Frank Gruber (1) (1904–1969)

“By now Mr. Holmes has exchanged his violin for a harp!” — Mr. Courtney

“You're assuming heaven is his destination?” — Hilda Courtney

To most of us on the planet, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are the only Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson we can accept in the role. This entry in the “B” series from Universal is a bit unusual, sort of a hybrid between the two “A” pictures made at Fox and the fun “B” franchise which came afterward. It retains some of the humor and fun of the latter, but also has a more straightforward story in the Holmes vein. This is mostly due to it being based on one of Conan Doyle's stories, albeit updated to modern London. Viewers will find it amusing when Holmes teases Watson about his latest story, A Scandal in Bohemia, appearing in The Strand magazine!

This one starts off with the production of music boxes in prison which find their way to auction. Though plain and ordinary looking, the tune is quite unusual, and apparently of great value. When Watson’s old pal Stinky is murdered over the one he purchased, Holmes manages to outwit a formidable foe in the lovely but black hearted Mrs. Courtney (Patricia Morison) and obtains one of the three sold at auction. He discovers a code within the Australian tune and the game is afoot to prevent another murder and financial disaster for England.

Morison was quite lovely and proves a worthy opponent for our favorite Londoner, actually besting him at one point and nearly disposing of him! Directed by Roy William Neill as usual, fans of the “B” films may find this a bit less energetic than some of the others, having more in common in tone with the two made at Fox. It is quite enjoyable, however, and has a terrific line from Watson at its conclusion fans will relish. A fine entry in the Universal franchise, and one fans must have.… (mehr)

Your enthusiasm (or lack thereof) for The Limping Goose will depend largely on your mood. If you're up for a screwball detective yarn, this book fits the bill; Frank Gruber wasn't as funny as Norbert Davis (who had a singular talent for injecting comedy into the standard hard-boiled proceedings), but he could hold his own with, say, Richard Sale. If you're not feeling especially zany, however, you may want to read something else. Fast-talking New York con artist Johnny Fletcher (accompanied by his sidekick, dopey strongman Sam Cragg) hires himself out as a detective to scrape up rent money, and has assorted misadventures as he tries to determine who murdered a business tycoon's son. It's a brisk, kinda-sorta entertaining read, but the premise is just a one-note gag...and the gag has to be relentlessly maintained on every page, lest the story fall apart. Fletcher is supposed to sound clever, but too often he comes across as shrill and pointlessly hostile. Not for a moment is the reader fooled into believing that any of this could happen in the real world; from start to finish, the novel reads like a cartoon.

Gruber was a skilled writer (his horror story "The Thirteenth Floor" is a masterpiece), and the Johnny Fletcher series was a long-running, popular one. The Limping Goose just wasn't my cup of tea, and therefore lands in the won't-read-it-again pile. (Originally published in 1954; reissued as Murder One in 1973.)… (mehr)

This volume contains two westerns that are longer than a short story and less then a novel in length. The Man From Missouri is about Les Bowman who is fleeing an outlaw past in Missouri by taking a train to Texas. On the rain he witnesses a young woman being harassed by some drunken cowboys. He intercedes and makes enemies of the cowboys which becomes an issue as they get off the train in the same town that he is going to to take over a ranch he inherited.

The plot is fairly complicated as the girl's father is one of the big ranchers trying to squeeze the little guys out. The ranch that Bowman inherited is right amongst the big three and by controlling the water controls the land which makes him a big target. Continuous action makes this a quick read.

The second novella concerns notorious gunman, John Vickers, who returns to his hometown in Texas but faces continuous harassment from the locals. However when the local disreputable politicians and ranchers start freezing out the little guys, Vickers' help is appreciated. Another plot that never slows down although the gunfight at the end seemed a bit unrealistically staged for me and a story ending that seemed to say the author ran out of ideas on how to bring it to a conclusion.… (mehr)