Sand on the Gumshoe

MAX AFFORD

Max Afford was Australia ’s most prolific radio dramatist. Before television, there was radio and it took a man of Afford’s skill and professionalism to turn out as many hours of entertainment as he did right up until his death in 1954. Born in Parkside, Adelaide, in 1906, Afford was a journalist before turning to radio serials and stage plays.

From 1932 until his death, Afford wrote many of the most popular serials of the time including Digger Hale’s Daughter, Hagen ’s Circus, and Danger Limited. It was said that in the 1930s Afford was one of the few people to make a living from writing drama. His radio success spilled over onto stage. He created Australian theatrical history by having two plays presented professionally – Lady in Danger in May 1944 and Mischief in the Air in August 1944 (both produced by J.C. Williamson at Sydney’s Theatre Royal). Lady in Danger was also staged on Broadway.

Afford wrote five detective novels. These were: Blood On His Hands (London, J. Long, 1936; Sydney, Frank Johnson, 1945), Death Mannikins (London, J. Long, 1937; Sydney, Frank Johnson, 1945), The Dead Are Blind (London, J. Long, 1937; Sydney, Collins, 1949), Fly by Night (London, J. Long 1942; as Owl Of Darkness, Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1945). In December 1948 the short story ‘Vanishing Trick’ appeared in Frank Johnson’s new magazine, Detective Fiction. The magazine was short lived but an extremely worthy production which included the work of such writers as Frank Walford, Bob McKinnon, Audrey Francis, Richard and Alfreda Phillips, and Norman Way.

Following the first issue, Johnson received a letter from Arthur Upfield who said: ‘I thought the range of stories very good and give best marks to Max Afford.’ Johnson also reprinted some of Afford’s novels in his Magpie paperback series, Afford receiving the munificent sum of £25 for every 10,000 copies sold.

Jeffrey and Elizabeth Blackburn, stars of a long-running Afford radio series as well as several novels, made a late curtain call in Detective Fiction. ‘Vanishing Trick’ typifies the mannered, slightly tongue in cheek, stories of the period – heavy on drawing rooms, witty dialogue and deductive brilliance.