Frank Marien
Encyclopedia
Francis Joseph Marien born in Sydney
, Australia
of Irish and Italian parents (his father was born "Marieni") was an editor of Smith's Weekly
.
Educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, he proved to be an all-round achiever, rowing in the winning school eight, becoming captain of Rugby Union football, cricket and athletics teams, as well as editing the school magazine and producing all its artwork, even helping design the school badge.
Dattilo Rubbo
was sufficiently impressed with his artistic abilities to recommend he take up painting professionally.
But he took up journalism, first with the Australian edition of the Freeman's Journal (in 1942 incorporated into the Catholic Weekly), The Daily Telegraph from 1919 to 1922 then the (Sydney) Sun. In 1926 he was appointed Managing Director of Truth
, where he succeeded in raising its circulation substantially.
In 1928 he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Smith's Weekly
, replacing Claude McKay
, where he built up its stable of black-and-white artists including Leon Miller, Joe Jonsson
, Emile Mercier
, Virgil Reilly, Rosaleen Norton
, Mollie Horseman and Joan Morrison, as well as giving great support to those already on the payroll - George Finey
, Frank Dunne, George Donaldson, Stan Cross
(who called him "the best Art Editor Australia ever had").
His second title was "Mechanical Superintendent" - he was a skilful fitter and turner, movie projectionist (he had both a well-equipped workshop and an 80-seat movie theatre at "Pine Lodge" his Miranda
home) and Linotype
compositor.
In 1932 he made a major error in not "pulling" the "wicked beyond expression" Wilkinson story
, a barrage of ugly untruths about the victim of a callous murder, which his competitors were quick to seize upon. Smith's Weekly never fully recovered from the bad publicity and the resultant drop in circulation.
He died after several years of illness, much of the time confined to a nursing home. He was still editing the paper on the day he died.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
of Irish and Italian parents (his father was born "Marieni") was an editor of Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
.
Educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, he proved to be an all-round achiever, rowing in the winning school eight, becoming captain of Rugby Union football, cricket and athletics teams, as well as editing the school magazine and producing all its artwork, even helping design the school badge.
Dattilo Rubbo
Dattilo Rubbo
Antonio Salvatore Dattilo Rubbo was an Italian-born artist and art teacher active in Australia from 1897.Rubbo, or Dattilo-Rubbo, was born in Naples in 1870 and arrived in Australia in 1897. From 1898 Rubbo taught in Sydney schools including St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, Kambala, The Scots...
was sufficiently impressed with his artistic abilities to recommend he take up painting professionally.
But he took up journalism, first with the Australian edition of the Freeman's Journal (in 1942 incorporated into the Catholic Weekly), The Daily Telegraph from 1919 to 1922 then the (Sydney) Sun. In 1926 he was appointed Managing Director of Truth
Truth (Sydney newspaper)
The Truth was a newspaper published in Sydney, Australia. It was founded in August 1890 by William Nicholas Willis and its first editor was Adolphus Taylor. In 1891 it claimed to be "The organ of radical democracy and Australian National Independence" and advocated "a republican Commonwealth...
, where he succeeded in raising its circulation substantially.
In 1928 he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
, replacing Claude McKay
Claude Eric Fergusson McKay
Claude McKay was an Australian journalist and publicist of Scottish descent born in Kilmore, Victoria.He worked on the Kilmore Advertiser as jack-of-all-trades then as a journalist in Seymour, Melbourne, Warrnambool and Bendigo before moving to Brisbane in 1902, where he was deputy music and...
, where he built up its stable of black-and-white artists including Leon Miller, Joe Jonsson
Joe Jonsson
Nils Josef Jonsson was an Australian cartoonist born in Halmstad, Sweden.At age 18 he went to sea for nine years, painting in his spare time...
, Emile Mercier
Emile Mercier
Emile Mercier may refer to:* Émile Mercier , French archer and olympian* Emile Mercier , Australian cartoonist...
, Virgil Reilly, Rosaleen Norton
Rosaleen Norton
Rosaleen "Roie" Norton , who used the craft name of Thorn, was an Australian artist and occultist, in the latter capacity adhering to a form of pantheistic Neopagan Witchcraft or Wicca which was devoted to the god Pan...
, Mollie Horseman and Joan Morrison, as well as giving great support to those already on the payroll - George Finey
George Finey
George Edmond Finey was an Australian black-and-white artist born in Parnell, New Zealand, noted for his unconventional appearance and left-wing politics....
, Frank Dunne, George Donaldson, Stan Cross
Stan Cross
Stanley George Cross was born in the United States but was known as an Australian strip and political cartoonist who drew for Smith’s Weekly and The Herald and Weekly Times...
(who called him "the best Art Editor Australia ever had").
His second title was "Mechanical Superintendent" - he was a skilful fitter and turner, movie projectionist (he had both a well-equipped workshop and an 80-seat movie theatre at "Pine Lodge" his Miranda
Miranda, New South Wales
Miranda is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Miranda is located 24 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district, in the Sutherland Shire....
home) and Linotype
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
compositor.
In 1932 he made a major error in not "pulling" the "wicked beyond expression" Wilkinson story
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
, a barrage of ugly untruths about the victim of a callous murder, which his competitors were quick to seize upon. Smith's Weekly never fully recovered from the bad publicity and the resultant drop in circulation.
He died after several years of illness, much of the time confined to a nursing home. He was still editing the paper on the day he died.