Achmed Abdullah
Encyclopedia
Achmed Abdullah a pseudonym of Alexander Nicholayevitch Romanoff, was a Russia
n-born writer. He is most noted for his pulp stories of crime
, mystery
and adventure
. He wrote screenplay
s for some successful films. He was the author of the progressive Siamese drama Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
, an Academy Award nominated film made in 1927. He earned an Academy Award nomination for collaborating on the screenplay to the 1935 film The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
.
, Russia to the second cousin of Czar Nicholas Romanoff
and an Afghan princess. After his mother's attempts to poison her husband due to his multiple affairs, they divorced, leaving their son and two other children to their maternal grandparents. At the age of 12, he was sent to Eton
and then to Oxford University to be educated. Although he was born Russian Orthodox, he was raised as a Muslim
by his grandparents. Later, he would consider himself Roman Catholic.
Upon his graduation, he joined the British Army
, and rose to rank of acting colonel during his 17-year military career. He served in India, Afghanistan, Tibet, Africa, China and Turkey. He served the British-Indian army in India, and was also a colonel in a cavalry regiment for one year in the Turkish army as a British spy. He mostly spent the time in the military as a spy because of his wide knowledge of Oriental and Middle Eastern customs and religions. He traveled widely in Russia, Europe, Africa, the Middle-East, and China and spoke many languages and dialects. He was made a British citizen by an act of Parliament, and convicted by the Germans during the First World War
for being a spy.
In the early 1910s, he emigrated to the United States and eventually became a successful, well-paid writer, playwright and later on, a Hollywood screenwriter. Abdullah's work appeared in several US magazines, including Argosy
,
All-Story Magazine, Munsey's Magazine
and Blue Book
.
Abdullah's short story collection Wings contains several fantasy stories, which
critic Mike Ashley
describes as containing "some of his most effective writing". At the time, he became the only British subject to receive membership in the French Academy and he also got a doctorate from the College of El-Azar, Cairo in Koranic Studies.
Romanoff was married at least three times: to Irene Bainbridge, Jean Wick, and Rosemary A. Dolan. He was the father of 2 daughters with Irene Bainbridge, Phyllis Abdullah (who died in childhood) and Pamelia Susan Abdullah Brower.
In January 1945, Romanoff was admitted to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and a few months later, on May 12, his birthday, he died.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born writer. He is most noted for his pulp stories of crime
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
and adventure
Adventure novel
The adventure novel is a genre of novels that has adventure, an exciting undertaking involving risk and physical danger, as its main theme.-History:...
. He wrote screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
s for some successful films. He was the author of the progressive Siamese drama Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
Chang (film)
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness is a documentary film about a poor farmer in Issan and his daily struggle for survival in the jungle. The two directors of Chang, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B...
, an Academy Award nominated film made in 1927. He earned an Academy Award nomination for collaborating on the screenplay to the 1935 film The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1935 American adventure film loosely adapted from the 1930 book of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown. The plot of the movie, which bears little resemblance to Yeats-Brown's memoir, concerns British soldiers defending the borders of India against rebellious...
.
Biography
Alexander Nicholayevitch Romanoff was born on 1881 in YaltaYalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
, Russia to the second cousin of Czar Nicholas Romanoff
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and an Afghan princess. After his mother's attempts to poison her husband due to his multiple affairs, they divorced, leaving their son and two other children to their maternal grandparents. At the age of 12, he was sent to Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then to Oxford University to be educated. Although he was born Russian Orthodox, he was raised as a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
by his grandparents. Later, he would consider himself Roman Catholic.
Upon his graduation, he joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and rose to rank of acting colonel during his 17-year military career. He served in India, Afghanistan, Tibet, Africa, China and Turkey. He served the British-Indian army in India, and was also a colonel in a cavalry regiment for one year in the Turkish army as a British spy. He mostly spent the time in the military as a spy because of his wide knowledge of Oriental and Middle Eastern customs and religions. He traveled widely in Russia, Europe, Africa, the Middle-East, and China and spoke many languages and dialects. He was made a British citizen by an act of Parliament, and convicted by the Germans during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
for being a spy.
In the early 1910s, he emigrated to the United States and eventually became a successful, well-paid writer, playwright and later on, a Hollywood screenwriter. Abdullah's work appeared in several US magazines, including Argosy
Argosy (magazine)
Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
,
All-Story Magazine, Munsey's Magazine
Munsey's Magazine
Munsey's Weekly, later known as Munsey's Magazine was a thirty-six page quarto magazine founded by Frank A. Munsey in 1889. Munsey aimed at "a magazine of the people and for the people, with pictures and art and good cheer and human interest throughout". John Kendrick Bangs was the editor. The...
and Blue Book
Blue Book (magazine)
Blue Book was a popular 20th-century American magazine with a lengthy 70-year run under various titles from 1905 to 1975.Launched as The Monthly Story Magazine, it was published under that title from May 1905 to August 1906 with a change to The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine for issues from...
.
Abdullah's short story collection Wings contains several fantasy stories, which
critic Mike Ashley
Mike Ashley (writer)
Michael Ashley is a British bibliographer, author and editor of science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.He edits the long-running Mammoth Book series of short story anthologies, each arranged around a particular theme in mystery, fantasy, or science fiction...
describes as containing "some of his most effective writing". At the time, he became the only British subject to receive membership in the French Academy and he also got a doctorate from the College of El-Azar, Cairo in Koranic Studies.
Romanoff was married at least three times: to Irene Bainbridge, Jean Wick, and Rosemary A. Dolan. He was the father of 2 daughters with Irene Bainbridge, Phyllis Abdullah (who died in childhood) and Pamelia Susan Abdullah Brower.
In January 1945, Romanoff was admitted to Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and a few months later, on May 12, his birthday, he died.
Filmography
- Pagan Love (1920) (screenplay and story - "The Honourable Gentleman")
- Bucking the Tiger (1921) (story)
- The Remittance Woman (1923) (novel)
- The Thief of BagdadThe Thief of Bagdad (1924 film)The Thief of Bagdad is a 1924 American swashbuckler film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Douglas Fairbanks. Freely adapted from One Thousand and One Nights, it tells the story of a thief who falls in love with the daughter of the Caliph of Bagdad...
(1924) (screenplay) - Chang: A Drama of the WildernessChang (film)Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness is a documentary film about a poor farmer in Issan and his daily struggle for survival in the jungle. The two directors of Chang, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B...
(1927) (titles) - Su última noche (1931) (adaptation)
- The Hatchet ManThe Hatchet ManThe Hatchet Man is a Pre-Code film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Edward G. Robinson. Warner Bros. had purchased the David Belasco/Achmed Abdullah play The Honorable Mr. Wong about the Tong gang wars...
(1932) (play "The Honorable Mr. Wong") - The Lives of a Bengal LancerThe Lives of a Bengal LancerThe Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1935 American adventure film loosely adapted from the 1930 book of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown. The plot of the movie, which bears little resemblance to Yeats-Brown's memoir, concerns British soldiers defending the borders of India against rebellious...
(1935) (screenplay)