The Canary Murder Case
Encyclopedia
The Canary Murder Case (1927) is a murder mystery novel which deals with the murders of a sexy nightclub singer known as "the Canary," and eventually, that of her boyfriend, solved by Philo Vance
. S. S. Van Dine
's classic whodunnit, second in the Philo Vance series, is said by Howard Haycraft to have broken "all modern publishing records for detective fiction.". The earliest editions give the title with quotation marks around the word "Canary" but most subsequent editions omit them.
Some contemporary reviews:
"A model of everything a detective story should be -- a monument, a cathedral amongst detective stories." Arnold Palmer in the London Sphere. "Not only a rattling good yarn that holds you to the end -- it's an education in itself. ... Belongs to the aristocracy of detective fiction." Harry Hansen in the New York World. "One of the most ingenious and thrilling tales of crime that I have seen. Philo Vance is an original and fascinating person." William Lyon Phelps.
The Canary Murder Mystery today is primarily of interest as a classic puzzle mystery
with an interesting mechanical solution. "It should be said that the best of the Van Dine stories are models of construction. Utterly remote from real life, they remain fascinating by strict adherence to the rules of their own dotty logic, and through their creator's self-absorbed immersion in his own work.".
Author and radio raconteur Jean Shepherd
cited The Canary Murder Case as his earliest literary inspriration. One detailed discussion was during his February 1, 1968 broadcast on WOR
.
, was made by Paramount Pictures
in 1929, directed by Malcolm St. Clair
and Frank Tuttle
and starring William Powell
as Philo Vance and Louise Brooks
as the Canary.
Philo Vance
Philo Vance featured in 12 crime novels written by S. S. Van Dine , published in the 1920s and 1930s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, movies, and on the radio. He was portrayed as a stylish, even foppish dandy, a New York bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent...
. S. S. Van Dine
S. S. Van Dine
S. S. Van Dine was the pseudonym of Willard Huntington Wright , a U.S art critic and author. He created the once immensely popular fictional detective Philo Vance, who first appeared in books in the 1920s, then in movies and on the radio.-Early life and career:Willard Huntington Wright was born...
's classic whodunnit, second in the Philo Vance series, is said by Howard Haycraft to have broken "all modern publishing records for detective fiction.". The earliest editions give the title with quotation marks around the word "Canary" but most subsequent editions omit them.
Plot summary
The beautiful Margaret Odell, famous Broadway beauty and ex-Follies girl known as "The Canary", is found murdered in her apartment. She has a number of men in her life, ranging from high society to gangsters, and more than one man visited her apartment on the night she dies. It is Philo Vance's characteristic erudition that leads him to a key clue that allows him to penetrate a very clever alibi and reveal the killer. "The strangeness, the daring, the seeming impenetrability of the crime marked it as one of the most singular and astonishing cases in New York's police annals; and had it not been for Philo Vance's participation in its solution, I firmly believe it would have remained one of the great unsolved mysteries of this country."Literary significance & criticism
"It is difficult now to grasp the extent of Van Dine's success in America, and to a much lesser extent in Britain. ... Van Dine's second book was on the American best-seller lists for months ... It was said that he had lifted the detective story on to the plane of a fine art, and by his own account he was the favourite crime writer of two Presidents.".Some contemporary reviews:
"A model of everything a detective story should be -- a monument, a cathedral amongst detective stories." Arnold Palmer in the London Sphere. "Not only a rattling good yarn that holds you to the end -- it's an education in itself. ... Belongs to the aristocracy of detective fiction." Harry Hansen in the New York World. "One of the most ingenious and thrilling tales of crime that I have seen. Philo Vance is an original and fascinating person." William Lyon Phelps.
The Canary Murder Mystery today is primarily of interest as a classic puzzle mystery
Puzzle mystery
The puzzle mystery is a sub-genre of detective fiction where the emphasis is on the "whodunnit" aspect. The entire novel or film is oriented to the puzzle and its solution, and characterization takes a distinctly secondary place....
with an interesting mechanical solution. "It should be said that the best of the Van Dine stories are models of construction. Utterly remote from real life, they remain fascinating by strict adherence to the rules of their own dotty logic, and through their creator's self-absorbed immersion in his own work.".
Author and radio raconteur Jean Shepherd
Jean Shepherd
Jean Parker Shepherd was an American raconteur, radio and TV personality, writer and actor who was often referred to by the nickname Shep....
cited The Canary Murder Case as his earliest literary inspriration. One detailed discussion was during his February 1, 1968 broadcast on WOR
WOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
A film, The Canary Murder CaseThe Canary Murder Case (film)
The Canary Murder Case is a crime/mystery film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Malcolm St. Clair and Frank Tuttle.The screenplay was written by S.S. Van Dine , Albert S. Le Vino and Florence Ryerson, based on novel The Canary Murder Case by S.S...
, was made by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1929, directed by Malcolm St. Clair
Malcolm St. Clair (filmmaker)
Malcolm St. Clair was a Hollywood film director, writer, producer and actor, he was sometimes credited as Mal St Clair. A disciple of Mack Sennett, St. Clair was an actor in many films primarily comedies. At 6'7" he can be seen in such Sennett films as Yankee Doodle in Berlin, towering over the...
and Frank Tuttle
Frank Tuttle
Frank Tuttle was a Hollywood film director and writer who directed films from 1922 to 1959 ....
and starring William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as Philo Vance and Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
as the Canary.