edgar a. whitney – SMB Noir

June 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

June 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Reward Chaser”, 5^th of 7, Beeker at SF World’s Fair, 19^th of 21 stories in BM

~ Tiah Devitt, “For a Million Dollars”, ‘Joey narrates a crime to the Warden’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Death Plays Seventeen”, 10th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Theodore A. Tinsley, “Guide to Murder”, ‘24th (of 25) Jerry Tracy capers, columnist on the (NYC) Planet, ‘mixer with poor and rich, the crooked and the straight, trailer of trouble and happiness’, ‘murder at the World’s Fair’, reprinted in Station K-I-L-L: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Jerry Tracy, vol.3 (Steeger, 2024), 25th of 26 stories in BM

~ Lawrence Treat, “Sing a Song of Murder”, ‘G-man’, 3rd of 5 stories in BM

~ Ralph Winnett, “Poison Gloves”, ‘boxing’, author’s only appearance in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

August 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

August 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Frederick C. Davis, “All Roads Closed”, ‘kidnapping & amnesia’, 9^th of 16 stories in BM

~ Mindret Lord, “The Tattooed Tramp”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Hay Time”, ‘11th (of 14) in Pat McCarthy series, with Marge Chalmers often his “sidekick”; he is ex-NYC cop, ex-agency man (Chicago & St. Louis) who dislikes cops’, 38th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Lawrence Treat, “Swampers’ Gold”, ‘pirate treasure’, 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Edward S. Williams, “Bloody Answers”, ‘Corporal John Harmon, State Trooper, narrator’, 5th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Men Must Die”, 12th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

March 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

March 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Renegade in Rio”, 4^th of 7 Beeker stories, ‘see p. 31 for note on “Beek”’, 18^th of 21 stories in BM

~ William E. Brandon, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, ‘actually has sympathetic black character’, 2^nd of 7 stories in BM

~ Kenneth A. Fowler, “Escape”, ‘short-short’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Take It or Leave It”, ‘3^rd and last Pete Wennick story’, 93rd of 100 appearances in BM

~ Frank Gruber, “The Sad Serbian”, ‘small-time con man in Chi.’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), 11th of 14 stories in BM

~ Elmer E. Meadows, “Alias Mr. Fate”, ‘Jewish boy in NYC’s ghetto’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ H.H. Stinson, “You Gotta Live Right”, ‘Arizona’, 11th of 27 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

January 1940 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

January 1940 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~Robert Arthur, “Too Much Static”, ‘patrol cop’, 1^st of 2 appearances in BM but only original story to appear

~Maurice Beam, “Ham Strung”, small-town hardware store owner, 1^st-person narrator (thought to be possibly a pseud. of Robert Leslie Bellem), 4^th of 7 under this name in BM

~ Wyatt Blassingame, “Some Call It Murder”, 1^st with Bishop, pegged-legged political writer for a Southern newspaper, 1^st of 6 in series, 2^nd of 8 stories in BM

~ Peter Paige, “Voodoo Frame”, ‘Cash Wale, 1^st person narrator, employee in Moonglow, an amusement park’, 3rd of 12 stories in BM

~ William B. Rainey, “The Garden of Violent Death”, ‘Philip Dumaine, New Orleans private gumshoe & Negro sidekick, Ben Bolt’, pseudonym of Wyatt Blassingame, only appearance in BM under this name

~ H.H. Stinson, “This Murder’s On Me”, ‘Van Hogan, Worldwide Agency dick, 1^st -person narrator’, 13th of 27 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Death Calls the Hand”, ‘13th (of 14) in Pat McCarthy series, with Marge Chalmers often his “sidekick”; he is ex-NYC cop, ex-agency man (Chicago & St. Louis) who dislikes cops’, ‘ see p. 81 for letter from RT on story’, 41st of 50 appearances in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

December 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Blood in the Snow”, Beeker (7^thand last Beeker story), DVB’s 21^stand last BM story

~ William R. Cox, “Accounting in Blood”, CCC bookkeeper, 2^nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Bayard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “Clear As Crystal”, 12th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Peter Paige, “Swastika Scourge”, ’Nazi spies on the high seas; see p. 111 for letter from PP’, 2^nd of 12 stories in BM

~ Stewart Sterling (pseud. of Prentice Winchell), “Straight Across the Board”, last of 3 stories with Vince Mallie, ‘at the races’, 3rd of 12 stories

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Through a Dead Man’s Eye”, ‘boy vs. murderer’, 15th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

October 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

October 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Dwight V. Babcock, “Murder on the Gayway”, 6^th of 7 Beeker stories, ‘SF World’s Fair, Treasure Island Nude Ranch’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), 20^th of 21 stories in BM

~ William Cole, “Waiting for Rusty”, ‘short-short’, only appearance in BM

~ Tiah Devitt, “The Haunted Inn”, last of 2 stories in BM

~ Mark Harper, “Death Rides Double”, ‘motorcycle cop’, pseudonym of Joseph T. Shaw, editor of BM, only fiction to appear under this name in the magazine

~ Fred Hodgkins, “Strangle-Hold”, 2^nd of 3 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “Moron’s Holiday”, last of 29 stories in BM

~ Roger Torrey, “Kill That Witness”, ‘12th (of 14) in Pat McCarthy series, with Marge Chalmers often his “sidekick”; he is ex-NYC cop, ex-agency man (Chicago & St. Louis) who dislikes cops’, 39th of 50 appearances in BM

~ Cornell Woolrich, “Collared”, ‘see p.31 for letter from CW on this story’, 14th of 24 (22 original) stories to appear in BM

April 1939 issue ~ cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

April 1939 issue

cover art by Edgar A. Whitney

better image than previously posted

~ Frederick C. Davis, “Hide the Evidence”, ‘Johnny Holland; politics & murder’, 8^th of 16 stories in BM

~ Steve Fisher, “Latitude Unknown”, ‘treachery on the high seas’, last of 9 stories in BM

~ B.B. Fowler, “A Sucker Has to Learn”, ‘Rick Sadler, lawyer, born on the wrong side of the tracks’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Fred Hodgkins, “Crime at the Crossing”, ‘death of a little girl’, 1st of 3 stories in BM

~ Baynard H(ardwick) Kendrick, “The Gorgon’s Head”, 9th of 14 stories with Mikes Standish (Stan) Rice, ‘The Hungry’[?], all set in Florida

~ Emile C. Tepperman, “Death – to the Highest Bidder”, ‘Broadway auction house; see p.57 for note by ECT on story’, 2nd of 3 stories in BM