Sax Rohmer in This Week
27 January 2006

This Week was a magazine supplement to weekend editions of newspapers throughout the United States. At the height of its popularity the magazine had a circulation of nearly 12,000,000, the largest of any publication in the world at the time. Issues were dated to coincide with specific newspapers. As a result many issues may be found with two dates. Where variant dates are known, they are separated by a slash. 

The last Fu Manchu stories written by Rohmer appeared in This Week in the late 1950's and were not available in book form until The Wrath of Fu Manchu was published in 1973. The story, " " was included in This Week's Stories of Mystery and Suspence, (ed. Stewart Beach, New York: Random House, 19570). Many of the other stories have never been republished.

Sixteen of the stories published in This Week followed the adventures of Bernard De Treville, known as "The Crime Magnet." They are marked   ‡   in the following list. Only two of the De Treville stories are known to have been reprinted in book form. "The Mystery of the Paneled Room" is included in The Bedside Bonanza. (ed. F. Owen. New York Frederick Fell, 1944), and "The Secret of the Ruins" can be found in   Fourth Mystery Companion (ed. A. L. Furman. New York: Lantern Press, 1946). Items marked with * or # are available.

Illustration by Marshall Frantz

Note:   For the three-year period 1937-1939 all of the Rohmer stories in This Week (thirteen stories in all) were illustrated by C. C. Beall, who had previously illustrated a Rohmer serial in Collier's.   Other illustrators are as noted in the following list.

Salute to Limehouse    Illustrator: Dan Content	October 11, 1936
Affair of Honor    Illustrator: Marshall Frantz	November 22, 1936	*
The Black and White Bag   ‡    "A New Mystery Series Begins"	September 11/12, 1937	*#
The Broken Ikon   ‡	September 18/19, 1937	#
An Egyptian Romance   ‡	September 25/26, 1937	#
The Five Musketeers   ‡	December 31, 1937/January 2, 1938
Count D'Ambro's Window   ‡	January 9, 1938
The Persian Porfolio   ‡	January 15/16, 1938
Cinderella's Slipper   ‡	February 26/27, 1938
The Dutch Cheese  ‡	June 19, 1938	*
The Panama Plot -- I   ‡    Illustrator: C. C. Beall	September 10/11, 1938
The Panama Plot -- II   ‡	September 17/18, 1938	*
The Panama Plot -- III   ‡	September 24/25, 1938	*
The Panama Plot -- IV   ‡	October 1, 1938
"Don't try anything," said a voice in my ear. "Just move where I'm pushing you." One of two C. C. Beall illustrations for "The Mystery of the Panelled Room"
The Mystery of the Panelled Room   ‡	July 29/30, 1939	*
Exit the Princess   ‡	August 5/6, 1939	*
The Mystic Turban   ‡	August 12/13, 1939	#
The Elusive Jackdaw   ‡	August 19/20, 1939	*
The Oversized Trunk   ‡    Illustrator: Walter M. Baumhofer	October 22, 1944	*
The Stolen Peach Stone   ‡    Illustrator: Walter M. Baumhofer	November 19, 1944
Illustrator: Arthur Sarnoff "I must hear what she is saying," Trevvy whispered. "Move quietly"  Step by step we crept nearer.
The Secret of the Ruins   ‡    Illustrator: Arthur Sarnoff	May 13, 1945	*
The Picture of Innocence    Illustrator: Walter M. Baumhofer    [Brief biographical note and photo of Rohmer      on p. 7.]	May 9, 1948	#*
The Mysterious Harem    Illustrator: Perry Petersen	September 26, 1948	#*
Crime Takes a Cruise - I    Illustrator: Walter M. Baumhofer	January 15, 1950	#
Crime Takes a Cruise - II    Illustrator: Walter M. Baumhofer	January 22, 1950	#*
One Brother was Evil	April 29, 1951	*
Flee from Danger	September 16, 1951
The Mystery of the Fabulous Lamp    Illustrator: Mac Conner	April 26, 1953	#
The Mystery of the Vanishing Treasure	October 18, 1953
The Bride's Dungeon	November 7, 1954
The Fugitive Celebrity    Illustrator: Edward Vebell	March 6, 1955	#*
	SAX ROHMER returns to the pages of THIS WEEK after an absence of three years during which he temporarily abandoned short fiction. Back in the United States for the first time since the war, the famous English author is once more creating those delightful tales of mystery and intrigue which have charmed millions. Best known for his stories of Limehouse and the sinister r. Fu Manchu, Mr. Rohmer draws on his extensive travels for plots and backgrounds.
Case of the Missing Heirloom	April 21, 22, 1956	**
How Fu Manchu was Born	September 29, 1957	*
	"Sax Rohmer, who tells here about the circumstances which led him to create one of fiction's most famous characters, has led a story book existence himself. An Irishman by birth, he has travelled widely, principally in the East and Middle East. He has dabbled in the occult, and his long friendship with Harry Houdini taught him a great deal about magic. His sinister Fu Manchu has appeared in books, radio, television and movies.'
The Eyes of Fu Manchu - I    Illustrator: Al Moore	October 6, 1957
Eyes of Fu Manchu - II    Illustrator: Al Moore	October 13, 1957
The Night Fu Manchu Learned Fear     Illustrator: Al Moore	March 9, 1958	*
Deadly Blonde of Dartmoor	October 19, 1958
Fu Manchu and the Frightened Redhead	February 1, 1959	*

Issues marked with the symbol * or # are at hand should you have any questions.

Go to The Page of Fu Manchu

Copyright © 1999 Lawrence Knapp. All rights reserved.