Clarence Budington Kelland was an American writer. He was a notable literary personality in his heyday, describing himself as "the best second-rate writer in America" and being prolific and versatile. His most well-known juvenile works were the Mark Tidd and Catty Atkins series, while his best-known adult work was the Scattergood Baines series. Kelland's other famous adult books include: Conflict (1920), Rhoda Fair (1925), Hard Money (1930), Arizona (1939), and Dangerous Angel (1953). Kelland's name lives on in hundreds of films based on his works, notably Speak Easily (1932), starring Buster Keaton. The film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), starring Gary Cooper, was based on the Kelland serial Opera Hat from The American Magazine. Opera Hat was eventually adapted into the short-lived television series Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1969 70) and the film Mr. Deeds (2002). One of Kelland's most well-known characters, Scattergood Baines, appeared in six Hollywood pictures from 1941 to 1943, starring Guy Kibbee as Baines. The Baines character was a benevolent but often misunderstood guy who tried to aid the residents of his little village.
