Johnny Fletcher
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Johnny Fletcher
| series =
| image =
| caption =
| first = The French Key
| last = Swing Low, Swing Dead
| creator = Frank Gruber
| portrayer = Albert Dekker
Bill Goodwin
| gender = Male
| occupation = Detective
| nationality = American
}}
Johnny Fletcher is a fictional character created by Frank Gruber. Fletcher is a con-man and reluctant amateur detective. The character was the protagonist of several mystery novels published between 1940 and 1964. Additionally, he was featured in a feature film adaptation scripted by Gruber, and a short lived radio series.
Overview
Fletcher and his sidekick Sam Cragg are small time scam artists. Fletcher is the brains, and the muscular Cragg the brawn. They often stumble upon crimes, and reluctantly end attempting to solve them. They often pose as private detectives.{{cite web |title=Johnny Fletcher & Sam Cragg |url=https://thrillingdetective.com/2020/06/01/johnny-fletcher-sam-cragg/ |website=The Thrilling Detective Website |date=June 2020 |accessdate=26 February 2022}}
List of stories
=Novels=
- The French Key aka Once Over Deadly (1940)
- The Laughing Fox (1940)
- The Hungry Dog aka Die Like a Dog (1941)
- The Navy Colt (1941)
- The Talking Clock (1941)
- The Gift Horse aka Heir to Homicide (1942)
- The Mighty Blockhead aka The Corpse Moved Upstairs (1942)
- The Silver Tombstone aka The Silver Tombstone Mystery (1945)
- The Honest Dealer aka Double Dealer (1947)
- The Whispering Master (1947)
- The Scarlet Feather aka The Gamecock Murder (1948)
- The Leather Duke aka A Job of Murder (1949)
- The Limping Goose (1954)
- The Corpse Moved Upstairs (1964)
- Swing Low Swing Dead (1964){{cite web |title=Johnny Fletcher, P.I. |url=https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/frank-gruber/johnny-fletcher-pi/ |website=fantasticfiction.com |accessdate=26 February 2022}}
=Short stories=
Adaptations
=Film=
In 1946, Gruber adapted The French Key into a feature film, starring Albert Dekker as Fletcher and Mike Mazurki as Cragg.{{cite news |title=Princess Theater |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23349560/princess_theater/ |work=The Tennessean |date=September 15, 1946 |location=Tennessee, Nashville |page=30|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = September 1, 2018}} {{Open access}}{{cite web |title=Frank Gruber's The Adventures of Johnny Fletcher |url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Johnny-Fletcher.html |website=The Digital Deli Too |accessdate=1 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901212702/http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Johnny-Fletcher.html |url-status=dead |archivedate=1 September 2018}}
=Radio series=
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = Johnny Fletcher
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| other_names = A Johnny Fletcher Mystery
| format =
| runtime = 30 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| home_station =
| syndicates = ABC
| television =
| presenter =
| starring = Bill Goodwin
Sheldon Leonard
| announcer = Owen James
John Storm
| creator = Frank Gruber
| writer = Frank Gruber
| director =
| senior_editor =
| editor =
| producer = Bill Rousseau
Hal Finberg
| exec_producer =
| narrated =
| rec_location =
| rem_location =
| oth_location =
| first_aired = {{Start date|1948|05|30}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1948|11|27}}
| num_series =
| num_episodes =
| audio_format =
| opentheme =
| othertheme =
| endtheme =
| sponsor =
| website =
| podcast =
}}
Johnny Fletcher is an American old-time radio comedy-detective drama. It was broadcast weekly on ABC from May 30, 1948, until November 27, 1948.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22Fletcher+comedy%22+%22Broadcast+History:+May+30+Nov+27,+1948%22&pg=PA373 |last=Dunning |first=John |author-link=John Dunning (detective fiction author) |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |date=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3 |pages=373–374|edition=Revised |access-date=2019-10-30}} The program was also known as A Johnny Fletcher Mystery.{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows|date=1999|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|isbn=978-0-7864-4513-4|page=178}}
Radio historian Jim Cox, in his book, Radio Crime Fighters: Over 300 Programs from the Golden Age, describes Fletcher as "inept" and "frequently drunk".{{cite book|last1=Cox|first1=Jim|title=Radio Crime Fighters: Over 300 Programs from the Golden Age|date=2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-4324-6|pages=146–147}} The program's plots usually involved murder or other kinds of mayhem that Fletcher and his partner, Sam Cragg, tried to solve. As an example, "The Whispering Master" episode (previewed in a contemporary newspaper) began with an "unidentified but beautiful young woman" kissing Fletcher and suddenly departing, leaving behind a popular recording.{{cite news |title=Johnny Fletcher Gets Embroiled in Radio Play Murder |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23418263/johnny_fletcher/ |work=The Winona Republican-Herald |date=June 12, 1948 |location=Minnesota, Winona |page=4}} As the plot unfolded, Fletcher had to solve the murder of the singer who recorded the song.
Gruber originally sold the rights to his Fletcher novels to NBC in 1946.{{cite news |title=Programs |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/46-OCR/1946-03-25-BC-OCR-Page-0092.pdf |accessdate=4 September 2018 |work=Broadcasting |date=March 25, 1946 |page=90}} An audition recording of Johnny Fletcher Mysteries featured Albert Dekker as Fletcher and Mike Mazurki as Sam, reprising their roles from the film version of The French Key. The pilot episode was an adaptation of the novel, The Navy Colt. Two years later, ABC bought the rights to the program from NBC and produced Johnny Fletcher.
On the ABC version, Fletcher was portrayed by Bill Goodwin, while Sam was played by Sheldon Leonard. The announcers were Owen James and John Storm. Gruber wrote the scripts, and Buzz Adlam provided the music. Producers were Bill Rousseau and Hal Finberg.{{cite news |title=Production |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/48-OCR/1948-10-04-BC-OCR-Page-0093.pdf |accessdate=3 September 2018 |work=Broadcasting |date=October 4, 1948 |page=85}}
=Television=
Gruber wrote the April 4, 1950 episode of the anthology series Suspense titled 1000 To One.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gi9JAAAAIBAJ&pg=3172%2C900799&q=WEWS-TV+Paul+Stewart+manager+Champion+television+Suspense+private+detective+Frank+Gruber+Story+1000+One |author= |title=Other Programs Tonight |page=32 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator (Ohio) |date=1950-04-04 |access-date=2024-12-11}} Paul Stewart appeared as the Sam Cragg character.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52904758/?terms=suspense |author=|title=Television |page=21 |newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=1950-04-04 |access-date=2024-12-11 }} Fletcher did not appear.
The February 20, 1961, issue of the trade magazine Broadcasting included Johnny Fletcher in a list of pilots being prepared for the 1961-1962 season. Gruber was the producer of the episode, which starred Johnny Goddard and Read Morgan.{{cite news |title=The Cowboys Are Being Put to Pasture |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/61-OCR/1961-02-20-BC-OCR-Page-0128.pdf#search=%22johnny%20fletcher%22 |work=Broadcasting |date=February 20, 1961 |page=130}}