''A Man About a Dog'' is a 1947

thriller novel Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. S ...

by the British-Australian writer

Alec Coppel Alec Coppel (17 September 1907 – 22 January 1972) was an Australian-born screenwriter, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best ...

. Driven to distraction by his wife's repeated affairs, her husband decides to kidnap her latest lover and commit the perfect murder, only to be thwarted by a dog.

Film adaptation

In 1949 it was adapted into the British film '' Obsession'' directed by

Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s noir films and received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for '' Crossfire'' (1947). In 1947, he was named as one of the Hollywoo ...

and starring

Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for h ...

, Sally Gray and

Naunton Wayne Naunton Wayne (born Henry Wayne Davies, 22 June 1901 – 17 November 1970), was a Welsh character actor, born in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales. He was educated at Clifton College. His name was changed by deed poll in 1933. Stage actor His firs ...

. Coppel himself wrote the screenplay.

Play version

originally wrote the story as a play when he was living in Sydney during World War II. He adapted it into a novel while travelling to London. Coppel titled the play and the novel '' A Man About a Dog'', but in the United States, the novel was titled ''Over the Line''. The play opened in London in April 1946 and the novel was published in 1948, although many critics commented that the novel felt similar to a play. Another production of the play was staged in London in May 1949.

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Keaney, Michael F. ''British Film Noir Guide''. McFarland, 2008. * Reilly, John M. ''Twentieth Century Crime & Mystery Writers''. Springer, 2015. 1947 British novels 1947 Australian novels Novels by Alec Coppel Australian thriller novels British thriller novels Novels set in London Australian novels adapted into films British novels adapted into films George G. Harrap and Co. books {{1940s-thriller-novel-stub