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Encyclopedia > Clayton Rawson

Clayton Rawson (1906 - 1971) was an American mystery writer, editor, and amateur magician. His four novels frequently invoke his great knowledge of stage magic and feature as their fictional detective The Great Merlini. 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Magician redirects here. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Great Merlini is a fictional detective created by Clayton Rawson. ...


He was born in Elyria, Ohio, the son of Clarence D. and Clara (Smith) Rawson. He became a magician when he was 8 years old. He married Catherine Stone in 1929, the same year he graduated from Ohio State University, and they had four children. He moved to Chicago and lived there working as an illustrator. Old county building. ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Ohio. ...


His first novel, Death from a Top Hat, appeared in 1938. Categories: Stub ...


He was one of the four founding members of the Mystery Writers of America, which presents the annual Edgar Awards in various categories of mystery writing. All of his novels were written before the founding of this group, but in 1949 and 1967 Rawson received Special Edgar Awards for his various contributions to mystery writing and the MWA. The Mystery Writers of America are an organization for mystery writers. ... The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars), named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America. ...


At least two movies were made based on the Merlini books. One of them, Miracles for Sale (1939), was evidently based on the Merlini exploits in general but had no character named Merlini. The 1942 movie The Man Who Wouldn't Die, starring Lloyd Nolan, was based on No Coffin for the Corpse, but the Merlini character was replaced by Michael Shayne, a popular fictional private eye at the time, created by the writer Brett Halliday. Lloyd Nolan (left) in The House on 92nd Street Lloyd Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an American film and television actor. ... Brett Halliday (July 31, 1904 - February 4, 1977), primary pen name of Davis Dresser, was an American mystery writer, best known for the long_lived series of Mike Shayne novels he wrote, and later commissioned others to write. ...

Contents

Bibliography

Mystery novels

  • Death from a Top Hat (1938)
  • The Footprints on the Ceiling (1939)
  • The Headless Lady (1940)
  • No Coffin for the Corpse (1942)

Categories: Stub ...

Collections of short stories

  • Death Out of Thin Air (1941) (as Stuart Towne)
  • Pictures Don't Lie (1950)
  • The Great Merlini (1979)

Other books

  • Scarne on Dice (1945) (with John Scarne)
  • Al Baker's Pet Secrets (1951) (with Albert Baker)
  • How to Entertain Children with Magic You Can Do (1963), (as The Great Merlini)
  • The Golden Book of Magic: Amazing Tricks for Young Magicians (1964) (as The Great Merlini)

Orlando Carmelo Scarnecchia (March 4, 1903 - July 7, 1985) was born in Steubenville, Ohio and at some point anglicized his name to John Scarne (). He moved to Fairview, New Jersey as a child. ...

Movies

  • Miracles for Sale (1939) (Death From A Top Hat)
  • The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942) (No Coffin For The Corpse)

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Mystery Writers of America - A Historical Survey (7173 words)
Rawson (well known editor and creator of the "Great Merlini") both named it and served as its first editor.
It was Clayton Rawson's idea to have an annual banquet in which they would give the Edgar® to the best first novel, but in those early days, not to the best novel.
These skits, copies of which remain in the MWA archives, were written by such noted authors as John Dickson Carr, William Roos, Hal Masur, and Clayton Rawson.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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