Edgar Wallace

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Edgar Wallace
Born	Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace 1 April 1875 Greenwich, London, England
Died	10 February 1932 Beverly Hills, California, United States
Occupation	Novelist, playwright, screenwriter, journalist
Nationality	British
Period	1905–1932
Genre	Crime fiction, thriller, mystery
Notable works	The Four Just Men, The Ringer, Sanders of the River

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer, known for his crime fiction, thriller, and mystery novels. He was also a playwright, screenwriter, and journalist. Wallace's prolific output and his ability to write gripping stories made him one of the most popular authors of his time.

Early Life

Wallace was born in Greenwich, London, to Mary Jane "Polly" Richards, an unmarried actress. He was adopted by George Freeman, a fishmonger, and his wife, Eliza Freeman. Wallace left school at the age of 12 and worked in various jobs before joining the British Army in 1893. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and was stationed in South Africa during the Second Boer War.

Career

After leaving the army, Wallace became a journalist and worked for several newspapers, including Reuters and the Daily Mail. His experiences as a war correspondent in South Africa inspired his first novel, The Four Just Men, published in 1905. The book was a success and established Wallace as a popular writer.

Wallace went on to write over 170 novels, 24 plays, and numerous short stories and articles. Some of his most famous works include The Ringer, Sanders of the River, and The Green Archer. His stories often featured recurring characters, such as Commissioner Sanders and Inspector Elk.

Hollywood and Later Life

In the late 1920s, Wallace moved to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter for RKO Pictures. He contributed to the screenplay for the classic film King Kong, although he died before the film was completed. Wallace's sudden death from diabetes complications in 1932 cut short his prolific career.

Legacy

Edgar Wallace's influence on the crime fiction genre is significant. His works have been adapted into numerous films, television series, and radio dramas. Wallace's ability to craft compelling and suspenseful stories has left a lasting impact on the genre, and his books continue to be read and enjoyed by fans of mystery and thriller fiction.

Selected Works

• The Four Just Men (1905)
• The Ringer (1925)
• Sanders of the River (1911)
• The Green Archer (1923)
• The Crimson Circle (1922)

See Also

• List of crime writers
• Golden Age of Detective Fiction
• British literature