The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

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The Mystery of a Hansom Cab
Mystery of a Hansom cab Fergus W. Hume c. 1887.jpg
Cover art for 'The mystery of a hansom cab', Kemp and Boyce, Melbourne, 1887 (attrib)
Author Fergus Hume
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Subject Mystery
Genre Fiction
PublisherFergus Hume
Publication date
1886
Pages164
OCLC 8476357
LC Class LCCN   ca08-675
Followed byProfessor Brankel's Secret 

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a mystery fiction novel by the Australian writer Fergus Hume. The book was first published in Australia in 1886. Set in Melbourne, the story focuses on the investigation of a homicide involving a body discovered in a hansom cab, as well as an exploration into the social class divide in the city. The book was successful in Australia, selling 100,000 copies in the first two print runs. It was then published in Britain and the United States, and went on to sell over half a million copies worldwide, outselling the first of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novels, A Study in Scarlet (1887). [1]

Contents

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab received praise in works including A Companion to Crime Fiction, [2] A History of the Book in Australia 1891–1945, [3] and A History of Victoria, [4] and was featured in the book Vintage Mystery and Detective Stories. [5] A parody version was published in 1888, and film adaptations were produced in 1911, 1915 and 1925. [6] [7] [8] The story was adapted into a BBC Radio serial in 1958, [9] a stage play in 1990, [10] a radio promotion in 1991 [11] and a telemovie in 2012. [12]

Author

Fergus Hume c. 1882 Fergus Hume.jpg
Fergus Hume c. 1882

Originally from Britain, Fergusson Wright Hume worked as a barrister's clerk in Melbourne, Australia, at the time of the book's first publication. [2] He went on to become a prolific author, and wrote more than 130 novels in fiction subjects including adventure and science fiction. [2] [3] [5]

Plot

A Hansom cab HansomCab.jpg
A Hansom cab

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab takes place in Melbourne, Australia, and involves an investigation into a homicide, after a corpse is discovered in the early hours, in a hansom cab. Melbourne plays a significant role in the plot and, as the author describes, "Over all the great city hung a cloud of smoke like a pall." [13] The killer's identity is not as significant a revelation in the story as are the roles of the influential and secretive Frettlby family, and their secret: they have a daughter living on the streets, and the woman everyone assumes is their daughter is illegitimate. The class divide between Melbourne's wealthy and less fortunate is addressed throughout the plot. [14]

The protagonist in the novel is a policeman named Detective Gorby, who is given the task of solving the murder. [15] As Hume describes the character's investigative skills, "He looked keenly round the room, and his estimate of the dead man's character was formed at once." [15] The author commented in a later introduction, "All of the scenes in the book, especially the slums, are described from personal observation; and I passed a great many nights in Little Bourke Street, gathering material". [2] At this time, the street was notorious as a place frequented by prostitutes and criminals. [16]

Publication history

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was first published in Melbourne in 1886 and in Britain in 1887 [2] (the author self-published the first edition) [1] [5] and in the United States in 1888, by George Munro. [17] Hume wrote an introduction to a revised edition published in 1898, [2] and later publications have included those by the publishers Arno in 1976, and by Dover in 1982, [18] [19] and a new Australian edition with an introduction by Simon Caterson, in 1999 by The Text Publishing Company, which has been reprinted several times. [20]

Reception

Sales

"A Concise History of Australia" notes that the book became an international bestseller. [13] A Companion to Australian Literature since 1900 noted The Mystery of a Hansom Cab provided Australia with its first international bestseller. [1] and Vintage Mystery and Detective Stories characterized the book as the best-selling detective novel of the 19th century. [5] In Australia, the book sold 25,000 copies in its first print run, and 100,000 copies in its first two print runs. [3] [21] In Britain, in its first six months after publication, 300,000 copies were sold, [2] [14] and, in 1888, sales continued in thousands in Britain each week. [2] [14] According to A Gregarious Culture (2001), "sales of The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, published in 1886, would reach astronomical figures". Franklin, Roe & Bettison (2001) Over 500,000 copies were sold in Britain, by the publishing company Jarrold. [15] In the United States, an additional 500,000 copies were sold. [5]

The author did not benefit from the sales of the work, as he had sold his rights to it for £50. [15] A Gregarious Culture identifies "the only known [complete] copy of the first edition" of the book as "a treasure" of the Mitchell Library at State Library of New South Wales. [6] Illustrated London News reported in 1888 on the popularity of the book, "Persons were found everywhere eagerly devouring the realistic sensational tale of Melbourne social life. Whether travelling by road, rail or river the unpretending little volume was ever present in some companion's or stranger's hands." [2] [14] The book outsold the worldwide 1887 publication of the Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle. [1]

Reviews

"The most spectacular reimagining of the sensation novel"

— A Companion to Crime Fiction [2]

Adaptations

A parody edition, titled The Mystery of a Wheelbarrow (1888), is attributed to a W. Humer Ferguson. [6] [22] The same year, it was adapted for the stage by Arthur Law. [23]

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1911) is a film produced by Amalgamated Pictures, an Australian adaptation of the book. [8] [24]

In 1915, the book was again adapted into a film with screenplay by Eliot Stannard. [7] Directed by Harold Weston, the film starred the actors Milton Rosmer, Fay Temple, A. V. Bramble, James Dale and Arthur Walcott. [25] [7] [26]

A remake of the 1911 version of the film was produced in 1925, in Australia. [8] Made by Pyramid Pictures, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab cast included Arthur Shirley, Grace Glover, Godfrey Cass, Cora Warner and Isa Crossley. [8] [27]

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab was a 1935 reissue of the 1925 Australian silent film. It was released by Pathescope. [28]

A six-part radio serial adaptation was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme from 2 November to 7 December 1958.

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1958)  [9]  
Writer Michael Hardwick
Based on the novel by Fergus Hume
ProductionAudrey Cameron
Five Thousand Pounds
A Confession
A Certificate of Marriage
The Queen of Little Bourke Street
Duncan Calton for the Defence
In the Queen's Name!
Episodes123456
Oliver Whyte
Brown, club porter
Judge		Leigh Crutchley1
 
 		 
2
 		 
 
3
Cabby
Felix Rolleston		 John Hollis 1
 		 
2		 
3		 
6
Passer-byJoseph Shaw1
Constable
other parts played by		John Scott1
 		 
2		 
3
Coroner Frederick Treves 1
Dr. ChinstonJohn Graham156
Detective Sam Gorby Russell Napier 12356
Sergeant Joseph John Cazabon 1356
Mrs Hableton
Slum woman		Shirley Cameron1
 		 
2
Roger MorelandBruce Stewart136
Mrs SampsonBrenda Dunrich1245
Madge FrettlbyGwenda Wilson12345
Brian FitzgeraldAllan McClelland123456
Mark FrettlbyHarold Young1234
Duncan CaltonFrank Duncan23456
Ma GuttersnipeGwen Day Burroughs234
Graham, Calton's clerk John Bennett 236
Crown Prosecutor
Mr Raphael, a chemist		Leon Peers3
 		 
5		 
6
George Nicholas Gabriel Woolf 3
Sal RawlinsPaddy Turner35
A boySeamus Grant3
other parts played bySheila Grant1
other parts played bymembers of the cast13

The Melbourne television station GTV-9 produced a version of the play in 1962, adapted by Barry Pree, as part of The General Motors Hour . [29]

Michael Rodger adapted the story as a stage play in 1990 and a radio promotion in 1991 by Queensland Performing Arts Trust. [10] [11]

Burberry Entertainment, in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, produced a telemovie adaptation which was premiered on 28 October 2012 and stars John Waters, Oliver Ackland, Helen Morse and Jessica De Gouw. [12] [30]

A German translation of the novel appeared in 1895 under the title "Das Geheimnis eines Fiakers", shifting the setting of the story from Melbourne to Vienna and also changing the names of the characters. This adaptation was re-published in a modernized version by Hainer Plaul in the German Democratic Republic in 1984 under the title "Das Geheimnnis des Fiakers".

See also

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The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a re-issue in 1935 of the 1925 Australian silent film of the same name based on the 1886 novel The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume. It was released by Pathescope.

"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab" is a 1961 Australian television drama play based on Barry Pree's 1961 play adaptation of the novel by Fergus Hume. It appeared as an episode of the anthology series The General Motors Hour. It aired on 6 August 1961 in Sydney and on 19 August 1961 in Melbourne.

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a 2012 Australian television movie about the events surrounding the murder of Oliver Whyte whose body is discovered in a handsom cab in 19th century Melbourne. The investigation is conducted under the leadership of Detective Samuel Gorby, who soon arrests Brian Fitzgerald who had hoped to marry Whyte's betrothed, rich wool merchant Mark Fittelby's daughter, Madge. Brian is defended by barrister Duncan Calton and Detective Kilsip, who eventually discovers secret blackmail against the Fittelbys which leads to the discovery of an illegitimate daughter, Sal Rawlins. It is an adaption of the 1886 novel of the same name, created by Fergus Hume, who wrote it as an examination into the evils of the 'Big City' and the corruption that can be found inside it.

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The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is an 1886 novel by Fergus Hume.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Birns & McNeer 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rzepka & Horsley 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Lyons & Arnold 2001.
  4. ↑ Blainey 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Davies 2006.
  6. 1 2 3 Franklin, Roe & Bettison 2001.
  7. 1 2 3 Young 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Reade 1980.
  9. 1 2
    Radio Times (2 Nov 1958), "1 In the Queen's Name!", The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, vol. 141, Light Programme, p. 25
    Radio Times (9 Nov 1958), "2 Duncan Calton for the Defence", The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, vol. 141, Light Programme, p. 25
    Radio Times (16 Nov 1958), "3 The Queen of Little Bourke Street", The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, vol. 141, Light Programme, p. 25
    Radio Times (23 Nov 1958), "4 A Certificate of Marriage", The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, vol. 141, Light Programme, p. 25
    Radio Times (30 Nov 1958), "5 A Confession", The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, vol. 141, Light Programme, p. 25
    Radio Times (7 Dec 1958), "6 Five Thousand Pounds", The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, vol. 141, Light Programme, p. 21
  10. 1 2 OCLC   224191521
  11. 1 2 OCLC   224185898
  12. 1 2 Diaz 2012.
  13. 1 2 Macintyre 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Parrinder & Gasiorek 2011.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Pierce 2009.
  16. ↑ Brown-May 1998.
  17. ↑ LCCN   ca08-675
  18. ↑ LCCN   75-32754
  19. ↑ LCCN   82-9461
  20. ↑ Hume 2013.
  21. ↑ Pierce 2009, pp. 114, 274.
  22. ↑ OCLC   221666246
  23. ↑ Plarr 1899, p. 626.
  24. ↑ The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1911) at IMDb
    - Mystery of a Hansom Cab at AllMovie
  25. ↑ The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1915) at IMDb
  26. ↑ Lincoln 1916.
  27. ↑ The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1925) at IMDb
  28. ↑ Kinematograph Weekly 1935.
  29. ↑ The Age 1961.
  30. ↑ "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab". Museums Victoria. Archived from the original on 24 Nov 2015.

Sources

  1. Diaz, Amanda (30 Apr 2012). "Filming commences on ABC telemovie The Mystery of a Hansom Cab". Archived from the original on 11 Jan 2020.
    The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (2012 TV Movie) at IMDb
  2. Birns, Nicholas; McNeer, Rebecca (2007). A Companion to Australian Literature since 1900. Camden. pp. 391–393. ISBN   978-1571133496 – via Google Books.
  3. Blainey, Geoffrey (2007). A History of Victoria. CUP. p. 72. ISBN   978-0521869775 – via Google Books.
  4. Brown-May, Andrew (1998). Melbourne street life: the itinerary of our days. Australian Scholarly/Arcadia and Museum Victoria. p. 28. ISBN   978-1875606467.
  5. Davies, David Stuart (2006). Vintage Mystery and Detective Stories. Wordsworth. p. 15–17, 1059, 1063. ISBN   978-1840220650.
  6. Franklin, Miles; Roe, Jill; Bettison, Margaret (2001). A Gregarious Culture: Topical Writings of Miles Franklin. UQP. pp. 227–230. ISBN   0702232378 – via Google Books.
  7. Hume, Fergus (2013). The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. Introduction: Simon Caterson. Text Publishing. ISBN   978-1921922220.
  8. "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab". Kinematograph Weekly Yearbook. Kinematograph Publications: 91, 96. 1935.
  9. Lyons, Martyn; Arnold, John (2001). A History of the Book in Australia 1891–1945: A National Culture in a Colonised Market. UQP. pp. 241–243. ISBN   978-0702232343.
  10. Macintyre, Stuart (2009). A Concise History of Australia (3rd ed.). CUP. pp. 111–113. ISBN   978-0521516082 – via Google Books.
  11. Parrinder, Patrick; Gasiorek, Andrzej, eds. (2011). The Oxford History of the Novel in English. Vol. 4: The Reinvention of the British and Irish Novel 1880–1940. OUP. pp. 213–216. ISBN   978-0199559336 – via Google Books.
  12. Pierce, Peter (2009). The Cambridge History of Australian Literature . CUP. pp.  114, 274. ISBN   978-0521881654.
  13. Plarr, Victor (1899). "Law, William Arthur". Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporaries (15th ed.). Routledge. p. 626. OCLC   457880067.
  14. Reade, Eric (1980). History and Heartburn: The Saga of Australian Film, 1896–1978. Fairleigh Dickinson UP. p. 44. ISBN   978-0838630822 – via Google Books.
  15. Rzepka, Charles J; Horsley, Lee (2010). A Companion to Crime Fiction . Wiley-Blackwell. pp.  107–109. ISBN   978-1405167659.
  16. "Author, 23, In Rare Double". The Age . Melbourne. 17 Aug 1961. p. TV-Radio Guide 2.
  17. Lincoln, W J (9 Feb 1916). "Picture Profiles in the Olden Days | Random Reminiscences". The Winner. Melbourne. p. 11 – via NLA.
  18. Young, R G (2010). The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film. Applause. p. 434. ISBN   978-1557832696 – via Google Books.

Further reading

  1. "Australian Classics: Fergus Hume's Mystery of a Hansom Cab". The Book Show. Radio National. 29 Dec 2009.
  2. Binyon, T J (1989). Murder Will Out: The Detective in Fiction . OUP. pp.  70–71. ISBN   978-0192192233.
  3. "Fergus Hume". Dictionary of Australian Biography (1949).
  4. "Fergus Hume". Fantastic Fiction.
  5. Kirk, Pauline M (1972). "Hume, Fergusson Wright (Fergus) (1859–1932)". Australian Dictionary of Biography (1972). Vol. 4. MUP. pp. 443–444.
  6. Pittard, Christopher (2008). "The Real Sensation of 1887: Fergus Hume and The Mystery of a Hansom Cab". Clues: A Journal of Detection. 26 (1): 37–48. doi:10.3172/CLU.26.1.37. ISSN   0742-4248.
  7. Sussex, Lucy (2016). Blockbuster! Fergus Hume and The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. Text Publishing. ISBN   978-1922147943.
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