Inspector Alan Grant

Alan Grant
First appearance	The Man in the Queue
Last appearance	The Singing Sands
Created by	Josephine Tey
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Title	Inspector
Occupation	Police officer
Nationality	British

Alan Grant is a fictional police detective created by Scottish author Josephine Tey. He appears in six mystery novels, including The Daughter of Time , Tey's most acclaimed work.

Character

Physically, Grant is dark haired, has a Ronald Colman moustache, and is a dapper dresser. He has a keen interest in poetry (having occasionally dabbled himself), the theatre, fishing, horse riding and golf. He is quite wealthy owing to a legacy from a relative, and is very generous with money to others.

Grant has a good relationship with his colleagues, particularly Sergeant Williams, who worships him. He has had some romantic prospects (including actress Marta Hallard), but prefers to remain single. ^[1]

Novels

• The Man in the Queue (1929)
• A Shilling for Candles (1936)
• The Franchise Affair (1948) (Grant has only a supporting role here)
• To Love and Be Wise (1950)
• The Daughter of Time (1951)
• The Singing Sands (1952)

Adaptations

Film

• A Shilling for Candles was adapted into the 1937 Alfred Hitchcock film Young and Innocent . Grant (renamed Inspector Kent and played by Hitchcock regular John Longden) plays only a small role.^{[ citation needed ]}
• John Bailey portrayed Grant in 1951's The Franchise Affair .^{[ citation needed ]}

Television

• The Franchise Affair was twice adapted as a serial for BBC Television. Grant was played by Clifford Earl in the 1962 series and by John Vine in the 1988 series.^{[ citation needed ]}
  • The Singing Sands was adapted as an episode of the BBC anthology series Detective with John Carson as Grant.^{[ citation needed ]}

BBC Radio

• Peter Coke starred as Grant in a 1955 adaptation of The Man in the Queue for the Saturday Night Theatre ^[2]
• A Shilling for Candles was adapted several times for BBC Radio. Grant was portrayed by Gordon Davies (1954), ^[3] Bryden Murdoch (1963), ^[4] Denys Hawthorne (1969) ^[5] and Ben Crowe (1998) ^[6]
• The Franchise Affair was dramatised in 1952 with Duncan McIyntyre as Grant, ^[7] and in 2005 with Steven McNicoll as the inspector. ^[8]
  • The Daughter of Time was adapted in 1982 with Peter Gilmore as Grant. ^[9]
• The Singing Sands was dramatised in 1956 with Ewan Roberts as Grant. ^[10]

References

1. "Inspector Grant". Josephine Tey. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
2. "Saturday-Night Theatre presents Peter Coke in 'THE MAN IN THE QUEUE'". BBC Archive . 5 March 1955. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
3. "Saturday-Night Theatre: A Shilling for Candles". BBC Archive . 9 January 1954. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
4. "SATURDAY-NIGHT THEATRE". BBC Archive . 29 June 1963. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
5. "Saturday-Night Theatre: A Shilling for Candles". BBC Archive . 21 June 1969. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
6. "The Saturday Play: A Shilling for Candles". BBC Archive . 5 December 1998. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
7. "Saturday-Night Theatre presents 'THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR'". BBC Archive . 4 September 1954. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
8. "The Saturday Play: The Franchise Affair". BBC Archive . 8 October 2005. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
9. "Afternoon Theatre: The Daughter of Time". BBC Archive . 25 December 1982. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
10. "David Knight, Esme Percy with Ewan Roberts in 'THE SINGING SANDS'". BBC Archive . 9 February 1956. Retrieved 26 November 2024.