World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Baynard Hardwick Kendrick

ベインヤード・ハードウィック・ケンドリック

Baynard Hardwick Kendrick

Pen Names: Richard Hayward（Pseudonym used for some non-series novels）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1894-04-08 （Philadelphia, Pennsylvania）
Died
1977-03-22 （Ocala, Florida） age 82
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Philadelphia (birthplace) → New York (period of writing) → Ocala, Florida (later life)

Career

Occupations
Author, Novelist, Columnist
Active Years
1920-1976
Affiliations
Mystery Writers of America (founder, first president)
Memberships
Mystery Writers of America
Influenced
Stirling Silliphant (credited Kendrick as source for Longstreet character)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Last Express

1937 Mystery

A Duncan Maclain novel involving a mysterious crime aboard a train; classic whodunit.

train-set mysterydetection
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Last Express (film) (1938)

Odor of Violets (aka Eyes in the Night)

1941 Mystery

A signature Duncan Maclain novel featuring the blind investigator who solves crimes with his German shepherds and household assistants; originally serialized.

blind detectiveloyal dogsserialized publication
Adaptations
  • [Film] Eyes in the Night (1942)

Blind Man's Bluff

1943 Mystery

Duncan Maclain uses his heightened non-visual senses and assistance from his household to unravel a murder mystery.

heightened sensesdisability and adaptation

Lights Out

1945 Fiction (post-war recovery, blindness)

A novel about a soldier who lost his sight in war, exploring psychological recovery and adaptation to blindness after WWII.

war aftermathblindness and recoveryrehabilitation
Adaptations
  • [Film] Bright Victory (1951)

Hot Red Money

1959 Thriller / Fiction

A suspense novel incorporating elements based on a true story; the real events were later discussed in John Barron's non-fiction work.

fiction based on real eventsfinancial intrigue

Bibliography

  • Blood on Lake Louisa
  • The Eleven of Diamonds
  • The Iron Spiders
  • The Last Express
  • The Whistling Hangman
  • Odor of Violets (Eyes in the Night)
  • Blind Man's Bluff
  • Death Knell
  • Out of Control
  • Make Mine Maclain (three novelettes)
  • You Die Today
  • Blind Allies
  • Clear and Present Danger
  • Reservations for Death
  • The Aluminum Turtle
  • Frankincense and Murder
  • Flames of Time
  • The Tunnel
  • Trapped (as Richard Hayward)
  • Hot Red Money
  • Flight from a Firing Wall
  • Lights Out (adapted as Bright Victory)
  • Orlando: A Century Plus

Adaptations

  • Eyes in the Night (film, 1942)
  • The Hidden Eye (film, 1945)
  • Bright Victory (film, 1951) (adapted from Lights Out)
  • Out of Control adapted for the radio series Suspense (1946)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
pulp-influenced brisk narrativepractical, detection-focused descriptions
Recurring Motifs
blind protagonist and heightened non-visual sensesGerman shepherds as companions/assistantsFlorida history and settingwartime experience and veterans

Legacy

He established the figure of the blind detective Duncan Maclain and made pioneering contributions to portraying visually impaired characters. As a founder of the Mystery Writers of America, he is considered an important figure in American detective fiction.

Museums

  • Baynard Hardwick Kendrick Collection (University of South Florida) University of South Florida (Tampa, FL)

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of America

Archives

  • Baynard Hardwick Kendrick Collection, University of South Florida

In Popular Culture

  • Credited as a source for the Longstreet TV character (blind investigator)
  • Influenced popular culture through film adaptations such as Eyes in the Night, The Hidden Eye, and Bright Victory

Trivia

  • He was among the first American citizens to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War I.
  • Founder of the Mystery Writers of America and holder of its first membership card.
  • Published some works under the pseudonym Richard Hayward.
  • Best known for the Duncan Maclain series featuring a blind private investigator.
  • Lights Out was adapted into the film Bright Victory.