Day Keene

Day Keene (real name Gunard R. Hjertstedt; born March 28, 1904 in Chicago ; died on January 9, 1969 in Studio City , Los Angeles , California ) was an American writer and screenwriter . In total, he published around 200 short stories and around 50 novels , the vast majority of which were detective stories .

Life

The Hjerstedt family came from Sweden on the paternal side and from Ireland on the maternal side. The father's name was Alfred Gunard Hjertstedt, his mother's maiden name was Daisy Josephine Keeney, hence the pseudonym. In the 1920s, Hjerstedt began working as an actor, but soon turned to writing. He published his first detective story Pure and Simple under his real name in 1931 in the pulp magazine Detective Fiction Weekly . From 1940 he then used almost exclusively Day Keene as an author's name. The stories appeared in magazines such as Black Mask , Ace G-Man Stories , Detective Tales , Dime Mystery and Manhunt . In addition to his crime thrillers, he wrote scripts for radio stations, including Little Orphan Annie (a radio show based on the cartoon character of the same name ), The First Nighter (1935–1937), Behind the Camera Lines (1936) and Kitty Keene, Inc. (1937–1941) .

In 1942 he was drafted, but continued to write. His first book, This Is Murder, Mister Herbert and Other Stories , was published in 1948 . He soon switched to longer short stories and novel publications in the paperback series of Avon , Gold Medal , Graphic and Ace . As a permanent figure he had the Hawaiian detective Johnny Aloha, but he played a relatively minor role for him in terms of his part in the production of Keene. He has now also written scripts for television series, including Hawaiian Eye (1959-1960), Miami Undercover (1961) and Burke's Law (1963-1964). The Johnny Aloha series must be seen together with the Hawaiian Eye television series, as both appeared in the same year.

Keene died in Studio City , Los Angeles in 1969 at the age of 64 . He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills . His son Albert James Hjerstadt also became a writer, known under the pseudonym Al James .

Most of his novels have been translated into German, sometimes several times. Many of his novels also appeared in France, some of them even first in French translation, which is why there are also German translations of his novels from French. His only foray into the realm of science fiction was the novel World Without Women (1960, German as Welt ohne Frauen ), written together with Leonard Pruyn , which found no mercy in Reclam's science fiction guide (“a cynical piece of work that does not shy away from prejudice against homosexuals ”).

His novel Joy House (1954) was the basis for the film Wie Raubkatzen (1964) with Alain Delon and Jane Fonda and the novel Chautauqua (1960) was the basis for the Elvis film The Trouble with Girls (1969).

bibliography

Novels

• Framed in Guilt (1949, also as Evidence Most Blind )
  • German: Blind to doom. Translated by Ute Tanner. Ullstein Books # 1207, 1968.
• Farewell to Passion (1951, also as The Passion Murders )
  • German: There is no escape. Translated by Paul Baudisch. Desch (Die Mitternachtsbücher # 36), 1960. Also as: Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1186, 1981.
• My Flesh Is Sweet (1951)
  • German: Mexican Serenade. Translated by Georg Kahn-Ackermann. Desch (The Midnight Books # 15), 1959.
• Love Me and Die (1951)
  • German: love me and die. Translated by Günther Schumacher. Ullstein books # 1047, 1966. Also as: Kiss me and die. Xenos (Super Crime # 04), 1976.
• To Kiss or Kill (1951)
  • English: Deadly kisses. Translated by Hans Berg. Lehning (Panther series # 15), 1954. Also as: Kiss me or die. Translated by Horst Kallmeyer. Winther Books # 0002, 1967.
• Hunt the Killer (1952)
  • German: Gehetzt. Translated by Hansheinz Werner. Pabel Kriminal-Romane # 29, 1957. Also as: Backward like the shark bites. Translated by Gretl Spitzer. Ullstein Books # 1165, 1968.
• About Doctor Ferrel (1952)
  • English: Orchid in the swamp. Translated by Raimund Eisler. Lehning (Panther series # 18), 1954.
• Home Is the Sailor (1952)
  • English: The devil with the parrot. Translated by Astrid Alexa Stange. Ullstein Books # 1263, 1969.
• If the Coffin Fits (1952)
  • German: If the coffin fits. Translated by Hansheinz Werner. Pabel-Kriminal-Roman # 17, 1957. Also translated by Christa Heinecke. Ullstein Books # 993, 1964.
• Naked Fury (1952)
  • German: The naked violence. Translated by Georg and Rosmarie Kahn-Ackermann. Desch (Die Mitternachtsbücher # 49), 1960. Also as: Up to the neck in the ink. Translated by Georg and Rosmarie Kahn-Ackermann. Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1192, 1981.
• Wake Up to Murder (1952)
  • German: dangerous awakening. Translated by Hansheinz Werner. Pabel Kriminal-Romane # 31, 1959. Also called: This is my day. Translated by Georg Kahn-Ackermann. Desch (Die Mitternachtsbücher # 28), 1959. Also as: A murder detective Translated by Georg Kahn-Ackermann. Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1196, 1981.
• Mrs. Homicide (1953)
  • German: Miss Murderess. Translated by Ruth Stolze. Lehning (Panther-Buch # 75), 1957. Also as: Cordial condolences Translated by Mechtild Sandberg. Ullstein Books # 1055, 1965.
• Strange Witness (1953)
  • German: The brat has to go. Translated by Ute Tanner. Ullstein books # 1153, 1967. Also as: The witness must go. Xenos (Super Crime # 111K81), 1981.
• The Big Kiss-Off (1954)
  • English: Welcome home. Translated by Günther Schumacher. Ullstein Books # 1063, 1966.
• There Was A Crooked Man (1954)
• Death House Doll (1954)
  • English: The doll on death row. Translated by Walter Spiegel. Pabel (Thriller-Kriminal-Novel # 13), 1956. Also as: The girl on death row. Translated by Christa Heinecke. Ullstein Books # 984, 1964.
• His Father's Wife (1954)
  • German: His father's wife. Translated by Heinz F. Kliem. Winther Books # 4005. Winther Books # 4005, 1967.
• Homicidal Lady (1954)
  • German: Without mercy. Translated by Hansheinz Werner. Pabel-Kriminal-Novel # 15, 1957. Also as: Confess, Mr. Public Prosecutor. Translated by Georg Kahn-Ackermann. Desch (Die Mitternachtsbücher # 3), 1958. Augh as: Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1168, 1980.
• Joy House (1954)
  • German: The golden trap. Translated by Christiane Nogly. Heyne Books # 1133, 1964.
• Notorious (1954)
• Sleep with the Devil (1954)
  • German: The devilish game. Translated by Georg and Rosmarie Kahn-Ackermann. Desch (Die Mitternachtsbücher # 144), 1963. Also as: From the parting to the murder. Translated by Georg and Rosmarie Kahn-Ackermann. Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1181, 1980.
• Who Has Wilma Lathrop? (1955)
  • German: asphalt jungle. Translated by Walter Schulz-Brown. Lehning (Kranich-Buch # 16), 1956. Also as: Who has Wilma Lathrop ?. Translated by Renate Weigl. Ullstein Books # 1039, 1965.
• The Dangling Carrot (1955)
  • German: Death in Blond. Translated by Günter Hehemann. Heyne Books # 1076, 1963.
• Murder on the Side (1956)
  • English: coffin with running water. Translated by Mechtild Sandberg. Ullstein Books # 1071, 1966.
• Bring Him Back Dead (1956)
  • English: Murder among murderers. Translated by Horst Kallmeyer. Winther Books # 0006, 1967.
• Flight by Night (1956)
  • English: Flight to Hell. Translated by Hansheinz Werner. Pabel crime novel # 24, 1957.
• It's a Sin to Kill (1958)
  • English: death under palm trees. Translated by Renate Steinbach. Ullstein Books # 1004, 1965. Also called: Murder under palm trees. Xenos-Bücher # 76A11, 1976. Also as: Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1142, 1980.
• Passage to Samoa (1958)
  • German: I don't know anything about this corpse. Translated by Eleonore Gabrich. Basteirazzia Paperback # 18, 1970.
• Dead Dolls Don't Talk (1959)
  • German: Dead witnesses do not speak. Translated by Walter Spiegl. Desch (The Midnight Books # 65), 1961.
• Dead in Bed (1959; Johnny Aloha)
  • German: Millions for Gwen. Translated by Werner Gronwald. Heyne books # 83, 1961. Also as: The Cordovan Millions. Translated by Werner Gronwald. Moewig pocket book series OSS hundred and seventeen # 23, 1968. Also as: Kelter pocket book # 1154, 1980.
• Moran's Woman (1959)
  • English: A woman like wax. Translated by Astrid Alexa Stange. Ullstein Books # 1237, 1969.
• Miami 59 (1959)
  • German: Miami, Hotel International. Bastei tabloid paperback # 2, 1969.
• So Dead My Lovely (1959)
  • English: wedding night in the hearse. Translated by Ute Tanner. Ullstein-Bücher # 1134, 1967. Also as: Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1148, 1980.
• Take a Step to Murder (1959)
  • German: Anders doesn't kiss any more. Translated by Mechtild Sandberg. Ullstein Books # 1096, 1966.
• Too Black for Heaven (1959)
  • German: Too black for bliss. Translated by Horst W. Margeit. Winther books # 4003, 1967. Also as Moewig paperback series Kriminalromane # 43, 1968.
• Too Hot to Hold (1959)
  • German: All the best from Chicago. Translated by Sonja and Götz-Dieter Nerlich. Ullstein Books # 1175, 1968.
• The Brimstone Bed (1960)
  • German: The Blackmailer. Translated by Rosmarie and Georg Kahn-Ackermann. Desch (The Midnight Books # 69), 1961.
• Chautauqua (1960)
• Payola (1960; Johnny Aloha)
  • German: invitation to murder. Translated by Horst Kallmeyer. Winther Books # 0004, 1967.
• World Without Women (1960, with Leonard Pruyn)
  • German: World without women: utopian novel. Translated by Wulf H. Bergner . Heyne Books # 3176, 1970.
• Bye, Baby Bunting (1963)
  • German: No alibi. Translated by Walter Kolbenhoff. Desch (Die Mitternachtsbücher # 230), 1965. Also as: Kelter-Taschenbuch # 1175, 1980.
• LA 46 (1964)
  • German: Los Angeles, paradise of sinners. Translated by Rolf Schmitz. Bastei tabloid paperback # 9, 1969.
• Seed of Doubt (1964)
• Carnival of Death (1965)
  • English: Stop the clowns. Translated by Marieluise and Armin G. Müller. Ullstein Books # 1110, 1967.
• Chicago 11 (1966)
  • German: Chicago, apartment house on the lake. Translated by Eva Schwarz. Bastei tabloid paperback # 5, 1969.
• Acapulco GPO (1967)
  • English: Hot day in Acapulco. Translated by Rolf Schmitz. Bastei tabloid paperback # 12, 1969.
• Guns Along the Brazos (1967)
  • German: Mortal Enemies: Western Roman. Translated by Werner Gronwald. Heyne Books # 2192, 1969.
• Southern Daughter (1967)
• Live Again, Love Again (1970)
• Wild Girl (1970)
  • German: Since that night ... Translated by Ingrid Rothmann. Bastei Boulevard Paperback # 19, 1970.

Collections

• This is Murder, Mr. Herbert, and Other Stories (1948)
• League of the Grateful Dead and Other Stories (2010)
• We Are the Dean and Other Stories (2010)

Short stories

• Pure and Simple (1931, as Gunard Hjertstedt)
• I Hadda Hunch (1931, as Gunard Hjertstedt)
• Excuse My Crust (1931, as Gunard Hjertstedt)
• Mr. Beaver, D. A, (1932, as Gunard Hjertstedt)
• Murder Mountain (1932, as Gunard Hjertstedt)
• Case of the Bearded Bride (1935, as Gunard Hjertstedt)
• The Devil Takes His Dead (1936th as Don King)
• It Could Happen Here! (1940)
• Mr. Smith's Flying Corpses (1940)
• Wake Up America! (1941)
• The Ghost of Cock Robin (1941)
• The Human Equation (1941)
• League of the Grateful Dead (1941)
• Danger! Dead Men! Detour (1941)
• Those Who Die Laughing (1941)
• The Lady from Hellas (1941)
• No Arrest, As Yet (1941)
• Three Men from Hell (1941)
• Captain Friday, Corpse Agent (1941)
• Last of the Fighting Ainsleys (1941)
• Your Adversary, the Devil (1941)
• Murder in Paradise (1941)
• The Island God Forgot (1941)
• Hook, Line and Sinker (1941)
• Eight Who Were Hanged (1941)
• The Stars Say Die! (1941)
• The Eternal Light (1941)
• The Murder Frame (1941)
• The Wages of Sin (1941)
• Murder Bound (1942)
• The Man Who Could Not Die (1942)
• The Charlie McCarthy Murders (1942)
• The Corpse That Ran Away (1942)
• Big Shot (1942)
• Murder Is My Sponsor (1942)
• A Slight Mistake in Corpses (1942)
• Whose Corpse Am I? (1942)
• Who Have Sown the Wind (1942)
• Enter Pat Petunia (1942)
• Till the Day You Die! (1942)
• Positively - the Final Appearance (1942)
• Cupid's Corpse Parade (1942)
• The Mystery of Tarpon Key (1942)
• The Corpse Confesses (1942)
• Keep Out of My Coffin! (1942)
• What So Proudly We Hail (1942)
• Manana, Mug - Manana (1942)
• Blaze of Glory (1942)
• A Hearse of Another Color (1942)
• The Widowed Brides of Cypress Key (1942)
• Murder COD (1942)
• Satan's Jackpot (1942)
• My Lady of the Darkness (1942)
• Credit the Corpse (1943)
• The Double-Crossing Corpse (1943)
• Rhapsody in Blood (1943)
• Wings for the Dead (1943)
• $ 10,000 Worth of Hell (1943)
• Wings for the Dead (1943)
• Mr. Yama From Yokohama (1943)
• Killer in the Snow (1943)
• Lie Down - You're Dead! (1943)
• Exam for the Dead (1943)
• Reunion on Murder Mountain (1943)
• He Who Dies Last, Dies Hardest (1943)
• Sauce for the Gander (1943)
• Letter to a Marine (1943)
• Corpse at the Wedding Feast (1943)
• Murder - As Usual (1943)
• Murder by Short Wave (1943)
• A Great Whirring of Wings (1943)
• The Man from Hell (1943)
• Seven Against the Gods (1943)
• The Corpse Exchange (1943)
• The Female Is More Deadly (1943)
• Blood on the Good Earth (1944)
• The Man Who Came to Kill (1944)
• This Will Slay You (1944)
• Out of This World (1944)
• Corpses Come in Pairs (1944)
• The Night Con Steager Died (1944)
• A Hero for Hell's Backyard (1944)
• Hell's Scarlet Flower (1944)
• Three Dead Mice (1944)
• Sweet Tooth of Murder (1944)
• Boy Kills Girl (1944)
• Murder is GI (1944)
• Brother, Can You Spare a Grave? (1944)
• Death Is My Bride (1944)
• Manhattan Murder-Go-Round (1944)
• Murder - Straight Ahead (1944)
• Make Mine Murder! (1944)
• Seven Keys to Murder (1944)
• The Farmer's Daughter Murders (1944)
• This Is Murder, Mr. Herbert! (1944)
• Kraal of the Seven Rogues (1944)
• The Case of the Reluctant Corpse (1944)
• South of Suez (1944)
• Silent Smith and the Hounds of Death (1945)
• So Sorry You Die Now! (1945)
• Dead - As in Mackerel! (1945)
• Star Light, Star Bright (1945)
• Charlie Bull Fiddle Works It Out (1945)
• If the Coffin Fits– (1945)
• Help Wanted: Homicide (1945)
• Help! Help! Murder! (1945)
• Dead on Arrival (1945)
• Dance with the Death-House Doll (1945)
• A Corpse for Cinderella (1945)
• A Corpse There Was (1945)
• Or Would You Rather Be a Corpse? (1945)
• Murder on My Mind (1945)
• The Night I Died (1945)
• Nothing to Worry About (1945)
• Spoilsmen on Safari (1945)
• Kill Me, Kill My Dog (1945)
• Death-March of the Dancing Dolls (1945)
• A Corpse Walks in Brooklyn (1945)
• Affair on Buzzard's Island (1945)
• Pee Wee and the Nazi Ice Man (1945)
• With Blood in His Eye (1945)
• The Woman Who Wouldn't Stay Dead (1945)
• A Minor Matter of Murder (1945)
• From the Halls of Montezuma (1946)
• As Deep as the Grave (1946)
• Carnage By Candlelight (1946)
• The Little Black Pig (1946)
• The Female Is More Deadly (1946)
• Three Queens of the Mayhem (1946)
• Doc Egg's Graveyard Reunion (1946)
• Thanks for the Jeopardy (1946)
• Death Is My Shadow (1946)
• Kitten on the Corpse (1946)
• One Night, One Spring (1946)
• Red Rogue Killer (1946)
• Quietly My Hangnoose Waits (1946)
• Murder on My Mind (1946)
• Education of a Fool (1946)
• If a Body Meet a Body (1946)
• Pardon My Corpse (1946)
• Stay As Dead As You Are (1946)
• Little Miss Murder (1946)
• I'll Be Seeing You (1946)
• Once Upon a Crime (1946)
• Married to Murder! (1947)
• So Dead the Rogue (1947)
• Come Seven, Come Slaughter (1947)
• Death Comes Rustling (1947)
• It ain't hay, brother! (1947)
• We are the dead! (1947)
• Beaver, Beaver - One, Two, Three (1947)
• Homicide House (1947)
• Cats in the Night (1947)
• Crawl Out of That Coffin! (1947)
• A Better Mantrap (1947)
• Fry Away, Kentucky babe! (1947)
• Hymie on the Spot (1948)
• Eyes in the Night (1948)
• No Grave Could Hold Him! (1948)
• Johnny Come Deadly (1948)
• Deaf, Dumb, and Deadly! (1948)
• For Old Crime's Sake (1948)
• No Match for Murder (1948)
• Marry the Sixth for Murder (1948)
• Some Die Easy (1948)
• Danny and the Big-Time (1948)
• Thirteen Must Die! (1948)
• Blonde Trouble in Nightmare City (1948)
• An Eye for an Eye (1948)
• Win, Place - or Die (1948)
• Poor Little Murder Girl! (1948)
• The Lady Means - Die! (1948)
• Corpse on Delivery (1949)
• Caught by the Camera (1949)
• Gun-Share (1949)
• The Black Knight's Errant (1949)
• Homicidal Baby (1949)
• Do You Take This Life? (1949)
• Dead Men Do Tell Tales (1949)
• Knock Twice for Murder! (1949)
• Beyond the Green Door (1949)
• The Death of You (1949)
• Wait for the Dead Man's Tide (1949)
• Three Graves Have I (1949)
• Jungle Law at Satan City (1949)
• The Laughing Dead (1949)
• Fight or Run (1949)
• She Shall Make Murder (1949)
• Two Can Die (1949)
• Remember the Night (1949)
• Mighty Like a Rogue (1950)
• I'll Die for You (1950)
• They Call It Murder, Honey-Chile (1950)
• Old Homicide Week (1950)
• Murder - Do Not Disturb (1950)
• Killing Size (1950)
• Claw Into Your Coffin (1950)
• The Bloody Tide (1950)
• Annie, Get Your Shiv! (1950)
• The Bloody Tide (1950)
• White Night of Murder (1950)
• If the Coffin Fits (1950)
• Babes in the Morgue (1950)
• Murder Stop (1950)
• Death Lies Dreaming (1950)
• Polly Wants a Killer (1951)
• Each Man in His Time (1951)
• Blonde and Bad (1951)
• The Cop and the Doll (1951)
• The Passing of Johnny McGuire (1951)
• Death in the Sun (1951)
• Wild Noose Chase (1951)
• My Little Gypsy Cheap-Heart (1951)
• Red Hands Is Love (1951)
• The Emancipation of George Appleby (1952)
• Hard One (1952)
• Miracle on 9th Street (1952)
• Swamp Scandal (1952)
• The Man Who Died Four Times (1952)
• How Deep My Grave? (1952)
• Booty and the Beast (1953)
• Dead Dreams for Sale (1957)
• The Geek Girl (1961)
• Dead in Bed (1962)
• For Old Crimes Sake (1964)

literature

• Hans Joachim Alpers , Werner Fuchs , Ronald M. Hahn : Reclam's science fiction guide. Reclam, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-15-010312-6 , p. 227.
• Hans Joachim Alpers, Werner Fuchs, Ronald M. Hahn, Wolfgang Jeschke : Lexicon of Science Fiction Literature. Heyne, Munich 1991, ISBN 3-453-02453-2 , p. 597 f.
• John Clute : Keene, Day. In: John Clute, Peter Nicholls : The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction . 3rd edition (online edition), version dated January 24, 2017.
• Robert Reginald: Contemporary Science Fiction Authors. Arno Press, New York 1974, ISBN 0-405-06332-6 , p. 145.
• Donald H. Tuck : The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy through 1968. Advent, Chicago 1974, ISBN 0-911682-20-1 , p. 250.

Web links

• Literature by and about Day Keene in the catalog of the German National Library
• Day Keene in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (English)
• Day Keene in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Works by and about Day Keene at Open Library
• Day Keene in Fantastic Fiction (English)
• Day Keene on thrillingdetective.com, accessed March 31, 2018
• Steve Lewis: Day Keene: A Bibliography , accessed March 31, 2018
• Day Keene on Crime Writers AZ, accessed March 31, 1981
• Day Keene (1904-1969) on Tellers of Weird Tales , accessed April 1, 2018

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The real name is often wrongly given as Gunnar Hjerstedt. See Day Keene at findagrave.com, accessed March 31, 2018.