RARA-AVIS: Re:introduction ... And Harry Whittington

From: David L. Wilson ( dwilson@sccn.net)
Date: 13 Sep 2007


I'm a little fuzzy on my Harry Whittington info right now. I've been working on the next Gil Brewer volume for Stark House. That will include the formerly unpublished Brewer novel, A Devil For O'Shaunessey, which I think a lot of you will enjoy.

Anyway, back to Harry ... Sam Howell was one of the series characters that Harry tried to establish. None of them were particularly successful. Howell's first appearance was in One Deadly Dawn, in an Ace double. This first novel was a revision of
"Hollywood Homicide", a shorter piece that was serialized by King Features. Harry used the pseudonym "Steve Philips" for that one.
"Queen of Tarts" was sold to Man's Magazine, and the story was later reprinted in Guy. Later Harry used the character again in a novelette for Adam magazine, "Very Hot For August". Harry also attempted to use the character in a few unpublished efforts, including in a projected television series, where instead of being a Hollywood private eye, the character would be a studio publicist.

Harry, like a lot of writers, rewrote his short pieces into novels, and published revisions of earlier stories. Titles were often changed and his work appeared under around sixteen different names. It becomes difficult simply because Harry was so prolific. There even appears to be a Sam Howell novel that was sold but never published. I've tried my best to figure out a timeline for his published works, to locate his stories in all their disguises, and much of this will appear in a forthcoming volume from Stark House. On the other hand, there are some secrets that will remain Harry's.

David Laurence Wilson Downieville, CA



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