Sat 13 Feb 2010
Reviewed by William F. Deeck: JOHN ROEBURT – Corpse on the Town.
Posted by Steve under Bibliographies, Lists & Checklists , Characters , Old Time Radio , Reviews[8] Comments
William F. Deeck
JOHN ROEBURT – Corpse on the Town. Graphic #27, paperback original, 1950. Revised edition: The Case of the Hypnotized Virgin. Avon #730, pb, 1956. Reprinted: Belmont/Tower,1972.
About to check in to his terminal in New York City, cab driver J. Howard Moran, better known as Jigger, agrees to take a trunk to the Railway Express Office. An unknown someone meanwhile has informed the police that the trunk in Jigger’s cab contains a corpse. Which it does, the body of a young woman whose face is battered beyond recognition.
Apparently Jigger. a disbarred attorney in Illinois and a private eye without a license, has investigated other crimes before, though this is his first recorded case. He and his reluctant assistant, Red, “free-lance journalist and improvident writer of plays, features, fiction, columns,” try to determine the woman’s identity and find her killer.
As the police follow Jigger closely with the thought that if they can’t convict him maybe he will be able to pin it on someone else, Jigger manages to come up with the answer.
For his novel Tough Cop, Roeburt won an Edgar, or so the publisher of this novel claims. I have not been able to identify either the category or the year. This one is no prize winner, but it has its amusing moments.
Bibliographic Data: It is perhaps no surprise that Bill was unable to discover the category for which John Roeburt won an Edgar, as the publisher’s claim is not true, as he surmised might have been the case.
It may be as obscure as an MWA award can get, and was apparently not for Tough Cop at all. It came in 1949, and it was for Best Radio Drama, the actual title of which I have not discovered, even with the resources available to me on the Internet. It was, however, for one of the episodes of the Inner Sanctum series. (I do not believe that it was for the entire series, but perhaps I am wrong about that.)
Bill erred in saying that Corpse on the Town was Jigger Moran’s first recorded case. Not true; it was his third and last. The first two were published in hardcover; only Corpse was a paperback original:
The Jigger Moran series — [Taken from the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin.]
Jigger Moran (n.) Greenberg, hc, 1944.
There Are Dead Men in Manhattan (n.) Mystery House, hc, 1946.
Corpse on the Town (n.) Graphic, pbo, 1950.
February 14th, 2010 at 10:49 am
In case anyone gets confused there is another “Jigger” out there, Anthony Rud’s Jigger Masters (hero of THE ROSE BATH MURDERS and a ‘yellow peril’ novel THE STUFFED MEN) who is probably best remembered for being singled out in Bill Pronzini’s SON OF GUN IN CHEEK. Thought it best to mention him unless someone get the two confused and put Roeburt in the alternative school for nothing more than a similar name.
I haven’t read a lot of Roeburt, mostly his two film novelizations — AL CAPONE and UNHOLY WIFE (John Farrow’s last film from a Jonathan Latimer script) — and his book based on the short lived Warner’sseries ROARING TWENTIES (which for some reason is one of the easiest paperbacks to find — I bet I’ve seen a dozen copies of it over the years — the series was about a group of journalists in the twenties with Mike Roads, John Dehner, and Dorthy Provine as a leggy performer in their favorite speakeasy). His other series character was Johnny Devereaux but I haven’t read any of them. Based on this I may have to check out Jigger Moran.
February 14th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Jigger Masters I am sure I remember from his appearances in the pulp detective magazines, probably DETECTIVE FICTION WEEKLY. I must have read some of them, but nothing stands out or comes to mind.
Jigger Moran I confess I have not read either, David. Don’t know why. All three books came out in paperback, and I have them all, so that’s no excuse.
I also confess to having no idea why anyone might be nicknamed Jigger.
Noun:
1. A person who jigs or operates a jig.
2. 1. A small measure for liquor, usually holding 11/2 ounces.
2. This amount of liquor.
3. A device, such as a drill, that operates with a jerking or jolting motion.
4. Nautical. 1. A light all-purpose tackle.
2. A small sail set in the stern of a yawl or similar boat.
3. A boat having such a sail.
4. A jigger mast.
5. Informal. An article or a device, the name of which eludes one.
Maybe this last one?
You mention THE ROARING 20s TV show, David, although only in passing. I wasn’t able to watch it when it was on, but I now have the complete set on collector copy DVDs, and it’s excellent.
It was on for two seasons (ABC) between 1960 and 1962, while I was away at college. Lots of 1920s era Chicago gangsters, and all that entails, and “leggy” is right.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
John Roeburt is my great uncle who was adopted. My grandmother is his sister. I only wish I knew this before he passed away. His work was amazing and has stood the test of time.
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:03 pm
I own two Roeburt´s novels(in their Spanish translations) THE HOLLOW MAN – one of Johnny Devereaux´s cases, and DID YOU KILL MONA LEEDS?
The former is a very decent “tough cop” mistery, but the later is a great novel in the best noir style. Really remarkable.
December 11th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
For Elynn Nielson,
I’m John’s step daughter. I would love to get in touch with you.
Joan Roeburt
December 20th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Hi Joan
How exciting to hear from you! Please email me at enielsen33@aol.com
January 17th, 2017 at 5:44 am
Dear All,
I am searching for the contact of John Roeburt’s rights holders and/ or estate.
And I was hoping you could maybe help me in my researches.
Do you know anything about who to contact regarding the rights of his work?
Thank you
Best regards,
January 17th, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Knowing rights holders for authors’ estates is not my field of expertise, but perhaps someone reading this will know and leave a comment.