Richard Mason (1919-1997)
Encyclopedia
Richard Mason was a British novelist. Born near Manchester
, he was educated in Dorset
, then worked first on a film magazine and later for the British Council. The Second World War gave him a chance to learn Japanese and he became an interrogator of prisoners of war.
As an author Mason wrote The Wind Cannot Read
which was finished during the Burma Campaign; The Shadow and the Peak (filmed as Passionate Summer, starring Dirk Bogarde
); and The Fever Tree, a story of espionage set in India and Nepal.
His experiences while living in Hong Kong inspired him to write The World of Suzie Wong
. This was adapted into a Broadway play in 1958 and later into the film, The World of Suzie Wong
, in 1960, starring William Holden
and Nancy Kwan
.
Mason, a cigarette smoker, died of throat cancer in Rome, Italy, where he had lived for nearly 40 years.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, he was educated in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, then worked first on a film magazine and later for the British Council. The Second World War gave him a chance to learn Japanese and he became an interrogator of prisoners of war.
As an author Mason wrote The Wind Cannot Read
The Wind Cannot Read
The Wind Cannot Read is a 1958 British drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, Yoko Tani, Ronald Lewis and John Fraser...
which was finished during the Burma Campaign; The Shadow and the Peak (filmed as Passionate Summer, starring Dirk Bogarde
Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde was an English actor and novelist. Initially a matinee idol in such films as Doctor in the House and other Rank Organisation pictures, Bogarde later acted in art-house films such as Death in Venice...
); and The Fever Tree, a story of espionage set in India and Nepal.
His experiences while living in Hong Kong inspired him to write The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong is a 1957 novel written by Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute...
. This was adapted into a Broadway play in 1958 and later into the film, The World of Suzie Wong
The World of Suzie Wong (film)
The World of Suzie Wong is a 1960 British-American romantic drama film directed by Richard Quine. The screenplay by John Patrick was adapted from the stage play by Paul Osborn, which was based on the novel of the same title by Richard Mason...
, in 1960, starring William Holden
William Holden
William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
and Nancy Kwan
Nancy Kwan
Nancy "Ka Shen" Kwan is a Eurasian-American actress, who played a pivotal role in the acceptance of actors of Asian descent in major Hollywood film roles...
.
Mason, a cigarette smoker, died of throat cancer in Rome, Italy, where he had lived for nearly 40 years.
Fiction
- The Wind Cannot Read 1946
- The Shadow and the Peak 1950
- The World of Suzie WongThe World of Suzie WongThe World of Suzie Wong is a 1957 novel written by Richard Mason. The main characters are Robert Lomax, a young British artist living in Hong Kong, and Suzie Wong, the title character, a Chinese woman who works as a prostitute...
1957 - The Fever Tree 1962