Ellery's evidence
Do you think Ellery's evidence was enough to convict the guilty person in a court of law?
shareNope, but I think that the same thing can be said about a lot of classic mysteries. Not just Ellery Queen, but also Agatha Christie mysteries, etc.
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Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER
Good point. I've read severl Chrstie mysteries and if the guilty person doesnt' confess, he/she might be found innocent in the legal sense.(of course then there is judgement day)
shareI've heard complaints about the fact that Ellery seemed to be smarter at solving crime than his dad, even though his dad is a cop. This was another common feature of so many mysteries of that time period. Other detectives like Miss Marple also outsmarted the cops.
I've seen a lot of mysteries filmed before 1950 and based on those novels/stories. Quite a few of them feature "dumb" cops.
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Jim Hutton: talented gorgeous hot hunk; adorable as ElleryQueen; SEXIEST ACTOR EVER
It never really occurred to me before that you really don't see the "dumb" cop plot device much any more....even shows where the main detective or crime solver isn't a police officer there's usually a police presence, who aren't quite as smart but still effective.
shareIt was certainly the style back in the 20s, 30s, and 40s to have the detective smarter than the cops. I've read a number of mysteries from those decades and I've come across that quite a bit. It was pretty extreme in some of the films of the time, such as The Thirteenth Guest (1932). The "dumb cop" plot device still exists, but I think it's more subtle in contemporary films.
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JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen