George Harmon Coxe (April 23, 1901 – January 31, 1984) was an American writer of crime fiction. He created the series featuring crime scene photographer Jack "Flashgun" Casey, which became a popular radio show airing through to the 1940s.
Early years
Coxe grew up in Olean, New York, where he was born, and Elmira, New York.[1] He graduated from Elmira Free Academy,[2] then attended Cornell and Purdue for one year each and then worked for newspapers in New York, Florida, and California. After working for a printer for five years, he became a full-time writer.[1]
Overview
June 1942 issue of Black Mask magazine, featuring Coxe's character "Flashgun" Casey
Coxe started writing around 1922, initially working as a newspaperman and penning stories for nickel-and-dime pulp fiction publications. To maximize his earnings, he originally wrote in many genres, including romance and adventure stories. But he was especially fond of crime fiction and soon made it his specialty.[citation needed] He wrote his first book in 1935.[3]
His series characters in the mystery genre are Jack "Flashgun" Casey, Kent Murdock, Leon Morley, Sam Crombie, Max Hale and Jack Fenner. Casey and Murdock are both detectives and photographers. Coxe wrote a total of 63 novels, the last being published in 1975. He was associated with MGM as a writer.
Married to Elizabeth Fowler in 1929, Coxe had two children.[citation needed]
He wrote a total of 63 novels starting in 1937, the last being published in 1975.
Periodicals
Coxe appeared regularly in the pulp magazine Black Mask from 1934 to 1943.
Radio and television
Coxe's stories formed the basis for Dr. Standish, Medical Examiner, which debuted on CBS radio on July 1, 1948. Gary Merrill starred as Standish, who helped police "in cases involving sudden death under mysterious circumstances".[5] The Standish stories were published in national magazines.[5]
