{{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<br>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.<ref name=dd2/> 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.<ref name="Johnny Fletcher & Sam Cragg">{{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}}</ref>
==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)<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="Johnny Fletcher & Sam Cragg"/>
===Short stories=== * ''The Sad Serbian'' (1939) (features Sam Cragg only) * ''The Laughing Fox'' (1940)<ref name="Johnny Fletcher & Sam Cragg"/>
==Adaptations== ===Film=== In 1946, Gruber adapted ''The French Key'' into a feature film, starring Albert Dekker as Fletcher and Mike Mazurki as Cragg.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="dd2">{{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}}</ref>
===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<br>Sheldon Leonard | announcer = Owen James<br>John Storm | creator = Frank Gruber | writer = Frank Gruber | director = | senior_editor = | editor = | producer = Bill Rousseau<br>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 = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> | podcast = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} '''''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.<ref name="dunningota">{{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}}</ref> The program was also known as '''''A Johnny Fletcher Mystery'''.''<ref name="rp">{{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}}</ref>
Radio historian Jim Cox, in his book, ''Radio Crime Fighters: Over 300 Programs from the Golden Age'', describes Fletcher as "inept" and "frequently drunk".<ref name="rcf">{{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}}</ref> The program's plots usually involved murder or other kinds of mayhem that Fletcher and his partner, Sam Cragg, tried to solve.<ref name="rcf" /> 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.<ref name=wrh>{{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}}</ref> As the plot unfolded, Fletcher had to solve the murder of the singer who recorded the song.<ref name=wrh/>
Gruber originally sold the rights to his Fletcher novels to NBC in 1946.<ref name=b>{{cite news |title=Programs |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/46-OCR/1946-03-25-BC-OCR-Page-0092.pdf |access-date=4 September 2018 |work=Broadcasting |date=March 25, 1946 |page=90}}</ref> 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''.<ref name=dd2/>
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.<ref name=rcf/> Producers were Bill Rousseau and Hal Finberg.<ref>{{cite news |title=Production |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/48-OCR/1948-10-04-BC-OCR-Page-0093.pdf |access-date=3 September 2018 |work=Broadcasting |date=October 4, 1948 |page=85}}</ref>
===Television=== Gruber wrote the April 4, 1950 episode of the anthology series ''Suspense'' titled ''1000 To One''.<ref name="Vindicator">{{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=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Other Programs Tonight |page=32 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator (Ohio) |date=1950-04-04 |access-date=2024-12-11}}</ref> Paul Stewart appeared as the Sam Cragg character.<ref name=Brooklyn_>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/52904758/?terms=suspense |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Television |page=21 |newspaper=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=1950-04-04 |access-date=2024-12-11 }}</ref> 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 John Goddard and Read Morgan.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Cowboys Are Being Put to Pasture |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/61-OCR/1961-02-20-BC-OCR-Page-0128.pdf |work=Broadcasting |date=February 20, 1961 |page=130}}</ref>
== References == {{Portal|Radio}} {{Reflist}}
<!--- Categories ---> Category:1948 radio programme debuts Category:1948 radio programme endings Category:ABC radio programs Fletcher, Johnny Category:Detective radio shows Fletcher, Johnny Fletcher, Johnny Category:1940s American radio programs