Clarence Budington Kelland

Who was Clarence Budington Kelland?

Clarence Budington "Bud" Kelland was an American writer. He once described himself as "the best second-rate writer in America".

Although largely forgotten now, Kelland had a long career as a writer of fiction and short stories, stretching from 1913 to 1960. He was published in many magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post and The American Magazine. A prolific writer, his output included sixty novels and some two hundred short stories. His best known juvenile works were the Mark Tidd series and the Catty Atkins series, while his best known adult work was the Scattergood Baines series. Other notable adult books by Kelland include Conflict, Rhoda Fair, Hard Money, Arizona, and Dangerous Angel. Kelland was the "literary idol" of the teenaged John O'Hara.

Kelland's work resulted in some thirty Hollywood movies, including Speak Easily starring Buster Keaton. Opera Hat, a serial from The American Magazine, was the basis for the film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town starring Gary Cooper. Opera Hat later was turned into the short-lived television series Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and the movie Mr. Deeds. One of Kelland's best-known characters was featured in the Scattergood Baines series of six films from 1941 to 1943, starring Guy Kibbee.