Synopses & Reviews
There were two Whispering Smiths, one the fictional railroad detective in Frank Hamilton Spearmans novel, and the other a historic westerner whose real name was James L. Smith. The fictional character was the hero in this best-selling novel of 1906, and the books popularity made it the prototype for Western fiction. Spearman became fascinated by railroad lore through his contacts with the Union Pacific while a Nebraska banker. He had previously authored several stories with railroad plots and by 1904 had his Strategy of Great Railroads adopted as a textbook at Yale University. Determined to write about railroad detectives Spearman visited Cheyenne, Wyoming, to interview two of the most famous, Timothy Keliher and Joe LeFors. Based on their stories and with a fascination for the nickname Whispering Smith, Spearman crafted his exciting novel. His heroic character was a composite of Keliher and LeFors and the adventures found in the novel had their source in the stories of these two railroad detectives. Hollywood pounced on the long term success of the novel and its colorful title. Filming rights were obtained as early as 1916 and more than five motion pictures were made plus a television series in 1961. The most famous production was filmed in 1948. Alan Ladd starred in this Technicolor film and credited it with launching his career. Frank Hamilton Spearman continued to write but none of his subsequent novels achieved the success of Whispering Smith. His later years were spent in Hollywood where he turned to writing screenplays. It will never be known if Spearman had any knowledge about James L. Smith, known as Whispering Smith in the West, nor is it known if that westerner knew ofSpearmans novel although he was still alive when it was published. The true story of James L. Smith is recounted in Whispering Smith: His Life and Misadventures by Allen P. Bristow from Sunstone Press.
Synopsis
1907. Running a railroad through the Rocky Mountains was a tough business. The steep arroyos and precipitous canyons of the Crawling Stone country weren't made for steel rails and steam engines. But, a gang of renegade railroad employees wrecking and robbing the trains, spilling cattle, gold dust, and blood all over the dry stone didn't make things any easier. The railroad company knew they had to be stopped so they sent their best man, Smith.
Synopsis
Disaster stalked the rails from the day the division superintendent of a pioneer Western railroad fired the wrecking boss, Murray Sinclair. The railroad calls in Whispering Smith to resolve the situation.