Three Investigators facts for kids

The Three Investigators is a popular American detective book series for young people. It was first called "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators". The series was created by Robert Arthur Jr.. He thought that having a famous person like movie director Alfred Hitchcock involved would make more people interested.

Random House is the publisher in the U.S. and still owns some rights to the books. Other rights belong to Robert Arthur, Jr.'s family and the German publisher Kosmos. The main characters are three boys: Jupiter Jones, Peter Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews. Most of their mysteries involve strange events. For example, they might investigate an Egyptian mummy that seems to whisper or a human skull that appears to talk.

The Original Books

The first books in the series came out from 1964 to 1987. There were 43 finished books, one story that was never finished (The Mystery of the Ghost Train), and four "Find Your Fate" books. Later, between 1989 and 1990, Random House published a new series called "The Three Investigators Crimebusters."

The first 9 books and book number 11 were written by the creator, Robert Arthur. He also had ideas for some of the other stories. Robert Arthur had worked as an editor for several book collections that were said to be by Alfred Hitchcock. Other authors who wrote for the series included William Arden (whose real name was Dennis Lynds), Nick West (Kin Platt), Mary Virginia Carey, and Marc Brandel.

All the authors wrote their own introductions and endings for the books. These were supposedly written by Alfred Hitchcock. Later in the series, a made-up writer named Hector Sebastian supposedly wrote down the adventures of the Three Investigators from what the boys told him. The artists who drew pictures for the series included Harry Kane, Ed Vebell, Jack Hearne, Herb Mott, Stephen Marchesi, Robert Adragna, and William A. ("Bill") Dodge.

How Old Are the Investigators?

In the original series, the exact ages of the investigators were never told. But, clues in the stories suggest they were probably 13 or 14 years old. They were not old enough to drive legally. However, they were said to be a few years younger than their rival, Skinny Norris, who had a driver's license from a state where you could get one at a younger age. In one story, it was mentioned that Pete was on the high school wrestling team. In the later "Crimebusters" series, it was once stated that the Three Investigators team started when the boys were 13.

How They Solve Mysteries

The investigators usually found a mystery when a client asked for help. Sometimes, they found something unusual by accident in the scrapyard owned by Jupiter's Uncle Titus Jones and Aunt Mathilda. The boys would find confusing clues and face danger before finally solving the mystery.

A main idea in the series is that even if something seems strange, magical, or supernatural at first, it can usually be explained by human actions if you use logic and reason. However, in four books by Mary Virginia Carey, this idea was changed:

• In The Mystery of Monster Mountain, the boys meet Bigfoot.
• In The Invisible Dog, she suggests that astral projection (leaving your body) is real and hints at a "phantom priest."
• In The Mystery of the Scar-Faced Beggar, a woman has real dreams that predict the future.
• In the last book of the original series, The Mystery of the Cranky Collector, the ghost of a young woman comes back to haunt her old employer's house.

Most mysteries were solved by Jupiter Jones. He is very logical and often uses a rule called Occam's Razor. This rule means that the simplest and most logical explanation is usually the best one. The boys solved their mysteries with simple tools: a telephone, bicycles, access to a library, and a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. Jupiter won the use of the Rolls-Royce in the first book.

Meeting Alfred Hitchcock

In the first book, The Secret of Terror Castle, Jupiter cleverly gets a meeting with director Alfred Hitchcock. Jupiter makes a deal: if the Investigators can find a haunted house for Hitchcock's next movie, Hitchcock will introduce their adventures in a book. Hitchcock agrees, not thinking they will succeed. But at the end of the book, he is impressed by their investigation. He not only introduces the book but also sends other clients to them in later stories.

The last chapter of each book usually had an ending where the investigators met with Alfred Hitchcock (and later, Hector Sebastian). They would talk about the mystery and explain how they used clues to figure things out.

The Crimebusters Series

In 1989, Random House updated the series and called it The 3 Investigators—Crimebusters Series. The investigators were now 17 years old. They could drive cars and were much more independent. The stories still had a lot of detective work, but they also had more action. This series was liked by readers, but it stopped in 1990. This happened because of legal disagreements between Random House and Robert Arthur's family that could not be solved.

At least eleven books were published in the CrimeBusters series. One of the original series authors, William Arden (Dennis Lynds), started this series. Other authors included H. William Stine and his wife Megan Stine, G.H. Stone (Gayle Lynds), William MacCay, Marc Brandel, and Peter Lerangis. Random House has reprinted some of the original books to help keep their legal rights.

Between 1964 and 1990, Random House published 56 books in total. After the series stopped in the U.S. in 1990, a team of German authors started writing new books. This was for the Franckh Kosmos publishing house in 1993. In 2011, three books by U.S. authors Peter Lerangis, Megan and H. William Stine, and G. H. Stone were published in Germany for the first time.

Meet the Characters

The Three Investigators are a junior detective team. They first came together because of a club where they did mental exercises. They live in Rocky Beach, a made-up town by the coast between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. In some cases, they get help from Alfred Hitchcock, their chauffeur Worthington, and police inspectors Reynolds and Cotta.

Their business card says, “We Investigate Anything.” Jupiter often hands out this card to see how clients react to the three question marks on it. People often joke, asking if the question marks mean the investigators doubt themselves. Jupiter usually replies, “That's our symbol. [...] The question marks stand for mysteries unsolved, riddles unanswered, puzzles of any kind. So we use it as our trademark. We investigate any kind of mystery.”

At first, The Three Investigators often have to convince clients to trust them. This is because the clients often don't believe in their abilities since the investigators are so young. In their first cases, they also show a letter of recommendation from the Rocky Beach Police Department. It is signed by Chief Inspector Samuel Reynolds and says they are junior volunteer assistants to the police.

The Three Investigators Team

• Jupiter "Jupe" Jones, First Investigator—Jupiter used to be a child actor known as "Baby Fatso," a name he hates. He is very smart and a bit heavy. He has an amazing memory and is great at solving puzzles. Jupiter's parents, who were professional ballroom dancers, died in a car crash when he was four. (One German story says they disappeared in a plane crash.) Jupiter lives with his uncle and aunt, Titus and Mathilda Jones, who run a scrapyard.

* Jupiter's past acting skills often help him. He can act older, imitate people, or pretend to be less smart to get information. * Jupiter loves to read and invent things. He often builds devices from scrapyard parts that help solve mysteries. He is very good at understanding clues to solve tough cases. He also likes to play jokes on Pete and Bob. * Because he is so smart, Jupe uses big words often. He uses them to sound older, annoy Pete, and surprise adults. Jupe hates to leave a mystery unsolved, which often means he pulls Bob and Pete into new adventures.

• Peter "Pete" Crenshaw, Second Investigator—Pete is athletic and strong. He doesn't like dangerous situations, but he is always reliable as the "action member" of the team. Pete loves and cares for animals. He often says "Gleeps!" His father works as a film technician for special effects in Hollywood.

* Pete often goes with Jupiter on stake-outs and other field trips, especially in earlier mysteries when Bob is busy. * While he may not be as smart as Jupiter, Pete is an important part of the team. He can point out Jupiter's weaknesses (usually in a funny way). He can also figure out clues and sometimes helps gather information instead of Bob. He has an excellent sense of direction, as shown in The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot.

• Robert "Bob" Andrews, Records and Research—Bob is studious and careful. He wears glasses. Bob's father is a sportswriter, business journalist, or political journalist, depending on the case. He sometimes helps The Three Investigators.

* Early in the series, Bob had a leg brace because he broke his leg multiple times rolling down a hill. This meant he did more research and less physical work. * Bob works part-time in the local library, which fits his role as the one who gathers information. He often finds important clues through his library research. Bob's leg brace is removed between the end of Whispering Mummy and the beginning of Green Ghost.

Their Headquarters

The Three Investigators' office is a house trailer. It is hidden among the piles of scrap at the edge of Uncle Titus' scrapyard. The trailer has several secret exits, a small lab, a darkroom for photos, and an office with a phone, typewriter, and reference works (like encyclopedias). Many other tools, such as a tape recorder or a periscope, were built by Jupiter using spare parts from the scrapyard.

Copyright Issues and What Happened

The series was created by American writer Robert Arthur in the U.S. in 1964. Arthur sold the rights to publish the books internationally to Random House. However, he kept the copyright. The contract included rights for books, films, comics, and "mechanical sound reproduction" (which might mean audio books or radio plays).

After Robert Arthur died in 1969, his copyrights were given to the University of Michigan. This was mainly for tax reasons. Later, Random House stopped paying royalties to the university because it was unclear who owned the rights. American copyright law said that rights could return to the author or their family after 28 years. So, Random House and Arthur's children signed a new contract.

In Germany, the Franckh-Kosmos publisher got the German rights from Random House in 1968. The record label EUROPA got the rights for audio versions. After the series stopped in the U.S. in 1991, Kosmos wanted to continue the series in Germany with German authors. In 1994, they signed a contract with Random House without Arthur's family knowing.

In 2002, Random House gave the rights to ten books back to Robert Arthur's family. This was because Random House did not republish the books as agreed. However, Kosmos-Verlag had already registered the name "Die Drei ???" ^[de] as a trademark in Germany by 1999, and across Europe by 2003.

Negotiations between Kosmos and Arthur's family failed. Kosmos believed their trademark and agreements with Random House were enough. They also doubted if Arthur's family truly owned the rights, as Arthur's will had given them to the University of Michigan. At the end of 2004, Random House and Kosmos signed a big agreement. This agreement transferred all rights to the American novels not written by Arthur to Kosmos.

The Lawsuit and Its End

Because the legal situation was unclear, EUROPA decided in early 2005 not to release any more audio plays based on Kosmos's books. They stopped paying license fees to Kosmos.

In 2006, Sony Music Entertainment (EUROPA's parent company) finally got all the German rights to Arthur's creations and the use of the original characters. This was from Robert Arthur's family, separate from Kosmos. This contract included the right to order new books in German and to make audio versions. EUROPA then created a new audio series called "DiE DR3i ^[de]." They avoided using the name "Die Drei ???" because Kosmos had trademarked it. Instead, they used only characters and names based on Arthur's original ideas.

Kosmos continued its book series using the well-known titles and character names. Sony BMG sued Kosmos because they felt their rights were being violated. A court order stopped the sale of two novels, “Spuk im Netz” and “Der Fluch des Drachen.”

However, this decision was overturned by the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf in May 2007. The judges said that Robert Arthur's children were not the rightful owners of the copyright. They found that the University of Michigan had correctly inherited Arthur's works, meaning his family could not have given the rights to Sony BMG.

Eventually, Kosmos and Sony BMG talked again to reach an agreement outside of court. This caused delays in new audio play releases.

What Happened in the End

In February 2008, Sony BMG and Kosmos reached an agreement.

• The rights to the books and the brand name (which are used for the audio dramas) stayed with Kosmos. This also included other products like calendars, non-fiction books, mobile games, and board games.
• The rights to use audio material (including the entire catalog), stage shows, plays, and merchandise stayed with the record label Europa.

Since April 4, 2008, new German books under the name “Die Drei ???” have been published, based on the books by Kosmos. The rights to continue the very popular audio plays “Die Drei ??? Kids ^[de]” were also given to Europa. The series "DiE DR3i" was stopped from being sold after January 1, 2009.

Since 1999, a spin-off series called “Die Drei ??? Kids” has been published by Kosmos. It is for a much younger audience. The stories are simpler and more suitable for children. Also, the young detectives in this series are only ten years old, much younger than in the original series.

The Three Investigators Around the World

The Three Investigators books have been very popular in many countries. Here's how they are known in some places:

Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the books have been published as Tin Goyenda since 1985. They are still very popular with young Bangladeshi readers.

• Jupiter Jones is called Kishor Pasha.
• Peter Crenshaw is Musa Aman.
• Bob Andrews is Robin Milford.
• Other characters like Uncle Titus and Aunt Mathilda are called Rashed Chacha and Mary Chachi.
• Alfred Hitchcock is movie director Davis Christopher.
• Skinny Norris is Shutki Terry.
• The stories are usually set in Rocky Beach, California. But sometimes the investigators travel to places like Africa and Bangladesh.

Denmark

In Denmark, 13 books were published from 1966–70. They were called "Alfred Hitchcock og De tre Detektiver."

Finland

46 books were published in Finland between 1975 and 1990 by Gummerus. The title was "Alfred Hitchcock 3 Etsivää." This included all 43 original books, 2 "Find Your Fate" books, and 1 "Crimebusters" book.

France

In France, the first nine books were published in the 1970s. They were part of the Bibliothèque verte collection for young readers. The title was "Les Trois Jeunes Détectives" ("The Three Young Detectives"). The series continued through the 1980s and 1990s. In total, 37 books were published, including four from the "Crimebusters" series.

Germany

The Three Investigators books are very popular in Germany. They are known as Die drei ??? (Die drei Fragezeichen, meaning "The Three Question Marks").

• Jupiter Jones was renamed "Justus Jonas."
• Peter Crenshaw is named "Peter Shaw."
• Bob Andrews kept his original name.
• The chauffeur's name is Morton.

In 1964, Random House and Kosmos started publishing the translated 43 original books. In 1979, the German publisher Europa started making radio dramas based on these books. In 1993, Kosmos began publishing new books written by German authors. These books are still being made into radio dramas in Germany. By December 2018, there were over 200 books and 201 radio dramas.

Because of the legal fight between Europa and Kosmos, Europa published a 9-episode radio drama called "DiE Dr3i" between 2005 and 2007. "DiE Dr3i" was mostly the same as "Die Drei ???" and used the same German voice actors. But they had to change the characters' names to the original English names. "DiE Dr3i" stopped when the legal fight ended, and "Die drei ???" started again.

The taped radio dramas (Hörspiele) are especially popular in Germany. Many have been certified Gold or Platinum for their sales. In total, the radio dramas have sold over 45 million copies, and the books about 16 million copies in Germany (as of 2013). A study in 2009 showed that most fans are between 20 and 45 years old.

The radio actors who have been narrating the plays since 1979 have toured Germany. They perform plays in front of live audiences. They even broke their own Guinness World Record in 2014. They performed Phonophobia – Symphony of Fear for 20,000 people in Berlin.

New English-language Three Investigators books were released in 2005 for the first time since 1990. These German 'American-English' series included Poisoned E-Mail and The Curse of the Cell Phone.

In 2006, a detective series for girls called “Die Drei !!! ^[de]” was launched by Franckh-Kosmos. It is similar to the original series but features three teenage girl detectives. The stories take place in a big German city.

Some German bands have named themselves after the series:

• The band Jupiter Jones ^[de] (formed in 2002) is named after Jupiter Jones.
• The rock band Karpatenhund ^[de] ("Carpathian Dog") from Cologne is named after the episode "Mystery of the Invisible Dog."
• The band Muff Potter ^[de] uses a scream from the episode “Der seltsame Wecker” ("Mystery of the Screaming Clock") in their music.
• The rock band Montreal (band) ^[de] from Hamburg has their album intro and outro narrated by Oliver Rohrbeck, who voices Justus Jonas.
• Techno musician Phillip Sollmann uses the name Efdemin from a character in the episode "Die flammende Spur" ("The flaming trace").

Greece

In Greece, The Three Investigators have been published as Oi Treis Ntetektiv (Οι Τρεις Ντετέκτιβ) since 1990.

India

In India, the books have been published as "Bal Secret Agent 555 Ranga, Ganga & Shirazi." Ranga is Pete, Ganga is Jupe, and Shirazi is Bob. These were published in the 1970s.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, the books have been published as Trio Detektif by Gramedia Pustaka Utama from the 1980s to 1990s.

Italy

In Italy, the books were published in paperback by Mondadori in the 1970s and 1980s. They were part of their Il giallo dei ragazzi series, which also included Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Alfred Hitchcock was always listed as the author on the cover.

Latin

In 2011, Ulrich Krauße translated The Curse of the Dragon into Latin. This translation, called De Tribus Investigatoribus et Fato Draconis, was popular in Germany among students learning Latin.

Lithuania

The books have been popular among teenagers in Lithuania.

Norway

23 books were published in Norway between 1969 and 1981. They were called "Alfred Hitchcock og de tre Detektivene."

Pakistan

Thirteen stories have been published in Pakistan, in Urdu, as Teen nanhay suraghrasaan (تین ننھے سراغ رساں) since 1977. They have also appeared in the monthly Taleem-o-Tarbiat magazine for children.

• Jupiter Jones is "Umber" (عنبر).
• Pete is "Naseem" (نسیم).
• Bob is "Aaqib" (عاقب).
• Their driver is Allahdad (الله‌داد).
• They live in Karimabad.
• The translators did a good job of adapting the stories to Pakistani culture.

Poland

Sixty-one original stories (including Crimebusters) have been published in Poland and are still very popular there.

Portugal

In Portugal, the books started to be published in hardcover by Clássica Editora in the 1970s. The first book was The Secret of Terror Castle. Alfred Hitchcock was always listed as the author on the cover.

Slovakia

The books have been very popular in Slovakia as 'Traja pátrači'. Mladé Letá published 86 books ^[sk] from the original, Crimebuster, and German series.

Spain

In Spain, some books were wrongly credited to Robert Arthur. The new Latin-American edition is called Los tres detectives instead of Los Tres Investigadores, which was used earlier in Spain. Catalan translations were also published.

Movies Based on the Books

In 2007, a Three Investigators movie, The Three Investigators and the Secret of Skeleton Island, was released in Germany. It starred Chancellor Miller as Jupiter, Nick Price as Pete, and Cameron Monaghan as Bob. In 2009, another movie followed, The Three Investigators and the Secret of Terror Castle. Even though they have the same titles as two of the books, the stories in the films are quite different from the books.

See also

In Spanish: Los tres investigadores para niños