Brett Halliday is the primary pen name of Davis Dresser, an American mystery and western writer. Halliday is best known for the long-lived series of Michael Shayne mysteries he wrote, and later commissioned others to continue. Dresser also wrote westerns, non-series mysteries, and romances under the names Asa Baker, Matthew Blood, Kathryn Culver, Don Davis, Hal Debrett, Anthony Scott, Peter Field, and Anderson Wayne.
Eugene Hugh Beaumont was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, and as private detective Michael Shayne in a series of low-budget crime films in 1946 and 1947.
Jerome Palmer Cowan was an American stage, film, and television actor.
Dressed to Kill is a 1941 American mystery film directed by Eugene Forde and starring Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes and Sheila Ryan. It was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, one of several films to feature the private detective Michael Shayne. The film is based on The Dead Take No Bows, a mystery novel by Richard Burke.
George Meeker was an American character film and Broadway actor.
Kathryn Elizabeth Doty, also known by her stage name Kathryn Adams or as Kathryn Adams Doty, was an American actress, novelist and psychologist.
Cyrus Willard Kendall was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1935 and 1950. Kendall's heavy-set, square-jawed appearance and deep voice were perfect for wiseguy roles such as policemen and police chiefs, wardens, military officers, bartenders, reporters, and mobsters.
Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Lloyd Nolan for Twentieth Century Fox, five films from the low-budget Producers Releasing Corporation with Hugh Beaumont, a radio series under a variety of titles between 1944 and 1953, and later in 1960–1961 in a 32-episode NBC television series starring Richard Denning in the title role.
Bedtime Stories is a 2008 American fantasy comedy film directed by Adam Shankman from a screenplay by Matt Lopez and Tim Herlihy based on a story by Lopez. It stars Adam Sandler in his first appearance in a family film alongside Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Aisha Tyler, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Lucy Lawless, and Courteney Cox. In the film, when a hotel handyman's stories to his niece and nephew come true, his stories become more outlandish. Sandler's production company Happy Madison and Andrew Gunn's company Gunn Films co-produced the film with Walt Disney Pictures.
Desperate Cargo is a 1941 American crime drama film directed by William Beaudine and starring Ralph Byrd, Carol Hughes, Julie Duncan and Jack Mulhall. It was made by the low-budget independent Producers Releasing Corporation. It is based on the 1937 Argosy magazine serial Loot Below by Eustace Lane Adams.
Apology for Murder is a 1945 American film noir directed by Sam Newfield and starring Ann Savage, Hugh Beaumont, Russell Hicks and Charles D. Brown.
Gas House Kids is a 1946 American comedy-drama film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Billy Halop, Robert Lowery, Teala Loring, and Carl Switzer. It was inspired by the Dead End Kids, even casting erstwhile Dead End ringleader Billy Halop in a leading role.
Too Many Winners is a 1947 American mystery crime film directed by William Beaudine and starring Hugh Beaumont, Trudy Marshall and Ralph Dunn. Made and released by Producers Releasing Corporation, it was one of a number of films featuring the private detective Michael Shayne.
Paul Bryar was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly half a century, he appeared in numerous films and television series.
Blonde from Brooklyn is a 1945 American musical comedy film directed by Del Lord and starring Bob Haymes, Lynn Merrick, Thurston Hall, and Mary Treen. The film was released by Columbia Pictures on June 21, 1945.
Sarong Girl is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and written by Charles R. Marion, Arthur Hoerl and Tim Ryan. The film stars Ann Corio, Tim Ryan, Irene Ryan, Mantan Moreland, William Henry, Damian O'Flynn and Johnnie Davis. The film was released on June 11, 1943, by Monogram Pictures.
Murder Is My Business is a 1946 American action film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Fred Myton. It is based on the 1940 novel The Uncomplaining Corpses by Brett Halliday. The film stars Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Lyle Talbot, George Meeker, Pierre Watkin, and Richard Keene. The film was released on March 7, 1946, by Producers Releasing Corporation.
Larceny in Her Heart is a 1946 American crime film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Raymond L. Schrock. The film stars Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Ralph Dunn, Paul Bryar, Charles C. Wilson, Douglas Fowley and Gordon Richards. It was released on July 10, 1946, by Producers Releasing Corporation.
Three on a Ticket is a 1947 American crime film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Fred Myton. It is based on the 1942 novel The Corpse Came Calling by Brett Halliday. The film stars Hugh Beaumont, Cheryl Walker, Paul Bryar, Ralph Dunn, Louise Currie, Gavin Gordon, Charles Quigley and Douglas Fowley. The film was released on April 4, 1947, by Producers Releasing Corporation.
