Theodore Pratt
Encyclopedia
Theodore Pratt was an American writer who is best known for his novels set in Florida
. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
in 1901 to Thomas A. and Emma Pratt. The family later moved to New Rochelle, New York
, where Theodore attended high school. After completing high school, he attended Colgate University
for two years, and then Columbia University
for another two years, but did not graduate. He worked in New York City
as a play reader, a staff reader for a movie company, and a columnist for the New York Sun
. He also free-lanced articles for The New Yorker
and other national magazines.
Theodore Pratt married Belle Jacqueline (Jackie) Jacques in 1929. The couple went to Europe
for their honeymoon, and stayed for four years, during which he served as the European correspondent for the New York Sun. The Pratts eventually settled in Majorca, Spain
, where Pratt wrote a column for the English language Daily Palma Post. In 1933 Pratt wrote an article for The American Mercury
called "Paradise Enjoys a Boom" that was highly critical of the Majorcan character and way of life (he called Majorcans "among the cruelest people to animals extant in the civilized world", and said "they make inept servants, and when not shirking their work from pure laziness or contrariness, they are stealing food to take to their own home"). After parts of the article appeared in translation in Majorca, the Pratts were forced to leave Spain
and returned to the United States
.
The Pratts moved to Lake Worth, Florida
in 1934. In 1946 the Pratts moved for a brief period to California
, but returned to Florida to live in Boca Raton
. In 1958 the Pratts moved to Delray Beach, Florida
, where he died in 1969.
Pratt traveled extensively in Florida, in particular away from the tourist areas on the east coast, to gather material for his writing. While he was writing Mercy Island, he lived in the Florida Keys
so that he could more accurately portray the lives of the Conch people
of the Keys. His Escape to Eden incorporated material from a trip into the Everglades
he had made with members of the Audubon club
on which their boat ran out of gas, leaving them stranded for a day-and-a-half.
Theodore Pratt published more than thirty novels, including four mysteries under the pseudonym of "Timothy Brace", two collections of short stories, two plays (adapted from his novels), a few non-fiction books and pamphlets, and numerous short stories and articles in periodicals such as Esquire
, Blue Book
, Escapade, The Gent, Manhunt, Guilty Detective Story Magazine, Coronet
, Fantastic Universe
, Space Science Fiction
, and The Saturday Evening Post
. Some of his novels had strong sexual content by the standards of the time. The Tormented (1950), a study of nymphomania, was turned down by thirty-four publishers. It eventually sold more than a million copies. Five of his works were made into feature motion pictures:
The Theodore Pratt Collection of first editions and manuscript material can be found in the Special Collections section of the library at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.http://www.library.fau.edu/depts/spc/spc/Pratt.htm
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in 1901 to Thomas A. and Emma Pratt. The family later moved to New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, where Theodore attended high school. After completing high school, he attended Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
for two years, and then 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...
for another two years, but did not graduate. He worked in 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...
as a play reader, a staff reader for a movie company, and a columnist for the New York Sun
New York Sun (historical)
The Sun was a New York newspaper that was published from 1833 until 1950. It was considered a serious paper, like the city's two more successful broadsheets, The New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune...
. He also free-lanced articles for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and other national magazines.
Theodore Pratt married Belle Jacqueline (Jackie) Jacques in 1929. The couple went to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for their honeymoon, and stayed for four years, during which he served as the European correspondent for the New York Sun. The Pratts eventually settled in Majorca, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where Pratt wrote a column for the English language Daily Palma Post. In 1933 Pratt wrote an article for The American Mercury
The American Mercury
The American Mercury was an American magazine published from 1924 to 1981. It was founded as the brainchild of H. L. Mencken and drama critic George Jean Nathan. The magazine featured writing by some of the most important writers in the United States through the 1920s and 1930s...
called "Paradise Enjoys a Boom" that was highly critical of the Majorcan character and way of life (he called Majorcans "among the cruelest people to animals extant in the civilized world", and said "they make inept servants, and when not shirking their work from pure laziness or contrariness, they are stealing food to take to their own home"). After parts of the article appeared in translation in Majorca, the Pratts were forced to leave Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Pratts moved to Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, which takes its name from the body of water along its eastern border, originally called "Lake Worth", and now generally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. The lake itself was named for General William J. Worth, who led U.S. forces during the last...
in 1934. In 1946 the Pratts moved for a brief period to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but returned to Florida to live in Boca Raton
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
. In 1958 the Pratts moved to Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
, where he died in 1969.
Pratt traveled extensively in Florida, in particular away from the tourist areas on the east coast, to gather material for his writing. While he was writing Mercy Island, he lived in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
so that he could more accurately portray the lives of the Conch people
Conch (people)
Conch , was originally a slang term for native Bahamians of European descent.Several theories have been proposed for the origin of the term:*After the American Revolution, many loyalists migrated to the Bahamas...
of the Keys. His Escape to Eden incorporated material from a trip into the Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
he had made with members of the Audubon club
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
on which their boat ran out of gas, leaving them stranded for a day-and-a-half.
Theodore Pratt published more than thirty novels, including four mysteries under the pseudonym of "Timothy Brace", two collections of short stories, two plays (adapted from his novels), a few non-fiction books and pamphlets, and numerous short stories and articles in periodicals such as Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, 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...
, Escapade, The Gent, Manhunt, Guilty Detective Story Magazine, Coronet
Coronet (magazine)
Coronet was a general interest digest magazine published from October 13, 1936, to March 1971 and ran for 299 issues. The magazine was owned by Esquire and published by David A. Smart from 1936 to 1961.-Typical issue:...
, Fantastic Universe
Fantastic Universe
Fantastic Universe was a U.S. science fiction magazine which began publishing in the 1950s. It ran for 69 issues, from June 1953 to March 1960, under two different publishers. It was part of the explosion of science fiction magazine publishing in the 1950s in the United States, and was moderately...
, Space Science Fiction
Space Science Fiction
Space Science Fiction was a science fiction magazine published by Space Publications, Inc. of New York and The Archer Press Ltd. of London that ran for eight issues from May 1952 to September 1953. Space was edited by Lester del Rey and featured a monthly book review column by George O. Smith...
, and The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. Some of his novels had strong sexual content by the standards of the time. The Tormented (1950), a study of nymphomania, was turned down by thirty-four publishers. It eventually sold more than a million copies. Five of his works were made into feature motion pictures:
- (1941) Mercy Island - film released in 1941 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033906/
- (April 26, 1941) "Land of the Jook" (article), The Saturday Evening Post - film released as Juke Girl in 1942 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034926/
- (1942) Mr. Limpet - film released as The Incredible Mr. LimpetThe Incredible Mr. LimpetThe Incredible Mr. Limpet is a 1964 American live-action/animated film from Warner Bros. It is about a man named Henry Limpet who turns into a talking fish resembling a tilefish and helps the U.S. Navy locate and destroy Nazi submarines. Don Knotts plays the title character. The live action was...
in 1964 - (1943) Mr. Winkle Goes to War - film released as Mr. Winkle Goes to WarMr. Winkle Goes to WarMr. Winkle Goes to War is a 1944 war comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson and Ruth Warrick, based on a novel by Theodore Pratt.-Plot:On June 1, 1942, after fourteen years, mild-mannered 44-year-old Wilbert G. Winkle quits his boring bank job to follow his dream, to open a repair shop...
in 1944 - (1943) The Barefoot Mailman - film released as The Barefoot MailmanThe Barefoot Mailman (film)The Barefoot Mailman is a comedy-adventure film starring Robert Cummings and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 1951. The film was based on the 1943 novel The Barefoot Mailman by Theodore Pratt...
in 1951
The Theodore Pratt Collection of first editions and manuscript material can be found in the Special Collections section of the library at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.http://www.library.fau.edu/depts/spc/spc/Pratt.htm