Francis Durbridge (1912-1998) - in full Francis Henry Durbridge

Durbridge's first book, Send for Paul Temple (1938), a collaboration with John Thewes, was a novelization of radio serial.

Durbridge wrote Temple stories for BBC from 1938 to 1968. The character became hugely popular in Britain and his adventures were followed in many counties, among others in Finland. However, Temple's four film appearances in the 1940s and 1950s are considered insignificant. John Bentley was the hero in Calling Paul Temple (1948), Paul Temple's Triumph (1950), and Paul Temple Returns (1952), all directed by Maclean Rogers. Anthony Hulme played Temple in Send for Paul Temple (1946), dir. by John Argyle. In the 1960s Durbridge created for TV a new series character, Tim Frazer, starring Jack Hedley. Frazer was an undercover agent and also appeared in three books. Durbridge wrote the series with Clive Exton, Charles Hatton, and Barry Thomas.

In Durbridge's novels usually dialogue dominate, which sometimes reveal that they were originally written for radio or television. His characters belong to the middle-class and have much time to devote themselves in solving crimes - or planning them. The protagonist is sometimes a suspect who tries to free himself from the web of intrigues. In the film The Vicious Circle (1957) an actress is found dead in Dr Latimer's flat and the weapon turn up in the boot of his car. Then another body is found and again all the clues lead to Latimer.

Durbridge published 35 novels, several of them were based on his tv or radio series. Several of his books were written in collaboration with other writers, among them John Thewes, Douglas Rutherford, and Charles Hatton. Paul Temple was credited as the author of his own adventures, two of which Durbridge wrote with Rutherford. The Broken Horseshoe (1952) was Durbridge's first TV thriller serial. It was produced live in a studio at Alexandra Palace. In 1997 Alan Bleasdale created his own version of Durbridge's 1960s BBC serial Melissa, in which a war correspondent, Guy Foster, falls in love with a beautiful but mysterious Melissa. Bleasdale described the mystery detective story as his "homage and tribute to one of this country's finest thriller writers."

PAUL TEMPLE: One of the most successful detective characters ever created for broadcasting. Paul Temple is novelist-detective, who solves mysteries with his wife Steve. Temple had a thirty-year career on radio, and continued his adventures also in books from 1938 to the late 1980s. Two of the novels, The Tyler Mystery and East of Algers list Temple as the author. - OTHER RADIO SERIES HEROES: Harry Lime (produced in the 1950s in Britain, see Graham Greene), Dragnet (premiered on radio on NBC in 1949), Perry Mason (CBS soap opera from 1943 to 1955), Nick Carter (on radio from 1943 to 1955) - For further reading: Encyclopedia Mysteriosa by William L. DeAndrea (1997); St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers, ed. by Jay P. Pederson (1996) - Suom.: Paul Temple on seikkaillut mm. kuunnelmissa Paul Temple ja tapaus Conrad, Paul Temple ja Spencerin juttu, Paul Temple ja Valentinen tapaus, Paul Temple ja Alexin juttu. Televisiossa on nähty useita Durbridgen jatkojännäreitä, mm. Melissa, Mies nimeltä Harry Brent, Pelin loppu, Salama kirkkaalta taivaalta, Kaksoisolento, Epätoivoiset. Alan Bleasdale teki Melissasta kolmannen tv-sovituksen 1997. Toinen valmistui 1974. - For further information: Paul Temple - Francis Durbridge Presents (1952-1980)

Selected works:

• SEND FOR PAUL TEMPLE, 1938 - with John Thewes

• PAUL TEMPLE AND THE FRONT PAGE MEN, 1939 - with Charles Hatton (an adaptation of a play)

• NEWS OF PAUL TEMPLE, 1940 - with Charles Hatton - Mitä uutta Paul Temple? suom. Antero Hälvä - film 1948: Paul Temple's Triumph, from the novel, dir. by John Argyle, starring Anthony Hulme

• PAUL TEMPLE INTERVENES, 1944 - with Charles Hatton - film 1952: Paul Temple Returns, from the novel, dir. by Maclean Rogers, starring John Bentley

• SEND FOR PAUL TEMPLE, 1946 (screenplay with John Argyle) - film 1946, dir. by John Argyle, starring Anthony Hulme

• SEND FOR PAUL TEMPLE AGAIN!, 1948 - with Charles Hatton

• CALLING PAUL TEMPLE, 1948 (screenplay, with A.R. Rawlison) - film 1948, dir. by Maclean Rogers, starring John Bentley, Dinah Sheridan, Margaret Scott, Abraham Sofaer

• THE BACK ROOM GIRL, 1950

• BEWARE OF JOHNNY WASHINGTON, 1951

• DESIGN FOR MURDER, 1951

• THE BROKEN HORSESHOE, 1952 (television play)

• OPERATION DIPLOMAT, 1952 (television play)

• PAUL TEMPLE RETURNS, 1952 (screenplay)

• THE TECKMAN BIBLIOGRAPHY, 1953 (television play)

• THE TECKMAN MYSTERY, 1954 (sreenplay, with James Matthews)

• PORTRAIT OF ALLISON, 1955 (television play) - film 1955, also released as Postmark for Danger

• MY FRIEND CHARLES, 1957 (television play)

• THE OTHER MAN, 1957 (television play)

• A TIME OF DAY, 1957 (television play)

• THE VICIOUS CIRCLE / THE CIRCLE, 1957 (screenplay) - film 1957, dir. by Gerald Thomas, starring John Mills, Derek Farr, Noelle Middleton

• THE TYLER MYSTERY, 1957 - with Douglas Rutherford

• THE OTHER MAN, 1958

• A TIME OF DAY, 1959

• THE SCARF, 1959 (television play)

• EAST OF ALGIERS, 1959 - with Douglas Rutherford

• THE SCARF, 1960

• THE WORLD OF TIM FRAZER, 1960 (television play, with others)

• PORTRAIT OF ALISON, 1962

• THE WORLD OF TIM FRAZER, 1962

• MY FRIEND CHARLES, 1963

• THE DESPERATE PEOPLE, 1963 (television play)

• TIM FRAZER AGAIN, 1964

• MELISSA, 1964 (television play)

• ANOTHER WOMAN'S SHOES, 1965

• A MAN CALLED HARRY BRENT, 1965 (television play)

• THE DESPERATE PEOPLE, 1966

• A GAME OF MURDER, 1966 (television play)

• BAT OUT OF HELL, 1966 (television play)

• DEAD TO THE WORLD, 1967

• MY WIFE MELISSA, 1967

• THE PIG TAIL MURDER, 1969

• PAUL TEMPLE AND THE KELBY AFFAIR, 1970

• PAUL TEMPLE AND THE HARKDALE ROBBERY, 1970

• A MAN CALLED HARRY BRENT, 1970 (novelization of the television series)

• THE GENEVA MYSTERY, 1971

• THE PASSENGER, 1971 (television play)

• THE CURZON CASE, 1972

• BAT OUT OF HELL, 1972

• SUDDENLY AT HOME, 1973 (play)

• A GAME OF MURDER, 1975

• THE DOLL, 1975 (television play)

• THE GENTLE HOOK, 1975 (play)

• THE PASSENGER, 1977

• MURDER WITH LOVE, 1977 (play)

• TIM FRAZER GETS THE MESSAGE, 1978

• BREAKAWAY, 1979 (television play)

• THE GRANDMA GAME, 1980 (play)

• BREAKAWAY, 1981

• THE DOLL, 1982

• THE HOUSE GUEST, 1982 (play)

• PAUL TEMPLE AND THE MARGO MYSTERY, 1986

• NIGHTCAP, 1986 (play)

• PAUL TEMPLE AND THE MADISON CASE, 1988

• A TOUCH OF DANGER, 1988 (play)

• PAUL TEMPLE AND THE CONRAD CASE, 1989

• THE SMALL HOURS, 1991 (play)

• SWEET REVENGE, 1993 (play)

• Radio plays: Promotion (1933), Paul Temple (1928), Information Received (1938), And Anthony Sherwood Laughed (1940), Were Strangers (1941), Send for Paul Temple (1941), Mr. Harrington Died Tomorrow (1942), Paul Temple Intervenes (1942), The Essential Heart (1943), Frewell Leicester Square (1943), News of Paul Temple (1944), Send for Paul Temple Again (1945), Over My Dead Body (1946), Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair (1946), The Case for Paul Temple (1946), Paul Temple and Steve (1947), Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery (1947), Mr. and Mrs. Paul Temple (1947), Paul Temple and the Curzon Case (1948), Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery (1949), John Washington Esquire (1949), Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair (1950), Paul Temple and the Jonathan Mystery (1951), Paul Temple and Steve Again (1956), Paul Temple and the Lawrence Affair (1956), Paul Temple and the Conrad Case (1959), Paul Temple and the Margot Mystery (1961), What Do You Think? (1962), Paul Temple and the Geneva Mystery (1965), La Boutique (1967), Paul Temple and the Alex Affair (1968)