Cornell Woolrich
Encyclopedia
Cornell George Hopley-Woolrich (4 December 1903 – 25 September 1968) was an American
novelist and short story writer who sometimes wrote under the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley.
His biographer, Francis Nevins Jr., rated Woolrich the fourth best crime writer
of his day, behind only Dashiell Hammett
, Erle Stanley Gardner
and Raymond Chandler
. A check of film titles reveals that more film noir
screenplays were adapted from works by Woolrich than any other crime novelist, and many of his stories were adapted during the 1940s for Suspense
and other dramatic radio programs.
with his father before returning to New York City
to live with his mother, Claire Attalie Woolrich.
He attended Columbia University
but left in 1926 without graduating when his first novel, Cover Charge, was published. Cover Charge was a Jazz Age
work inspired by the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald
. He soon turned to pulp and detective fiction
, often published under his pseudonyms. For example, William Irish was the byline in Dime Detective Magazine (February, 1942) on his 1942 story "It Had to Be Murder," (source of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock
movie Rear Window
) and based on H. G. Wells' short story Through A Window. François Truffaut
filmed Woolrich's The Bride Wore Black
and Waltz Into Darkness in 1968 and 1969, respectively, the latter as Mississippi Mermaid
. Ownership of the copyright in Woolrich's original story "It Had to Be Murder" and its use for Rear Window was litigated before the United States Supreme Court in Stewart v. Abend
, 495 U.S. 207 (1990).
Woolrich was homosexual and sexually active in his youth. In 1930, while working as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, Woolrich married Violet Virginia Blackton (1910-65), daughter of silent film producer J. Stuart Blackton
. They separated after three months, and the marriage was annulled in 1933.
Woolrich returned to New York where he and his mother moved into the Hotel Marseilles (Broadway and West 102nd Street). He lived there until her death on October 6, 1957, which prompted his move to the Hotel Franconia (20 West 72nd Street).
Alcoholism
and an amputated
leg (caused by an infection from a too-tight shoe which went untreated) left him a recluse, although he did socialize on occasion with young admirers such as writer Ron Goulart
. He did not attend the premiere of Truffaut's film of his novel The Bride Wore Black in 1968, even though it was held in New York City. He died weighing 89 pounds. He is interred in the Ferncliff Cemetery
in Hartsdale, New York
.
Woolrich bequeathed his estate of about $850,000 to Columbia University, to endow scholarships in his mother's memory for journalism students.
.
Most of Woolrich's books are out of print, and new editions have not come out because of estate issues. However, new collections of his short stories were issued in the early 1990s.
Woolrich died leaving fragments of an unfinished novel, The Loser; fragments have been published separately and also collected in Tonight, Somewhere in New York (2005).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and short story writer who sometimes wrote under the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley.
His biographer, Francis Nevins Jr., rated Woolrich the fourth best crime writer
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...
of his day, behind only Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
, Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories, best known for the Perry Mason series, he also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J...
and Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
. A check of film titles reveals that more film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
screenplays were adapted from works by Woolrich than any other crime novelist, and many of his stories were adapted during the 1940s for Suspense
Suspense (radio program)
-Production background:One of the premier drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio, was subtitled "radio's outstanding theater of thrills" and focused on suspense thriller-type scripts, usually featuring leading Hollywood actors of the era...
and other dramatic radio programs.
Biography
Born in New York City, Woolrich's parents separated when he was young. He lived for a time in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
with his father before returning to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to live with his mother, Claire Attalie Woolrich.
He attended Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
but left in 1926 without graduating when his first novel, Cover Charge, was published. Cover Charge was a Jazz Age
Jazz Age
The Jazz Age was a movement that took place during the 1920s or the Roaring Twenties from which jazz music and dance emerged. The movement came about with the introduction of mainstream radio and the end of the war. This era ended in the 1930s with the beginning of The Great Depression but has...
work inspired by the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
. He soon turned to pulp and detective fiction
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
, often published under his pseudonyms. For example, William Irish was the byline in Dime Detective Magazine (February, 1942) on his 1942 story "It Had to Be Murder," (source of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
movie Rear Window
Rear Window
Rear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"...
) and based on H. G. Wells' short story Through A Window. François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
filmed Woolrich's The Bride Wore Black
The Bride Wore Black (novel)
The Bride Wore Black is a 1940 American novel written by Cornell Woolrich. In 1967, it was adapted into a film of the same name by French film director François Truffaut....
and Waltz Into Darkness in 1968 and 1969, respectively, the latter as Mississippi Mermaid
Mississippi Mermaid
Mississippi Mermaid is a French film directed by François Truffaut. The film is adapted from the 1947 William Irish novel Waltz into Darkness. The film features Jean-Paul Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve, and others. The film was the 17th highest grossing film of the year with a total of 1,221,027...
. Ownership of the copyright in Woolrich's original story "It Had to Be Murder" and its use for Rear Window was litigated before the United States Supreme Court in Stewart v. Abend
Stewart v. Abend
Stewart v. Abend, 495 U.S. 207 , was an important United States Supreme Court decision which held that a copyright owner has the exclusive right to permit the creation and exploitation of derivative works, regardless of potentially conflicting agreements by prior copyright holders.-Facts:Cornell...
, 495 U.S. 207 (1990).
Woolrich was homosexual and sexually active in his youth. In 1930, while working as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, Woolrich married Violet Virginia Blackton (1910-65), daughter of silent film producer J. Stuart Blackton
J. Stuart Blackton
James Stuart Blackton , usually known as J. Stuart Blackton, was an Anglo-American film producer of the Silent Era, the founder of Vitagraph Studios and among the first filmmakers to use the techniques of stop-motion and drawn animation...
. They separated after three months, and the marriage was annulled in 1933.
Woolrich returned to New York where he and his mother moved into the Hotel Marseilles (Broadway and West 102nd Street). He lived there until her death on October 6, 1957, which prompted his move to the Hotel Franconia (20 West 72nd Street).
Alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and an amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
leg (caused by an infection from a too-tight shoe which went untreated) left him a recluse, although he did socialize on occasion with young admirers such as writer Ron Goulart
Ron Goulart
Ron Goulart is an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy and science fiction author.The prolific Goulart wrote many novelizations and other routine work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson , Con Steffanson , Chad Calhoun, R.T...
. He did not attend the premiere of Truffaut's film of his novel The Bride Wore Black in 1968, even though it was held in New York City. He died weighing 89 pounds. He is interred in the Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian...
in Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsdale is located at ....
.
Woolrich bequeathed his estate of about $850,000 to Columbia University, to endow scholarships in his mother's memory for journalism students.
Novels
Woolrich's novels written between 1940 to 1948 are considered his principal legacy. During this time, he definitively became an author of novel-length crime fiction which stand apart from his first six works, written under the influence of F. Scott FitzgeraldF. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
.
Most of Woolrich's books are out of print, and new editions have not come out because of estate issues. However, new collections of his short stories were issued in the early 1990s.
Woolrich died leaving fragments of an unfinished novel, The Loser; fragments have been published separately and also collected in Tonight, Somewhere in New York (2005).
- Cover ChargeCover chargeAt bars and nightclubs, or restaurants with live entertainment a flat fee for entry, sometimes known as a cover charge, is made, in addition to payment for food and drink...
(1926) - Children of the RitzChildren of the RitzChildren of the Ritz is a 1929 drama film from First National Pictures. Starring Dorothy Mackaill and Jack Mulhall. The movie was silent with its own Vitaphone soundtrack and sound effects recorded on phonographic records. At the time this movie was made the transition from silent to sound was...
(1927) - Times Square (1929)
- A Young Man's Heart (1930)
- The Time of Her Life (1931)
- Manhattan Love Song (1932)
- The Bride Wore BlackThe Bride Wore Black (novel)The Bride Wore Black is a 1940 American novel written by Cornell Woolrich. In 1967, it was adapted into a film of the same name by French film director François Truffaut....
(1940) - The Black CurtainThe Black Curtain- Plot :The story concerns a man with amnesia, named Frank Townsend. He cannot remember anything from the previous three years of his life. As it turns out, he is a convicted murderer...
(1941) - MarihuanaMarihuana (novel)Marihuana is a 1941 novella by Cornell Woolrich, published under the pen-name William Irish. The story is about a man who goes on a murder spree after being exposed to marijuana for the first time.-Plot:...
(1941, as William Irish) - Black Alibi (1942)
- Phantom LadyPhantom Lady (novel)Phantom Lady is a crime novel written by American author Cornell Woolrich under the pseudonym "William Irish". It is the first novel Woolrich published under the William Irish pseudonym.- Plot introduction :...
(1942, as William Irish) - The Black AngelThe Black Angel (novel)Cornell Woolrich reworked many of his short stories into full length novels, most notably in the novel, Black Angel . It was based on two short stories, “Murder in Wax” and “Face Work” .-Murder In Wax:“Murder In Wax” was first published in the pulp magazine Dime Detective in March 1935, a short...
(1943, based on his 1935 story Murder in Wax) - The Black Path of Fear (1944)
- After Dinner Story (1944, as William Irish)
- Deadline at Dawn (1944, as William Irish)
- Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1945, as George Hopley)
- Waltz into Darkness (1947, as William Irish)
- Rendezvous in Black (1948)
- I Married a Dead Man (1948, as William Irish)
- Savage Bride (1950)
- Fright (1950, as George Hopley)
- You'll Never See Me Again (1951)
- Strangler's Serenade (1951, as William Irish)
- Hotel Room (1958)
- Death is My Dancing Partner (1959)
- The Doom Stone (1960, previously serialized in ArgosyArgosy (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,...
1939) - Into the Night (1987, an unfinished manuscript finished by Lawrence Block)
Selected films based on Woolrich stories
- Convicted (1938) (story Face Work)
- Street of Chance (1942) (novel The Black Curtain)
- The Leopard ManThe Leopard ManThe Leopard Man is a horror movie directed by Jacques Tourneur based on the book Black Alibi by Cornell Woolrich. It is one of the first American films to attempt an even remotely realistic portrayal of a serial killer .-Plot summary:The story, set in New Mexico, begins as Jerry Manning hires a...
(1943) (novel Black Alibi) - Phantom Lady (1944) (novel)
- The Mark of the WhistlerThe WhistlerThe Whistler was an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "That whistle is your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." The program was adapted into a film noir series by Columbia Pictures in...
(1944) (story Dormant Account) - Deadline at DawnDeadline at DawnDeadline at Dawn is a 1946 film noir, the only film directed by stage director Harold Clurman. It was written by Clifford Odets and based on a novella by Cornell Woolrich . The RKO Radio Picture was the only cinematic collaboration between Clurman and his former Group Theatre associate,...
(1946) (novel) - Black Angel (1946) (novel)
- The ChaseThe Chase (1946 film)The Chase is an American film noir, shot in black and white, directed by Arthur Ripley. The screenplay is based on the Cornell Woolrich novel The Black Path of Fear...
(1946) (novel The Black Path of Fear) - Fall GuyFall Guyis a 1982 Japanese film directed by Kinji Fukasaku, art direction by Akira Takahashi. Among many awards, it was chosen as the Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony....
(1947) (story Cocaine) - The Guilty (1947) (story He Looked Like Murder)
- Fear in the Night (1948) (story Nightmare)
- The Return of the WhistlerThe WhistlerThe Whistler was an American radio mystery drama which ran from May 16, 1942 until September 22, 1955. It was sponsored by the Signal Oil Company: "That whistle is your signal for the Signal Oil program, The Whistler." The program was adapted into a film noir series by Columbia Pictures in...
(1948) (story All at Once, No Alice) - I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948) (story)
- Night Has a Thousand EyesNight Has a Thousand EyesNight Has a Thousand Eyes is a 1948 film noir, starring Edward G. Robinson and directed by John Farrow. The screenplay was written by Barré Lyndon and Jonathan Latimer. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Cornell Woolrich.- Plot :...
(1948) (novel) - The WindowThe WindowThe Window is a 1949 American black-and-white suspense film noir, based on the short story "The Boy Cried Murder" by Cornell Woolrich. The film, which was a critical success, was produced by Frederic Ullman, Jr. for $210,000 but earned much more, making it a box office hit for RKO Pictures...
(1949) (story The Boy Who Cried Murder) - No Man of Her OwnNo Man of Her OwnNo Man of Her Own is a 1950 drama starring Barbara Stanwyck.It was the second she made with director Mitchell Leisen. It was based on a Cornell Woolrich novel, I Married a Dead Man. Woolrich is credited as William Irish in the film's opening credits.The film was later remade in 1996 as Mrs....
(1950) (novel I Married a Dead Man) - El pendienteEl PendienteEl Pendiente is a 1951 Argentine film....
(1951) (story The Death Stone) directed by León KlimovskyLeón KlimovskyLeón Klimovsky was an Argentine film director.A trained dentist, born in Buenos Aires, his real passion was always the cinema. He pioneered Argentine cultural movement known as cineclub and financed the first movie theater to show art movies...
. - Si muero antes de despertar (1952) (story If I Should Die Before I Wake) directed by Carlos Hugo ChristensenCarlos Hugo ChristensenCarlos Hugo Christensen was a major Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer....
. - No abras nunca esa puertaNo abras nunca esa puertaNo abras nunca esa puerta is a 1952 Argentine film....
(1952) (stories Somebody on the Phone and Humming Bird Comes Home) directed by Carlos Hugo ChristensenCarlos Hugo ChristensenCarlos Hugo Christensen was a major Argentine film director, screenwriter and film producer....
. - Rear WindowRear WindowRear Window is a 1954 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by John Michael Hayes and based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder"...
(1954) (story It Had to Be Murder) directed by Alfred Hitchcock - ObsessionObsession (1954 film)Obsession is a 1954 French language motion picture crime drama directed by Jean Delannoy who co-wrote screenplay with Antoine Blondin, Roland Laudenbach and Gian Luigi Rondi, based on story "Silent as the Grave" by Cornell Woolrich...
(1954) (story Silent as the Grave) - NightmareNightmare (1956 film)Nightmare is a 1956 psychological thriller starring Edward G. Robinson. The story is based on a novel by William Irish . The novel was also made into a film in 1947 titled Fear in the Night. The film was directed by long-time movie writer Maxwell Shane, later the producer of the classic horror...
(1956) (story) - The Bride Wore BlackThe Bride Wore BlackThe Bride Wore Black is a 1968 French film directed by François Truffaut and based on the novel of the same name by William Irish, a pseudonym for Cornell Woolrich. It stars Jeanne Moreau, Charles Denner, Alexandra Stewart, Michel Bouquet, Michael Lonsdale, Claude Rich and Jean-Claude Brialy.It is...
(1968) (novel) directed by François Truffaut - Mississippi MermaidMississippi MermaidMississippi Mermaid is a French film directed by François Truffaut. The film is adapted from the 1947 William Irish novel Waltz into Darkness. The film features Jean-Paul Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve, and others. The film was the 17th highest grossing film of the year with a total of 1,221,027...
(1969) (novel Waltz Into Darkness) directed by François Truffaut - Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972) (novel Rendezvous in Black)
- Union CityUnion City (film)Union City is a 1980 film starring Deborah Harry and Dennis Lipscomb.-Plot:A man is so obsessed with finding the person responsible for stealing his milk bottles that he ignores his beautiful young wife, who has other ideas on her mind....
(1980) (story The Corpse Next Door) - I Married a Shadow (1983) (novel I Married a Dead Man)
- Cloak & Dagger (1984) (story The Boy Who Cried Murder)
- Mrs. WinterbourneMrs. WinterbourneMrs. Winterbourne is a 1996 romantic comedy/drama starring Shirley MacLaine, Ricki Lake, and Brendan Fraser. The film is loosely based on Cornell Woolrich's novel I Married a Dead Man, which has already been filmed in Hollywood as No Man of Her Own starring Barbara Stanwyck, and in Bollywood as...
(1996) (story I Married a Dead Man) - Original Sin (2001) (novel Waltz Into Darkness)
- Four O'Clock (2006) (story Three O'Clock)
External links
- Radio adaptations of Cornell Woolrich's stories on the CBS radio show Suspense
- "Cornell Woolrich and the Tough-Man Tradition of American Crime Fiction" by Christine Photinos (Clues: A Journal of Detection 28.2, 2010)