Alan Caillou
Encyclopedia
Alan Caillou was the nom de plume of Alan Samuel Lyle-Smythe M.B.E., M.C. (9 November 1914 – 1 October 2006), an author, actor, screenwriter, soldier, policeman and professional hunter.
, England. Prior to World War II he served with the Palestine Police from 1936-1939 where he learned the Arabic language. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire
in June 1938. He married Aliza Sverdova in 1939, then studied acting from 1939-1941.
In January 1940, Lyle-Smyth was commissioned in the Royal Army Service Corps
. Due to his linguistic skills, he transferred to the Intelligence Corps and served in the Western Desert
where he used the surname "Caillou" (the French word for 'Stone') as an alias. He was captured in North Africa, imprisoned and threatened with execution in Italy, then escaped to join the British forces at Salerno
. He was then posted to serve with the partisan
s in Yugoslavia
. He wrote about his experiences in the book The World is Six Feet Square (1954). He was promoted to Captain and awarded the Military Cross
in 1944.
Following the War he returned to the Palestine Police from 1946-1947 then served as a Police Commissioner
in British occupied Italian Somaliland
from 1947-1952 where he was recommissioned a Captain. He wrote of these years in the book Sheba Slept Here.
After work as a District Officer in Somalia
and professional hunter, Lyle-Smith travelled to Canada
where he worked as a hunter than became an actor on Canadian television.
He wrote his first novel Rogue's Gambit in 1955 first using the name of Caillou; one of alias
es during the War. Moving from Vancouver
to Hollywood, he made many appearances as an actor as well as a screenwriter in such shows as Daktari
, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
(including the screenwriting for "The Bow-Wow Affair" from 1965), Thriller, Daniel Boone
, and Quark
where he played "The Head".
Caillou wrote a variety of 52 paperback
thrillers under his own name and a nom de plume of Alex Webb with such heroes as Cabot Cain, Colonel Matthew Tobin, Mike Benasque, Ian Quayle, and Josh Dekker as well as writing many magazine stories. He also wrote books under female names.
Several of Caillou's novels were filmed such as Rampage with Robert Mitchum
in 1963 based on his big game hunting knowledge, Assault on Agathon with Nico Manardos as Cabot Cain that Caillou did the screenplay as well, and The Cheetahs filmed in 1989.
He died in Sedona, Arizona, USA in 2006.
Biography
Alan Lyle-Smythe was born in SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England. Prior to World War II he served with the Palestine Police from 1936-1939 where he learned the Arabic language. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in June 1938. He married Aliza Sverdova in 1939, then studied acting from 1939-1941.
In January 1940, Lyle-Smyth was commissioned in the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
. Due to his linguistic skills, he transferred to the Intelligence Corps and served in the Western Desert
Libyan Desert
The Libyan Desert covers an area of approximately 1,100,000 km2, it extends approximately 1100 km from east to west, and 1,000 km from north to south, in about the shape of a rectangle...
where he used the surname "Caillou" (the French word for 'Stone') as an alias. He was captured in North Africa, imprisoned and threatened with execution in Italy, then escaped to join the British forces at Salerno
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
. He was then posted to serve with the partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
s in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. He wrote about his experiences in the book The World is Six Feet Square (1954). He was promoted to Captain and awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1944.
Following the War he returned to the Palestine Police from 1946-1947 then served as a Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
in British occupied Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland , also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1936 in the region of modern-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate, the territory was later acquired by Italy through various...
from 1947-1952 where he was recommissioned a Captain. He wrote of these years in the book Sheba Slept Here.
After work as a District Officer in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and professional hunter, Lyle-Smith travelled to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he worked as a hunter than became an actor on Canadian television.
He wrote his first novel Rogue's Gambit in 1955 first using the name of Caillou; one of alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
es during the War. Moving from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
to Hollywood, he made many appearances as an actor as well as a screenwriter in such shows as Daktari
Daktari
Daktari is an American children's drama series that aired on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The series, an Ivan Tors Films Production in association with MGM Television, stars Marshall Thompson as Dr. Marsh Tracy, a veterinarian at the fictional Wameru Study Centre for Animal Behaviour in East...
, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
(including the screenwriting for "The Bow-Wow Affair" from 1965), Thriller, Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
, and Quark
Quark (TV series)
Quark is an American science fiction situation comedy starring Richard Benjamin broadcast on NBC. The pilot first aired on May 7, 1977, and the series followed as a mid-season replacement in February 1978. The series was cancelled in April 1978. Quark was created by Buck Henry, co-creator of the...
where he played "The Head".
Caillou wrote a variety of 52 paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
thrillers under his own name and a nom de plume of Alex Webb with such heroes as Cabot Cain, Colonel Matthew Tobin, Mike Benasque, Ian Quayle, and Josh Dekker as well as writing many magazine stories. He also wrote books under female names.
Several of Caillou's novels were filmed such as Rampage with Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
in 1963 based on his big game hunting knowledge, Assault on Agathon with Nico Manardos as Cabot Cain that Caillou did the screenplay as well, and The Cheetahs filmed in 1989.
He died in Sedona, Arizona, USA in 2006.
External links
- Fiction books http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/alan-caillou/
- Film work http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0128845/