Marvin Albert
Marvin Albert | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marvin H. Albert January 22, 1924 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | March 24, 1996 (aged 72) |
| Occupation(s) | Novelist, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1956–1992 |
Marvin H. Albert (January 22, 1924 – March 24, 1996) was an American writer of mystery, crime and adventure novels including ones featuring Pete (Pierre-Ange [French: Stone Angel]) Sawyer, a French-American private investigator living and working in France.
Biography
During World War II Albert served in the United States Merchant Marine as a radio operator. After working as the director of a Philadelphia children's theater troupe he moved to New York in 1950 and began writing and editing for Quick[1] and Look magazines.
He began writing full-time over the success of his 1956 Western novel The Law and Jake Wade. He sometimes wrote under pseudonyms such as Albert Conroy, Ian McAlister, Nick Quarry and Anthony Rome.[2] Settings for his novels include France (where he lived for some time), Miami and the Old West. A 1975 international suspense thriller, The Gargoyle Conspiracy, written under his own name, was an Edgar nominee in the category of Best Mystery Novel.
Novels
Westerns
- The Law and Jake Wade (1956), filmed under the same title (1958)
- Apache Rising (1957), filmed as Duel at Diablo (1966)
- The Bounty Killer (1958), filmed as (Italian-Spanish movie) El Precio de un Hombre (1966), aka The Ugly Ones in the US.
- Renegade Posse (1958), filmed as Bullet for a Badman (1964)
- The Reformed Gun (1959)
- Rider from Wind River (1959)
- Posse at High Pass (1964)
Westerns written under the name Al Conroy
A series featuring the common character Clayburn. They were later reprinted in 1989-90 under Marvin Albert's own name.
- Clayburn (1961).
- Last Train to Bannock (1963)
- Three Rode North (1964)
- The Man in Black (1965), filmed as Rough Night in Jericho (1967; Albert also wrote the screenplay)
Detective novels written under the name Al Conroy
- The Road's End (1952)
- The Chiselers (1953)
- Nice Guys Finish Dead (1957) (filmed as À Corps À Cris (1989)
- Murder in Room 13 (1958) (filmed as Adieu Marin! (1993)
- The Mob Says Murder (1958)
- Devil in Dungarees (1960)
Jake Barrow Private Eye written under the name Nick Quarry
- The Hoods Come Calling (1958)
- The Girl with No Place to Hide (1959)
- Trail of a Tramp (1960)
- Till It Hurts (1960)
- No Chance in Hell (1960)
- Some Die Hard (1961)
Tony Rome series
A series featuring the private detective Tony Rome.
- Miami Mayhem (As Anthony Rome - 1960), filmed as Tony Rome (1967)
- The Lady in Cement, (As Anthony Rome, but published in England - 1961) filmed as Lady in Cement (1968)
- My Kind of Game (As Anthony Rome - 1962)
A 1967 television pilot under the name Nick Quarry was based on Tony Rome[3]
as Nick Quarry
- The Don Is Dead (1972) (filmed in 1972)
- The Vendetta (1972)
Mafia fiction as Al Conroy
Series character: Johnny Morini, Soldato: Man Against the Mafia.
- Soldato! (1972)
- Death Grip! (1972)
- Strangle Hold! (1973)
- Murder Mission! (1973)
- Blood Run! (1973)
Stone Angel series
A series featuring the common character Pete Sawyer.
- The Dark Goddess (1978)
- Stone Angel (1986)
- Back in the Real World (1986)
- Get Off at Babylon (1987)
- Long Teeth (1987)
- The Last Smile (1988)
- The Midnight Sister (1989)
- Bimbo Heaven (1990)
- The Zig-Zag Man (1991)
- The Riviera Contract (1992)
as Ian McAlister
- Skylark Mission (1973)
- Driscoll's Diamonds (1974)
- Valley of the Assassins (1975)
- Strike Force 7 (1975)
Other crime thrillers
- Lie Down with Lions (1959)
- The Looters (as Albert Conroy - 1961), filmed as Estouffade à la Caraïbe (1966)
- The Gargoyle Conspiracy (1975)
Non fiction works
- The Long White Road a biography of the Arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton
- Broadsides and Boarders a history of great sea captains
- The Divorce(1965)- about Henry VIII.
Film novelizations
- Party Girl (1958)
- That Jane from Maine (1959)
- Pillow Talk (1959)
- All the Young Men (1960)
- Come September (1961)
- Force of Impulse (1961)
- Lover Come Back (1962)
- Move Over, Darling (1963)
- Palm Springs Weekend (1963)[4]
- Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)
- The Pink Panther (1963)
- The Outrage (1964)
- Goodbye Charlie (1964)
- Honeymoon Hotel (1964)
- What's New, Pussycat? (1965)
- The Great Race (1965)
- Strange Bedfellows (1965)
- Do Not Disturb (1965)
- A Very Special Favor (1965)
- Crazy Joe (1974) as Mike Barrone
- The Untouchables (1987)
TV tie-ins
- Mr. Lucky (1959), an original novel based on the TV series as by Al Conroy
- Storefront Lawyers (1970), novelization of the pilot teleplay as by A.L. Conroy [sic]
Screenplays
- Duel at Diablo (1965)
- Rough Night in Jericho (1967)
- Lady in Cement (1968)
- A Twist of Sand (1968)
- The Don Is Dead (1973)
Other works
As J. D. Christilian - "Scarlet Women" (1996).
As Marvin H. Albert - "Operation Lila" (1983), "The Medusa Complex", "Dancer's Progress and Schrodingers Cat"(1993 - possibly two stories in one volume) and "Hidden Lives" (1981).
Personal life
He was survived by his artist wife Xenia Klar, one son, and one grandchild.
References
- ^ http://www.quick-magazine.com/quick_magazine/about.html
- ^ Grimes, William (31 March 1996). "Marvin H. Albert, 73, an Author Of Mysteries and Biographies". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ Goldberg, Lee Unsold Television Pilots: 1955-1989 Adventures in Television, 5 Jul 2015
- ^ Dell Publishing, OCLC 23181101
