mystery” (September 28, 1950)
  • “Alibi” (October 5, 1950)
  • “The Eyes Of Death” (October 5, 1950)
  • “Scheme For Liquidation” (October 12, 1950)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  • “On the Spot” (October 26, 1950)
  • “The Deadly Wolf” (November 2, 1950)
  • “The Woman Of Mystery” (November 9, 1950)
  • “The Upholsterer” (November 16, 1950)
  • “Wanted: A Gun” (January 19, 1950)
• CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER (aka “CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER”)
  • “Road Angel” (January 13, 1954)
  • “Source Of Information” (January 20, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (January 20, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (February 3, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (February 10, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (February 17, 1954)
  • “Portrait Of An Artist” (February 24, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (March 3, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (March 10, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (March 17, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (March 24, 1954)
  • “Dateline” (March 31, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (April 7, 1954)
  • “Full Circle” (April 7, 1954)
  • “Casey Visits A Circus” (April 7, 1954)
  • “Yellow Streak” (May 12, 1954)
  • ” Title Unknown” (May 19, 1954)
  • “The Legacy” (May 26, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (June 2, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (June 9, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (June 16, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (June 23, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (June 30, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (July 7, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (July 14, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (July 21, 1954)
  • “Target Unknown” (July 28, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (August 4, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (August 11, 1954)
  • “Title Unknown” (August 18, 1954)
  • “The Moth” (August 25, 1954)
  • “Man In Brown” (September 1, 1954)
  • “For The Family Honor” (September 8, 1954)
  • “Death In The Rain” (September 15, 1954)
  • “Street Carnival” (September 22, 1954)
  • “The Strangling Ghost” (September 29, 1954)
  • “The Protection Racket” (October 8, 1954)
  • “Life For Sale” (October 15, 1954)
  • “The Football” (October 22, 1954)
  • “Black Magic” (October 29, 1954)
  • “Showdown” (November 5, 1954)
  • “Widgeon Is A Ducky Word!” (November 12, 1954)
  • “Poor Little Rich Kid” (November 19, 1954)
  • “No Publicity” (November 26, 1954)
  • “Juanita” (December 3, 1954)
  • “What’s In A Name?” (December 10, 1954)
  • “Ex-Cop” (December 17, 1954)
  • “A Red Wagon For Junior” (December 24, 1954)
  • “A Dead Man’s Message” (January 7, 1955)
  • “Peaches” (January 14, 1955)
  • “Criminal For A Day” (January 21, 1955)
  • “The Watchdog” (January 28, 1955)
  • “The Late Unlamented” (February 4, 1955)
  • “Valentine” (February 11, 1955)
  • “One Grave For Three” (February 18, 1955)
  • “Panic” (February 25, 1955)
  • “Bogey-Man Story” (March 4, 1955)
  • “Title Unknown” (March 11, 1955)
  • “Check — And Double Check” (March 18, 1955)
  • “Death Watch” (March 25, 1955)
  • “Death Visits Five” (April 1, 1955)
  • “Top Secret” (April 8, 1955)
  • “Battleground” (April 15, 1955)
  • “Circus Kodiak Bear Goes Amuck” (April 22, 1955)

PLAYS

• CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER (1950) | Buy the script
  (1950)
  Three-act play
  Based on characters created by George Harmon Coxe
  Written by Stephen Bristol (pseudonym of Wilbur Braun)
  Not sure when it originally played, but it did make its way to Montreal in 1952, and played at the Westminster Central United Church Hall on Atwater for two nights, performed by the Avon Players, with Alf Glenen as Casey. Also in the production were Phyllis Glenen, Pat Copland, Jean Funchion, Bill Owens, John Royal, Thelma May and Lorna Sly.

TELEVISION

• 

  CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  (1951-52, CBS)30-minute episodes
  53 30-minte episodes
  Premiere: April 19, 1951
  Broadcast live from New York City
  Based on the stories by George Harmon Coxe
  Writers: James P. Cavanagh, Ben Radin, Alvin Sapinsley, Carol Warner Gluck, Harry W. Junkin, Edmund Morris, Alonzo Deen Cole, Max Ehrlich, Raphael Hayes, Gail Ingram, Harry Ingram, Harry Kurnitz, Sheldon Reynolds, Robert J. Shaw, John T. Chapman, Nelson Gidding
  Directors: Curt Conway, Sidney Lumet
  Music: Morton Gould
  Producers: Charles Russell, Martin Manulis
  Starring Richard Carlyle as FLASHGUN CASEY (April-June 1951)
  with John Gibson as Ethelbert (April-June 1951)
  Also Darren McGavin as FLASHGUN CASEY (June 1951-1952)
  with Cliff Hall as Ethelbert (June 1951-June 1952)
  Also starring Jan Miner as Ann Williams
  Donald McClelland as Captain Logan
  And Archie Smith as Jack Lipman
  with The Tony Mottola Trio as The Blue Note Cafe Musicians

1. • SEASON ONE
   • “Model Alibi” (April 19, 1951)
   • “The Case of the Beautiful Brunettes” (May 3, 1951)
   • “Deadline Midnight” (May 17, 1951)
   • “The Gentle Strangler” (May 24, 1951)
   • “The Third Bridegroom” (May 31, 1951)
   • “The Frightened Mouse” (June 7, 1951)
   • “Double Negative” (June 21, 1951)
   • “A Picture of the Duchess” (June 28, 1951)
   • “Retirement of Willie” (July 5, 1951)
   • “The Case of The Scowling Boy” ( July 12, 1951)
   • “The Getaway” ( July 19, 1951)
   • “The Honest Jockey” (July 26, 1951)
   • “The Sandhog” (August 2, 1951)
   • “Sudden Death” (August 9, 1951)
   • “Murder on the Inside” (August 16, 1951)
   • “Political Scheming” (August 23, 1951)
   • “The Road Back to Prison” (August 30, 1951)
   • SEASON TWO
   • “The Judge Meets a Deadline” (September 7, 1951)
   • “Babies for Sale” (September 13, 1951)
   • “Brains” (September 20, 1951)
   • “The Clean-up” (September 27, 1951)
   • “The Hero” (October 4, 1951)
   • “The Torch” (October 11, 1951)
   • “The Fix” (October 18, 1951)
   • “The Blue Hand” (October 25, 1951)
   • “The Posse” (November 1, 1951)
   • “Air Tight” (November 8, 1951)
   • “Unlucky Number” (November 15, 1951)
   • “The Coward” (November 22, 1951)
   • “The Juror” (November 29, 1951)
   • “Clay Pigeon” (December 6, 1951)
   • “Blueprint for Danger” (January 10, 1952)
   • “The Long Fall” (January 17, 1952)
   • “A Little Extra Income” (January 24, 1952)
   • “The Fall Guy” (January 31, 1952)
   • “Key Witness” (February 7, 1952)
   • “Tax on Decency” (February 14, 1952)
   • “The Dirt Peddlar” (February 21, 1952)
   • “The Easy Way” (February 28, 1952)
   • “Black Widow” (March 13, 1952)
   • “Longshore (March 20, 1952)
   • “Second Chance (March 27, 1952)
   • “Old Dog, New Tricks” (April 3, 1952)
   • “Good Turn” (April 17, 1952)
   • “Double Entry” (April 24, 1952)
   • “The Last Mobster” (May 1, 1952)
   • “Agency of Death” (May 8, 1952)
   • “Blackmail” (May 22, 1952)
   • “A Score to Settle” (May 29, 1952)
   • “Hero Comes Home” (June 5, 1952)
   • “Tall Steel Nightmare” (June 12, 1952)
   • “Letter of the Law” (June 19, 1952)
   • “Reward” (June 26, 1952)

COMICS

• CASEY — CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER
  (1949-1950, TimelyPublications)
  Four issues
  Artists: Vern Henkel
  Editor: Stan Lee
  Tie-in to radio show, featured photo-covers of Staats Cotsworth, who played Casey on the radio show. But after four issues, Marvel changed the title and theme of the comic book to Two-Gun Western.
  • (August 1949, #1)
  • “The Sinister Carnival!” (October 1949, #2)
  • “Face-To-Face With The Strangler!” (October 1949, #2)
  • “Trapped By The Penny Plunderers!” (October 1949, #2)
  • (December 1949, #3)
  • (February 1950, #4)

AUDIO CDS

• Casey, Crime Photographer Collection: Snapshots of Mystery (2012) | Buy this set
  This Radio Spirits collection rounds up 16 tales from the shows long-long run.

REFERENCE

• Cox, J. Randolph, & David Siegal
  Flashgun Casey, Crime Photographer: From the Pulps to Radio & Beyond | Buy this book
  (Bear Manor Media, 2011)
  An impressively exhaustive deep-dive into the world of Casey, featuring extensive (and detailed) listings of every one of his appearances in the fiction, radio, film, television and beyond. Who knew?

FURTHER INVESTIGATION

• Flashgun Casey by George Harmon Coxe
  Straight from the author’s mouth comes this great profile of Casey, circa 1977, taken from Otto Penzler’s 1978 book The Great Detectives.
• “Casey, Crime Photographer: Live From The Blue Note”
  A great piece by Elizabeth McLeod on the importance of setting as used on the radio show. It appeared on the Radio Spirits site, to mark the 69th anniversary of the radio premiere of the Casey series on July 7th, 2012.
• Ah, Boston, You’re My Home
  Beantown Eyes
• Stop the Presses!
  Reporters, Journalists and Other Newshawks
• Eyes on the No-Prize
  Other private eyes from the Marvel Universe.

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.