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The Hollow Man & The House in Gallows Lane
Two Radio 4 dramatizations featuring the pre-World War II sleuth, Dr Gideon Fell. In "The Hollow Man", two murders are committed by someone who, it seems, is both invisible and lighter than air. "The House in Gallows Lane" involves a poisoner whose victims were all married to the same woman.
Starring Donald Sinden, John Hartley & Nigel Davenport
Starring Donald Sinden, John Hartley & Nigel Davenport
Audio Cassette
First published October 6, 1997
About the author
John Dickson Carr
376 books542 followersAKA Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn.
John Dickson Carr was an American author best known for his mystery fiction, whose work also reached audiences through radio, film, and television. He wrote extensively for radio, particularly for the American anthology series Suspense and its British counterpart Appointment with Fear, introduced by Valentine Dyall. Carr also contributed numerous dramas to the BBC, writing both mystery stories and propaganda scripts during World War II. His radio career included Cabin B-13, a half-hour mystery play first broadcast in 1943. The story was later expanded into a CBS radio series that ran during 1948 and 1949, with Carr writing all 23 scripts. Some episodes drew on his earlier work, while others reworked devices associated with G. K. Chesterton. Cabin B-13 also became the basis for the screenplay of Dangerous Crossing, a 1953 film directed by Joseph M. Newman and starring Michael Rennie and Jeanne Crain. During the late 1940s, Carr hosted Murder by Experts, a Mutual radio series originating from WOR in New York City. The program featured guest mystery writers, whose work Carr introduced to listeners. Several of his stories and novels were adapted for the cinema. The Man with a Cloak appeared in 1951, followed by Dangerous Crossing in 1953. The Emperor's Snuffbox was adapted as That Woman Opposite in 1957, while The Burning Court was loosely adapted as the French film La Chambre Ardente in 1962. Carr's fiction also provided material for television, especially anthology programs that did not depend on recurring characters. His detective Colonel March was adapted for the television series Colonel March of Scotland Yard, which began in 1954 and starred Boris Karloff as Colonel March. The series ran for 26 episodes in the United States and premiered in Britain the following year. These adaptations brought Carr's distinctive mystery writing to audiences who may not have encountered his novels, while demonstrating the versatility of his plots in different media. His radio scripts, screen work, and television adaptations form an important part of his career as a mystery writer, extending his reputation beyond the printed page. They also show how his carefully constructed mysteries, often centered on unusual crimes and puzzling circumstances, could be reshaped for performance without losing their central appeal. His work for broadcasting was particularly substantial, linking his literary career with the popular entertainment industries of both Britain and the United States. His output in these media complemented rather than replaced his novels.
John Dickson Carr was an American author best known for his mystery fiction, whose work also reached audiences through radio, film, and television. He wrote extensively for radio, particularly for the American anthology series Suspense and its British counterpart Appointment with Fear, introduced by Valentine Dyall. Carr also contributed numerous dramas to the BBC, writing both mystery stories and propaganda scripts during World War II. His radio career included Cabin B-13, a half-hour mystery play first broadcast in 1943. The story was later expanded into a CBS radio series that ran during 1948 and 1949, with Carr writing all 23 scripts. Some episodes drew on his earlier work, while others reworked devices associated with G. K. Chesterton. Cabin B-13 also became the basis for the screenplay of Dangerous Crossing, a 1953 film directed by Joseph M. Newman and starring Michael Rennie and Jeanne Crain. During the late 1940s, Carr hosted Murder by Experts, a Mutual radio series originating from WOR in New York City. The program featured guest mystery writers, whose work Carr introduced to listeners. Several of his stories and novels were adapted for the cinema. The Man with a Cloak appeared in 1951, followed by Dangerous Crossing in 1953. The Emperor's Snuffbox was adapted as That Woman Opposite in 1957, while The Burning Court was loosely adapted as the French film La Chambre Ardente in 1962. Carr's fiction also provided material for television, especially anthology programs that did not depend on recurring characters. His detective Colonel March was adapted for the television series Colonel March of Scotland Yard, which began in 1954 and starred Boris Karloff as Colonel March. The series ran for 26 episodes in the United States and premiered in Britain the following year. These adaptations brought Carr's distinctive mystery writing to audiences who may not have encountered his novels, while demonstrating the versatility of his plots in different media. His radio scripts, screen work, and television adaptations form an important part of his career as a mystery writer, extending his reputation beyond the printed page. They also show how his carefully constructed mysteries, often centered on unusual crimes and puzzling circumstances, could be reshaped for performance without losing their central appeal. His work for broadcasting was particularly substantial, linking his literary career with the popular entertainment industries of both Britain and the United States. His output in these media complemented rather than replaced his novels.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 25, 2016
John Dickson Carr was one of my favorite authors when I was younger. Long regarded as the "master of the locked-room mystery," Carr had created an array of colorful characters. Perhaps Carr;s most famous creation is Dr. Gideon Fell, and this is a mystery that features Fell.
A man is found shot to death is his study, and shortly after another is found shot dead in the middle of a dead end street. In the latter case, there are witness who will swear they saw him fall, and there are no footprints in the snow.
It's an interesting pair of puzzles, and Carr weaves a convincing, if involved, tale. It's justy that everything seems tortured and dated. I'd love to hear from others who read this to get their reactions.
A man is found shot to death is his study, and shortly after another is found shot dead in the middle of a dead end street. In the latter case, there are witness who will swear they saw him fall, and there are no footprints in the snow.
It's an interesting pair of puzzles, and Carr weaves a convincing, if involved, tale. It's justy that everything seems tortured and dated. I'd love to hear from others who read this to get their reactions.
March 3, 2019
The master of "locked room mysteries" with Dr. Gideon Fell at its helm, makes them quite enjoyable for an afternoon read!
My Rating - 3/5
My Rating - 3/5
September 3, 2014
I wouldn't call myself a devotee of the murder mystery genre, but I've certainly enjoyed my share of it, with a heavy emphasis on Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. As such, I was surprised one day when I saw something that called "The Hollow Man" one of the greatest works of this genre, yet I had never heard of the book or the author.
I suspect that my much more literate friends don't suffer from the same ignorance, but if by chance they weren't aware of this title, and like the genre at all, I enthusiastically recommend it.
What will you get if you follow my recommendation and dive in? Admittedly, if you approach this with a cynical bent you might be tempted to judge the plot and characters as a bit formulaic of their genre. But then, Agatha Christie's works could be accused of the same, and few of us have complained about THAT. It's what we crave and expect when we pick up such a book, on a beach somewhere perhaps, yes?
Some experts on such things have ranked this as the top "locked room mystery" example of the genre, largely because of its intricacy, certainly, but probably also because the author was so assiduous in weaving that part of the mystery in and out of the plot repeatedly, making the reader wrangle with it over and over again, for maximum engagement. If you haven't been brilliant and thorough in constructing your mystery, you dare not do such a thing, lest it fall down at some point, but Carr succeeds here, and he is able to subtly taunt us with it throughout the entire narrative. This aspect of the story is mostly responsible for my good review, as I found the characters solidly developed and portrayed, but not memorably so.
The detective hero in this (and other Carr stories, which I have not read) Gideon Fell, seems to have influenced some of the TV detectives of the 1970's, which isn't a bad thing...just not unique. After all, there will only ever be one Sherlock Holmes...one Hercule Poirot...one Miss Marple...one Columbo...and all of the Ellery Queens that come after them will have to share a set of character traits. (I know, Ellery Queen didn't come after Columbo, but I think they surprised us with the originality of that guy when he came along).
I suspect that my much more literate friends don't suffer from the same ignorance, but if by chance they weren't aware of this title, and like the genre at all, I enthusiastically recommend it.
What will you get if you follow my recommendation and dive in? Admittedly, if you approach this with a cynical bent you might be tempted to judge the plot and characters as a bit formulaic of their genre. But then, Agatha Christie's works could be accused of the same, and few of us have complained about THAT. It's what we crave and expect when we pick up such a book, on a beach somewhere perhaps, yes?
Some experts on such things have ranked this as the top "locked room mystery" example of the genre, largely because of its intricacy, certainly, but probably also because the author was so assiduous in weaving that part of the mystery in and out of the plot repeatedly, making the reader wrangle with it over and over again, for maximum engagement. If you haven't been brilliant and thorough in constructing your mystery, you dare not do such a thing, lest it fall down at some point, but Carr succeeds here, and he is able to subtly taunt us with it throughout the entire narrative. This aspect of the story is mostly responsible for my good review, as I found the characters solidly developed and portrayed, but not memorably so.
The detective hero in this (and other Carr stories, which I have not read) Gideon Fell, seems to have influenced some of the TV detectives of the 1970's, which isn't a bad thing...just not unique. After all, there will only ever be one Sherlock Holmes...one Hercule Poirot...one Miss Marple...one Columbo...and all of the Ellery Queens that come after them will have to share a set of character traits. (I know, Ellery Queen didn't come after Columbo, but I think they surprised us with the originality of that guy when he came along).
September 23, 2014
This is the most famous of all the locked room mysteries, in that it has two impossible crimes, and Dr. Fell, the detective, in chapter 17, delivers "the locked room lecture" in which the rules of the subgenre are laid out. The characters, though, were flat, and not even as interesting as Ellery Queen or Philo Vance characters, who are also somewhat flat, but with a certain panache.
March 24, 2010
only read The Hollow Man
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews