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Frankin W. Dixon is really Leslie McFarlane "Ghos of the Hardy Boys WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1976, PAGE 13 materializes in Whitby by BRIAN WINTER Staff Writer Ask any youngster today, or even as far back as 50 years ago who the Hardy Boys are, and he will tell you that they are two young detectives who solve impos- sible mysteries in a series of books written by someone narned Franklin W. Dixon. Ask a book seller, and he will tell you they are believed to be the best selling boys' books in the world. The popularity of the Hardy Boys series since the first book, The Tower Treasure, was published in 1926, has grown with rapid increase of young readers in our population and never diminished. The publishers estimate they have sold 26 million copies, and they are second only to the Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew in sales of fiction for young people. Once in a while, an inquisitive youngster will ask, "Who is Franklin W. Dixon", and wonder what he is really like. Until now only a few people have known the incredible story that lies behind the Hardy Boys and Franklin W. Dixon. It may startle many people to discover that Franklin W. Dixon doesn't even exist. He is a house name owned by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a publishing firm in East Orange New Jersey. It may startle them even more that there are not one, but many authors who have written the Hardy Boys under the pen name of Franklin W. Dixon. But what should interest Whitby residents the most is that the original "Franklin W. Dixon" is none other than Leslie McFarlane, a resident of Whitby from 1936 to 1943, and from 1961 to the present day. In fact, some of the famous Hardy Boys books were written in Whitby. Leslie McFarlane, in his role of Franklin W. Dixon, was a ghost writer, and his story and the story of the "fiction factory" which pro- duced the Hardy Boys is told in his autobiography, The Ghost of the Hardy Boys, published in Canada last week, and to be published in New York in June. Mr. McFarlane describes his autobiography as "a very irreverent book by an old pro", and it is. He takes a few cracks at people and situations he did not like, he employs a down to earth, hard hitting style, but more important, he teils his story with such humor and sly wit that it makes the reader burst out laughing on many occasions. The Ghost of the Hardy Boys is the story of a struggling young writer who gets rejection slips for many stories ho sends to big name magazines, but somehow succeeds in producing pulp fiction for the mysterious Stratemeyer Syndicate for 20 years with an amazing degree of success. In the Depression years he can't afford a postage stamp to send a manuscript to a publisher of a well-known magazine, but he manages to keep on getting $125 cheques for producing Hardy Boys stories for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. That's al he gets for each book. The millions of dollars from sales go to the syndicate. But the Ghost of the applied to making the Hardy Hardy Boys is much more Boys a success. than the story of a struggling It ail starts in 1926 when writer and his unusual he answers a classified ad for relationship with the world's an experienced fiction writer greatest publisher of books to work fronipublishers for young people. outtines.Ile is sent outlines In his book Mr. McFarlane for boys' books by the describes, perhaps for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, and first time the amazing word ends up writing a series of of juvEnme i6ook publishing-Aventures about Dave from 1900 to the 1930s. The Fearless, a deep sea di"or inner workings of the who gets into and out of Stratemeyer Syndicate are ail kinds of impossible outlined and he makes an situations-in the fast, liard- analysis of the titles and hitting style of puip fiction. authors (real and fictitkus) Edward Strateineyer seems that enchanted the early pleased with Mr. McFarlane's generations of this century. work, although lie neyer says Mr. McFarlane, in his own o but the outlines keep personal style, tells what he coming. [le chooses Mr. thinks of these books, how McFarlane to write three they were published, and the "breoders" to start off the impact they had on young- new Hardy Boys series, and sters, adults, and even the when they becone successful. church. Mr. McFarlane ends up But there is yet another writing the ,irst 20 books side to The Ghost of the of the series until he finally Hardy Boys--the story of Mr. decides to pass on the job to McFarlane's life as a reporter tuother giost. There are in Northern Ontario foi such plenty more waiting iii the papers as the Cobalt Nuigget, wings. "From this beginning and the Sudbury Star. a great industry was born He tells of how tough and hoesays. frightening city editors were Part of the agreernent with to young reporters, how lie Edward Stratemeyer was that learned never to iake fun of Mr. McFarlane neyer toit any- amateur theatricals, and one that lie was writing the how one old reporter got his Hardy Boys, and ho says that foot caught in a waste basket the penalty for doing so was when trying to stamp ont a s unmentionablc that it was fire he started when he tossed fot nentioned. a lighted cigarette into the Mr. McFarlane adnits lo basket. To do justice te nover read the publishers these stories in such an copys of the books that vero article as this would be sont to him, and he never impossible. One lias to read took any roal intorest in the the book to truly appreciate Hardy Boys after hoehîad them. writton the books. Thoy But the essence of'Mr. were just a job to put bread McFarlane's book is the story on the taleowliile hoewas of how lie becanie a giost trying te preduco seniothing riter and liow ls talent was ihe ftw as more suited to A New fbuo dFor Springtine Nothina lifts the sprits quite like a becorning new hair style. Call now for an appointment soon. LACONTESSA BEAUTY LOUNGE 119 Green St. 66&÷9262 DO YOU NEED MONEY? If you own a home, farm or property in town, city or country, old or new, paid for -or not, our low payment mortgage plan is probably your answer. . consolidate all your debts . get extra cash now . have one low payrnent 1st, 2nd or 3rd mortgages as low as 121/4% We would like to hAJp you. Call me personally today. WAYNE SMITH Call Collect 645-4557 (705) meetings held in the privacy of your own home GREAT NORTHERN FINANCIAL CORPORATION A Canadian Public Company whose only business is helping people. tus talents. It was not until recently, when his son asked him about the bocks on the shelf at home, and said "why didn't you tel] nie you wrote them?" that Mr. McFarlane discovered how popular the Hardy Boys really were. But, in the words of Mr. McFarlane, the ghost was disposessed. A writer for Weekend Magazine about three years ago approached him for an interview about the Hardy Boys, and he discovered that the books had been completely rewritten by the Stratemeyer Syndicate to bring them up to modern tinies. Mr. McFarlane feels that much of the humor lie injected into the original books was lost in the rewrites. For instance, it ivas lie who created the comic character of Aunt Gertrude, wlho lias become the most popular character in the series. In the rewrites, Aunt Gertrude lias lost the humorous touch Mr. McFar- lane gave her. Mr. McFarlane started "doodling" on the manuscript for his autobiography in Hollywood in 1968, and got down to completing it last summer. His son showed it to a publisher and got a favorable response. "The publisher says it's going to be a best seller", lie says. Fron June 21 to July 8, Mr. McFarlane will be taking a pronotional tour for the book, stopping at Boston, New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he will Leslie McFarlane, the "Ghost of the Hardy Boys" holds a copy of his autobiography, in which he tells how he became immortal "Franklin W. Dixon" by writing the first 20 books of the Hardy Boys series of boys' books. Mr. McFarlane's book was published in Canada last week and will appear in New York in June. He plans a promotional tour for the book in June and July. Free Press Photo be the subject of about 30 newspaper interviews and television appearances. He will appear on the Today Show in New York, the Jack Donahue show in Chicago, and will be inter- viewed by the book editor of the New York Daily News. Mr. McFarlane, who will be 74 in October lives in Whitby in the summer and Sarasota Florida in the winter. The Ghost of the Hardy Boys is available in Whitby at Middleton's Book Store, and should be of interest of any- one who has read the Hardy Boys Books and wondered who Franklin W. Dixon really was. C->ýj C-NI9 kýe_-