Created by Steve Fisher
Pseudonyms include Stephen Gould, Grant Lane
(1912-80)
Tony calls himself an “Exclusive Representative” to the stars, with a swank office on Hollywood Boulevard, but what he really is is a fixer, usually working for the studios, usually cleaning up the messes left behind by their troublesome pampered pets, and keeping assorted actors, directors and even screenwriters out of the papers… or prison. A snazzy dresser, his true blue gal Friday is platinum blonde Betty Gale, and his cop frenemy is little Mickey Ryan of the Homicide Squad.
And although his true occupation may only be known to the Hays Office, the LAPD and a handful of bight producers and studio executives, he is introduced in his first story, “Death on Set 13,” as “the world’s highest paid detective.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Fisher was a US Naval officer who had already peened over 200 articles for various service publications before he mustered out and moved to New York City to become a professional writer. He wrote for the pulps initially, churning out hundreds of tales (including several featuring Doc Savage), but mostly crime and detective stories, before turning to writing novels and screenplays the movie industry. He worked on the screenplay for Song of the Thin Man and the Chandler adaptation of The Lady in the Lake (yeeesh!), but he’s probably best known for his novel I Wake Up Screaming, which was adapted into the 1941 classic noir film of the same title starring Victor Mature. According to his son, Fisher was responsible for close to 100 novels, over 900 short stories, and 120 movies or television screenplays. Other private eyes include Kip Muldane and Johnny Ryan.
SHORT STORIES
- “Death on Set 13” (March 27, 1937, Detective Story Weekly)
- “Murder Game—With Mirrors” (May 15, 1937, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Batten Down That Killer” (June 19 1937, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Murder at Eight” (August 1937, Black Mask)
- “Mystery at Malibu” (November 20 1937, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “If Christmas Comes–” (December 25, 1937, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Me and Mickey Mouse” (January 22, 1938, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Hollywood Party” ( June 1938, Black Mask)
- “The Glamour and the Glory” (September 3, 1938, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Pennies on Your Eyes” (October 22 1938, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Goodbye to Hollywood” (December 10 1938, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Cinderella Wore Black” (April 19 1941, Detective Fiction Weekly)
- “Rain in Hollywood” (July 26 1941, Detective Fiction Weekly)
COLLECTIONS
- Murder at Eight: The Complete Black Mask Cases, Volume 1 (2024) | Buy this book
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
