Difference between revisions of "Edgar Wallace"
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| − | + | [[Edgar Wallace]] (1875-1932) was a journalist, editor, poet, novelist, scriptwriter and playwright. | |
| − | (1875-1932) | + | |
| + | ==Biography== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Born Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace in London. An illegitimate child of an actress, he went to St. Peter's School and the Board School, but left school at age 12, ''inter alia'' to work in a printing shop, a shoe shop, and a rubber factory, before he joined the army at age 21. He came to South Africa with the West Kent Regiment in 1896, but then managed to get a transfer to the Royal Army Medical Corps, stationed in Simonstown. He again managed to transfer, this time to the Press Corps, and in 1899 bought his way out of the army and became a full-time author. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He now became a war correspondent in South Africa, initially for Reuters and later the [[Daily Mail]] (1900) and other periodicals during the [[Boer War]]. He was also a fairly regular contributor to the [[South African Review]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In 1901 he returned to London deeply in debt to work as a journalist and begin writing thrillers to raise income, publishing his first book (''The Four Just Men'') himself in 1906. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Wallace was twice married, to Ivy Maude Caldecott (1901 to 1918), and Ethel Violet King (1921-1932). | ||
| + | |||
| + | An incredible career followed, during which he produced some 173 books, 25 plays and 6 film scripts. Among the screenplays were one for the first sound film adaptation of ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' (1932), produced by Gainsborough Pictures, and the first scenario for the film ''[[King Kong]]''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Wallace died in Hollywood in 1932. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Wallace began working as a writer in Simonstownbegan publishing songs and poetry, apparently inspired in part by meeting with [[Rudyard Kipling]] in Cape Town in 1898. | ||
| + | |||
| + | His also wrote his first play, ''[[An African Millionaire]]'', inspired by the life of [[Cecil John Rhodes]] and possibly written while he was still in South Africa. A play about [[Cecil John Rhodes]], it was staged by [[Leonard Rayne]] in 1904, though it was not a great success apparently, for it never revived by Rayne, according to Boonzaier (1980). The text was not published till 1972 when it appeared as a Davis-Poynter playscript. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Sources == | ||
| + | |||
| + | https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Auteur:Edgar_Wallace | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[D.C. Boonzaier]]. 1980. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in ''SA Review'', 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in [[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]] 1980: pp. 374-439.) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Go to the [[ESAT Bibliography]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Return to == | ||
Return to [[ESAT Personalities W]] | Return to [[ESAT Personalities W]] | ||
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]] | Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[Main Page]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance== | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Awards, etc == | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | == Sources == | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855''. Pretoria: [[J.H. de Bussy]]. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: pp. | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Mona de Beer]]. 1995. ''Who Did What in South Africa''. Johannesburg: Ad Donker. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Go to the [[ESAT Bibliography]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Return to == | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[ESAT Personalities N]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Return to [[The ESAT Entries]] | ||
Return to [[Main Page]] | Return to [[Main Page]] | ||
Revision as of 07:11, 8 August 2017
Edgar Wallace (1875-1932) was a journalist, editor, poet, novelist, scriptwriter and playwright.
Contents
Biography
Born Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace in London. An illegitimate child of an actress, he went to St. Peter's School and the Board School, but left school at age 12, inter alia to work in a printing shop, a shoe shop, and a rubber factory, before he joined the army at age 21. He came to South Africa with the West Kent Regiment in 1896, but then managed to get a transfer to the Royal Army Medical Corps, stationed in Simonstown. He again managed to transfer, this time to the Press Corps, and in 1899 bought his way out of the army and became a full-time author.
He now became a war correspondent in South Africa, initially for Reuters and later the Daily Mail (1900) and other periodicals during the Boer War. He was also a fairly regular contributor to the South African Review.
In 1901 he returned to London deeply in debt to work as a journalist and begin writing thrillers to raise income, publishing his first book (The Four Just Men) himself in 1906.
Wallace was twice married, to Ivy Maude Caldecott (1901 to 1918), and Ethel Violet King (1921-1932).
An incredible career followed, during which he produced some 173 books, 25 plays and 6 film scripts. Among the screenplays were one for the first sound film adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1932), produced by Gainsborough Pictures, and the first scenario for the film King Kong.
Wallace died in Hollywood in 1932.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Wallace began working as a writer in Simonstownbegan publishing songs and poetry, apparently inspired in part by meeting with Rudyard Kipling in Cape Town in 1898.
His also wrote his first play, An African Millionaire, inspired by the life of Cecil John Rhodes and possibly written while he was still in South Africa. A play about Cecil John Rhodes, it was staged by Leonard Rayne in 1904, though it was not a great success apparently, for it never revived by Rayne, according to Boonzaier (1980). The text was not published till 1972 when it appeared as a Davis-Poynter playscript.
Sources
https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Auteur:Edgar_Wallace
D.C. Boonzaier. 1980. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
Go to the ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to ESAT Personalities W
Return to South African Theatre Personalities
Return to Main Page
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Awards, etc
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [1]: pp.
Mona de Beer. 1995. Who Did What in South Africa. Johannesburg: Ad Donker.
Go to the ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to ESAT Personalities N
Return to South African Theatre Personalities
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
