Famous Private Detectives in
Novels, Movies, and Television--

Miss Marple → Portrayed in movies by Margaret Rutherford
An old spinster is of independent means in a novels series, movies and TV series including 4.50 from Paddington (Created by Agatha Christie).
•Novels: 1930‑1976 •Movies: 1961‑1964  •TV series: 1984‑1992, 2004‑2013.

Nero Wolfe → Portrayed in the 2001 TV series by Maury Chaykin
An armchair detective in novels, short stories, movies, radio, and several TV series including A Nero Wolfe Mystery (Created by Rex Stout).
•Novels: 1934‑1985 •Movies: 1936, 1937  •TV series: 1981, 2001‑2003.

Alex Cross → Portrayed by Morgan Freeman
Even tempered psychologist and former FBI agent in several books and movies such as Along Came a Spider (Created by James Patterson).
•Books: 1993‑2014 •Movies: 1997, 2001.

Jesse Stone → Portrayed by Tom Selleck
Former baseball shortstop and homicide detective in the book series and several movies, such as Benefit of the Doubt (Created by Robert B. Parker).
•Books: 1997‑2015 •Movies: 2005‑2012.

Bulldog Drummond → Portrayed by Ronald Coleman
A gentleman adventurer in novels, short stories, and several movies including Calling Bulldog Drummond (Created by H. C. McNeile).
•Novels: 1920‑1969 •Short stories: 1937  •Movies: 1922‑1969.

Easy (Ezikeil) Rawlins → Portayed by Denzel Washington
A World War II veteran. Based on the novel. Devil in a Blue Dress (Created by Walter Mosley).
•Novel: 1990 •Movie: 1995.

Elona Holmes → Portrayed by Millie "Bobby" Brown
The sister of Sherlock Holmes in the book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries and the movie Enola Holmes (Created by Nancy Springer).
•Book series: 2006‑2010 •Movie: 2020.

Lew Archer (renamed to Harper in movies) → Portrayed by Paul Newman
An often world-weary P.I. working in Southern California in books, a TV series and movies such as Harper (Book written by Ross MacDonald).
•Books: 1949‑1976 •TV series: 1975  •Movies: 1966, 1974, 1975.

Matt Helm (not like the book or movie versions) → Portrayed by Anthony Franciosa
Retired spy, now a private detective in the TV series Matt Helm (Developed by Sam Rolfe).
•TV series: 1975‑1976.

Michael Shayne → Portrayed in the movies by Lloyd Noland
Detective in old style, gathering suspects in one place and naming the murderer, in a series of books, TV series, and several movies such as Michael Shayne, Private Detective (Created by Brett Halliday).
•Books: 1939‑1958 •Movies: 1940‑1946  •TV series: 1960‑1961.

Hildegarde Withers → Portrayed by Edna May Oliver and later others.
Spinster school teacher and amateur detective who collaborates, and frequently butts heads, with Inspector Oscar Piper in a series of novels and movies such as Murder on the Blackboard (Created by Stuart Palmer).
•Novels: 1932‑1969 •Movies: 1932‑1972.

Nick Carter → Portrayed by Walter Pidgeon
In the movie Nick Carter, Master Detective, based on the long-running radio series of the same name. Nick Carter, Master Detective (Movie script written by Bertram Millhauser).
•Movie: 1939 •Radio series: 1943‑1945.

Sexton Blake → Portrayed by Laurence Stanley Payne
A bargain basement Sherlock Holmes solving mysteries of all manner. Sexton Blake (Written by Harry Blyth (using the pseudonym Hal Meredeth)).
•Comic strips: 1939‑1979 •Silent movies: 1909‑1928  •Movies: 1935‑1945  •TV series 1967‑1971.

Sherlock Holmes-2 → Portrayed in the 2009 movie by Robert Downey Jr.
A renowned detective in a series of novels and adaptations on stage and radio, in TV series, and movies, including Sherlock Holmes  (Directed by Guy Ritchie).
•Movie: 2009.

Spenser → Portrayed by in the TV series Robert Urich
A smart-mouthed tough P.I. in novels, movies and the TV series Spenser: For Hire (Created by Robert B. Parker).
•Novels: 1973‑2014 •TV series: 1985‑1988  •Movies: 1999, 2000, 2001.

William of Baskerville (Italian name is Guglielmo da Baskerville) → Portrayed in the miniseries by John Turturro and Sean Connery in the movie.
An enlightened friar in 1337 investigates a series of mysterious deaths at an abbey in The Name of the Rose (The miniseries created by Giacomo Battiato and based on the novel by Umberto Eco).
•Novel: 1980 •Movie: 1986  •TV miniseries: 2019.

Philip Marlowe → Portrayed in the 1978 movie by Robert Mitchum
A wisecracking, hard-drinking, tough P.I. in novels, TV series, and movies including The Big Sleep (Created by Raymond Chandler).
•Novels: 1939‑1989 •Movies: 1942‑1978  •TV series: 1959‑1960, 1983‑1986.

Gay Falcon (and many aliases) → Portrayed by George Sanders, then his brother Tom Conway
A suave English gentleman detective solving mysteries in various venues, such as The Gay Falcon (Created by Michael Arlen).
•Movies: 1941‑1949 •TV: 1954‑1955.

Philo Vance → Portrayed in the 1933 movie by William Powell
An aristocrat of unusual culture and brilliance in novels and movies including The Kennel Murde Case (Created by S. S. Van Dine).
•Novels:1926‑1939 •Movies: 1929‑1947.

C. Auguste Dupin → No screen presence
An upper class gentleman appearing in stories by such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue (Created by Edgar Allan Poe).
•Novels: 1841,1842, 1844.

Simon Templar (known as The Saint) → Portrayed by Roger Moore in the TV series
A British amateur detective portrayed in books, radio, movies and TV by various actors over many years; for example, in the TV series The Saint (Originally created by Leslie Charteris).
•Books: 1928‑1963 •Movies: 1938‑1943  •Radio: 1944‑1951  •Comics: 1948‑1961.

V. I. Warshawski → Portrayed in the movie by Kathleen Turner
A lean and athletic female P.I. appearing novels, short stories, and the movie V.I. Warshawski (Created by Sara Paretsky).
•Novels: 1982‑2013 •Movie: 1991.