MR. FRANK MERRIWELL

Are there enough middle-aged men, who cherish nostalgic affection for Frank Merriwell, to provide a market for this saga of Frank Merriwell Grown Up? Somehow, I can't see the creation of a 1941 equivalent of that market. Our hero is knocking but cuffians instead of home runs; he is refusing to knuckle under to wealth and power; he sustains a high moral tone in the community where he works for the underdog and refuses to play dirty politics. There are the requisite number of thrills, a kidnapping, a murder -- and always our hero comes out on top. Gestures towards a modern note in the latest broadcast and the shadow of the war. Written in all seriousness, but sure to be read, for the most part, with a blend of nostalgia and tongue in cheek. Under the pen name of Patten has written over 200 of the original Frank and Dick Merriwell stories, of which more than 125 million have been sold. The book was scheduled for publication last Fall, and reported at that time. A curiosity.