Frank Kane (also wrote as Frank Boyd). Born in Brooklyn, New York, 1912. Died in Long Island, New York, 1968.
Frank Kane worked as a reporter and editor for several New York newspapers during the 1930s. From the mid-late 40s, he wrote scripts for the popular radio shows The Shadow, Gangbusters, and The Fat Man.
Kane’s first novel, About Face (1947), features private detective Johnny Liddell. Although New York-based, a number of Johnny’s cases take him out of the familiar urban environs of the city. Poisons Unknown (1953) takes Johnny to New Orleans. The setting of Crime of Their Life (1962) is a Caribbean cruise ship. Two of the books take Johnny outside the United States altogether. He slugs his way through Vienna in Fatal Undertaking (1964) and travels through France in Maid in Paris (1966).
Kane’s novels were noted for their hard-hitting action. According to writers Robert A. Baker and Michael T. Nietzal, “Every novel has between two and ten killings, three or more fist fights, brawls and/or knifings, two to eight head-bashings and at least one to three kidnappings. Just about every object in the Sears Fall Catalog is used as a weapon to cause breaks and bruises on the human anatomy.” (Private Eyes: 101 Knights, by Baker and Nietzal, pg. 162.)
Kane’s prose style is spare and concise, keeping description to a minimum. The Liddell novels lasted from 1947-1967, and sold 5,000,000 copies by Kane’s death in 1968.
Kane wrote 23 teleplays for the 1958-59 season of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, starring Darren McGavin. He also published numerous short stories in Manhunt, Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, and The Saint.
Frank Kane
