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The Black Star
Johnston McCulley (1883-1958) was a police reporter before he became proflic and successful writer for pulp magazines and for Hollywood. His serial, "The Curse of Capistrano", published in All-Story Magazine in 1919, made him world famous the following year when the film version, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., was released under the title The Mark of Zorro. The rest, as they say, is history. A total of sixty-five Zorro stories appeared in subsequent decades, along with a great variety of non-Zorro material, in such magazines as Argosy, and West. He virtually invented the masked-avenger genre with such characters as the Green Ghost, the Thunderbolt, and the Crimsoon Clown. His screen credits extended over many years, from Brute Breaker (1919) to The Ice Flood (1926) and Doomed Caravan (1941). "The Black Star" is an exciting tale of crime and adventure, the first in a series.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 1910
About the author
Johnston McCulley
233 books75 followersJohnston McCulley (February 2, 1883 – November 23, 1958) was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro.
Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.
McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.
Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.
Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia
Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.
McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.
Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.
Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 28, 2023
Entertaining mystery listening
This is a free kindle e-book from Amazon by Johnston McCulley. Oh how I love those free kindle e-books.
Roger is a millionaire with a butler Muggs when they get involved with the robber Black Star. Black Star is robbing all over London and the English country side with no clue to his identity. Roger says he will see that the Black Star is arrested and the fun begins.
I would highly recommend this novel and author to readers of British adventure mystery novels. 2023 😀👒👑😡
This is a free kindle e-book from Amazon by Johnston McCulley. Oh how I love those free kindle e-books.
Roger is a millionaire with a butler Muggs when they get involved with the robber Black Star. Black Star is robbing all over London and the English country side with no clue to his identity. Roger says he will see that the Black Star is arrested and the fun begins.
I would highly recommend this novel and author to readers of British adventure mystery novels. 2023 😀👒👑😡
January 26, 2016
Adventurous criminal excitement by the creator of Zorro...
March 15, 2015
Have you ever watched the Green Hornet, 1930’s version? This is it by another name. Really it is, even down to the vapor guns. The plot so predictable it doesn't compensate for the horrible dialog at all. There are just too many incredible escapes, and even worse solutions.
It’s not really a detective story, because they and you know who did what, when and how. Every act is publicized in advance. It’s just really boring.
Here's an example of the dialog from near the climax. “I regret that I cannot explain the method we are going to use to get into the burglar-proof vaults. Did it become public property, the manufacturers might invent some means of counteracting it." That gives a pretty good idea of the whole book.
It’s not really a detective story, because they and you know who did what, when and how. Every act is publicized in advance. It’s just really boring.
Here's an example of the dialog from near the climax. “I regret that I cannot explain the method we are going to use to get into the burglar-proof vaults. Did it become public property, the manufacturers might invent some means of counteracting it." That gives a pretty good idea of the whole book.
September 14, 2012
The Black Star by Johnston McCulley is a story of good versus evil. Like many thirty-cent novels written and published in the first half of the Twentieth Century, it is a conglomerate of Sherlock Holms, Batman and The Keystone Cops. The story reads as a poorly written, low budgeted black and white movie from the 30’s that were so popular as television filler when I was still young and impressionable. This book would make even the best actors look bad through the inept text and writing. Compared to novels of a later time, The Black Star would be left far in the dust. Despite its obvious failure as a literary work to its credit I sometimes found it refreshing. It is not a story that will compel you to rapidly turn the pages or keep you up at night contemplating the plot. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone to rush out and buy it but if you can still get it for 30 cents (or cheaper) it might be worth picking up and reading. Johnston McCulley is much better known as the creator of the terror of Spanish California, Zorro.
June 30, 2011
This is by the author of the Zorro series. I was quite impressed with the first Zorro book which was quite a good adventure novel. The same talent is displayed in this book.
The Black Star is the master crook who brags of his prowess in letters to the police and newspaper and has pulled of countless crimes. Enter the hero of the story a well-off man and his chauffeur as they match wits against the Black Star as their battles go back and forth.
A good romp and a fun read with enjoyable characters.
This book is available on Project Gutenberg and Librivox
The Black Star is the master crook who brags of his prowess in letters to the police and newspaper and has pulled of countless crimes. Enter the hero of the story a well-off man and his chauffeur as they match wits against the Black Star as their battles go back and forth.
A good romp and a fun read with enjoyable characters.
This book is available on Project Gutenberg and Librivox
July 24, 2017
Apparently this is a collection of several of the first pulp stories McCulley wrote featuring the villain The Black Star. I enjoyed the adventures and will likely seek out more of them.
May 17, 2024
A mysterious criminal -- The Black Star -- has an uncanny ability to rob with impunity. Society gent Roger Verbeck decides enough is enough and matches wits with the master crook.
A great pulp detective story with some clever trickery to enhance the mystery of the gentleman thief, The Black Star.
A great pulp detective story with some clever trickery to enhance the mystery of the gentleman thief, The Black Star.
November 24, 2017
Excellent adventure and enjoyable reading by Roger Melin .
September 14, 2024
Pure pulp fun.
October 31, 2016
Do you need a second opinion on this book? Visit and explore www.oceanpearlbooks.wordpress.com. OceanPearl Books endeavors to provide well-informed book reviews, business readings, parenting tips, and consulting services for our clients worldwide. And it's all for Free!
OceanPearl Books - Book Review
One man brags that he can take down the Black Star and end his reign. The Black Star, a gentleman thief, takes offense at the boast.
It’s a cat and mouse game between the notorious crook and a bragger.
This book is available for FREE at http://manybooks.net/titles/mcculleyj....
OceanPearl Books - Book Review
One man brags that he can take down the Black Star and end his reign. The Black Star, a gentleman thief, takes offense at the boast.
It’s a cat and mouse game between the notorious crook and a bragger.
This book is available for FREE at http://manybooks.net/titles/mcculleyj....
November 2, 2015
Johnston McCulley outdid himself on this one. A master of the Robin Hood type hero, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, McCulley starts out with a villain much like these, only this one keeps all the loot for himself.
The villain is captured by another clever man, only to find that to turn over the Black Star to the police would mean the ruin of his fiancee's family. He has to outwit both the police and The Black Star to bust up the gang and bring the criminal to justice.
Exciting, but melodramatic.
The villain is captured by another clever man, only to find that to turn over the Black Star to the police would mean the ruin of his fiancee's family. He has to outwit both the police and The Black Star to bust up the gang and bring the criminal to justice.
Exciting, but melodramatic.
October 18, 2012
this is kind of a silly detective story! But it was a lot of fun. It is available at Gutenberg.org and also as an audio recording at Librivox.org both free---so if you just need a funny,old little detective story give it a try.
September 19, 2013
A wonderful crime-adventure book from the creator of the famous The Mark of Zorro!
March 27, 2019
The Black Star, fights his nemesis, the dashing millionaire amateur detective, Roger Verbeck, and his sidekick, Muggs. Jewels are at stake, and the identity of a woman who may or may not be in cahoots with The Black Star. The plot moves along at an even pace.
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February 16, 2016Adventurous
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews