EQSF ADVISERS INC ET AL
SC 13G, 2000-06-08
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                                (AMENDMENT NO. )


                           KENDLE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
                   -------------------------------------------
                                (NAME OF ISSUER)


                     COMMON STOCK, $.01 PAR VALUE PER SHARE
                ------------------------------------------------
                         (TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES)


                                    48880L107
                           --------------------------
                                 (CUSIP NUMBER)

The  remainder  of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
notes).


<PAGE>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
          S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

          EQSF Advisers, Inc.

          (EIN 13-3354359)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*          (a)  [   ]
                                                                     (b)  [ X ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3       SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          New York Corporation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  5      SOLE VOTING POWER

           NUMBER OF                         982,400

                                ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
            SHARES                6      SHARED VOTING POWER

         BENEFICIALLY                        None

           OWNED BY             ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
             EACH                 7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                             982,400

                                ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
             WITH                 8       SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                             None

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9        AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                 982,400

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
                                                                      [ ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
               8.55%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
 12
                   IA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!


<PAGE>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
          S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

          M.J. Whitman Advisers, Inc.

          (EIN 13-3686379)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*          (a)  [   ]
                                                                     (b)  [ X ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3       SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
               New York Corporation

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                              65,950

           NUMBER OF            ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
            SHARES                6      SHARED VOTING POWER
         BENEFICIALLY

           OWNED BY                           None
                                ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
             EACH                 7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                             65,950

                                ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
             WITH                8       SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                                       None

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9        AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

               65,950

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
                                                                 [ ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
                    .57%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
 12
                   IA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!


<PAGE>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
          S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

                   Martin J. Whitman

                   (###-##-####)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*       (a)   [   ]
                                                                  (b)   [ X ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  3       SEC USE ONLY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
                    USA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  5      SOLE VOTING POWER

           NUMBER OF                              None  (See Item 4)
                                ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
                                  6      SHARED VOTING POWER
            SHARES

                                                  None

         BENEFICIALLY

           OWNED BY             ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
             EACH                 7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                                 None  (See Item 4)
                                ------------------------------------------------
                                ------------------------------------------------
          PERSON WITH            8       SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                                  None

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9        AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                   -0-    (See Item 4)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
                                                                          [ ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
               -0-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                   IN

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!

ITEM 1.

     (A) NAME OF ISSUER:
         ---------------
         Kendle International, Inc. (the "Issuer").

     (B) ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES:
         ------------------------------------------------
          441 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
ITEM 2.

     (A) NAME OF PERSON FILING:
         ----------------------
         This schedule is being jointly filed by EQSF Advisers,  Inc.
("EQSF"),   M.J.  Whitman  Advisers,  Inc.  ("MJWA")  and  Martin  J.
Whitman,   the  Chief   Executive   Officer  of  EQSF  and  MJWA  and
controlling  person  of EQSF and  MJWA.  (EQSF,  MJWA and  Martin  J.
Whitman  are  sometimes   collectively  referred  to  hereinafter  as
"Filer").  Attached  hereto  as an  exhibit  is a copy  of the  joint
Schedule 13G filing agreement among the reporting persons.

     (B) ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE:
         -------------------------------------
         The address of the principal  executive office of EQSF, MJWA
and Mr. Whitman is:  767 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017-2023.

     (C) CITIZENSHIP:
         ------------
         The  citizenship  or place  of  organization  of each of the  reporting
persons is as follows:

         EQSF
         ----
         New York State corporation.


         MJWA
         ----
         New York State corporation.


         MARTIN J. WHITMAN
         -----------------
         United States citizen.


     (D) TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:
         -----------------------------
         Common Stock, $.01 par value per share.

     (E) CUSIP NUMBER:
         -------------
         48880L107

ITEM 3. IF THIS  STATEMENT  IS  BEING  FILED  PURSUANT  TO  RULES  13D-1(B),  OR
13D-2(B), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         (E) Investment  Adviser  registered under section 203 of the INVESTMENT
ADVISERS ACT OF 1940 (EQSF AND MJWA).

ITEM 4.  OWNERSHIP.
         ----------
         (a) & (b) EQSF  beneficially owns 982,400 shares, or 8.55% of the class
of securities of the issuer.  MJWA  beneficially  owns 65,950 shares, or .57% of
the class of securities of the issuer.

         (c)  (i) EQSF:  982,400
              MJWA:  65,950

               (ii) Not applicable.

              (iii) EQSF:  982,400
              MJWA:  65,950

              (iv) Not applicable.

     Mr. Whitman disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares.

ITEM 5.  OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS.
         ---------------------------------------------
         Not applicable.


ITEM 6.  OWNERSHIP  OF MORE THAN FIVE  PERCENT  ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON.
         -------------------------------------------------------------------
         Third Avenue Value Fund, an  investment  company  registered  under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from, and the
proceeds  from the sale of,  845,000  of the shares  reported  by EQSF and Third
Avenue  Small-Cap  Value  Fund,  an  investment  company  registered  under  the
Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from, and the
proceeds from the sale of, 76,400 of the shares  reported by EQSF,  Third Avenue
Value Portfolio of the WRL Series Fund, an investment  company  registered under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from, and
the proceeds from the sale of, 60,000 of the shares  reported by EQSF, and Style
Select Series Small Cap Value Portfolio,  an investment company registered under
the Investment Company Act of 1940, has the right to receive dividends from, and
the  proceeds  from the sale of, 1,000 of the shares  reported by EQSF.  Various
clients  for whom  MJWA acts as  investment  advisor  have the right to  receive
dividends from, and the proceeds of the sale of, the shares reported by MJWA.

ITEM 7.  IDENTIFICATION  AND  CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED
         THE  SECURITY  BEING  REPORTED  ON BY THE  PARENT  HOLDING COMPANY.
         --------------------------------------------------------------------
         Not Applicable.

ITEM 8.  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.
         ----------------------------------------------------------
         Not applicable.

ITEM 9.  NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP.
         -------------------------------
         Not applicable.

ITEM 10. CERTIFICATION.
         --------------
         By  signing  below I  certify  that,  to the best of my  knowledge  and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business  and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of
changing or  influencing  the control of the issuer of such  securities and were
not acquired in connection  with or as a participant in any  transaction  having
such purposes or effect.

                                    SIGNATURE

         After reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information  set forth in this statement is true,  complete and
correct.

                                     JUNE 8, 2000
                                    ---------------
                                        (Date)




                                   EQSF ADVISERS, INC.

                                   BY:/S/ MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                   ------------------------
                                   Martin J. Whitman
                                   Chairman, President and
                                   Chief Executive Officer



                                   M.J. WHITMAN ADVISERS, INC.

                                   BY:/S/  MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                   ----------------------
                                   Martin J. Whitman
                                   Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

                                   /S/MARTIN J. WHITMAN
                                   -----------------------
                                   Martin J. Whitman

<PAGE>


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