Whit Masterson
Encyclopedia
Whit Masterson is a pen name
for a partnership of two authors, Robert Allison “Bob” Wade (1920–present) and H. Bill Miller (1920–61). The two also wrote under several other pseudonyms, including Wade Miller and Will Daemer.
Together they wrote more than thirty novels, of which several were adapted for films. Most famously, their novel Badge of Evil
was converted into the Orson Welles
film Touch of Evil
.
Wade and Miller met at violin lessons when they were both 12. From an interview with Wade: "The Wade Miller collaboration worked successfully largely because it began so early. We teamed up at the age of 12." They went on to attend college together at San Diego State, leaving in their senior year of college to enlist in the US Air Force. http://www.allanguthrie.co.uk/5/wade_miller.htm (source for above 2 paragraphs, also, same information is found in a Mystery*File article by Ed Lynskey
).
Anthony Boucher
reviewed their first novel, Deadly Weapon, in the San Francisco Chronicle
in 1946. He described their writing as having "machinegun tempo, tight writing, unexaggerated hardness" and said it was a "highly satisfactory debut of new publishers and new writing team." (from the San Francisco Chronicle, April 6, 1946) A more recent reading by Richard Moore found that "modern readers would need to overcome instinctive reactions to racial and other slurs" but that "This was a stunning debut novel. It would be a shame if the language of the times kept it from revival." (from Mystery*File magazine #42 April 2004, published by Steve Lewis in CT, also see www.mysteryfile.com link below in Sources)
After Miller's death from a heart attack on August 21, 1961, Wade went on to a solo career as a movie and television scriptwriter. In 1988, Wade was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Private Eye Writers of America. (sources same as above, Mystery*File and the articles by Ed Lynskey, who also interviewed Wade along with Bill Pronzini
)
At the above link, you will find an illustration of the cover of Branded Woman by Wade Miller, along with the option to read a sample chapter, and some description and blurbs.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
for a partnership of two authors, Robert Allison “Bob” Wade (1920–present) and H. Bill Miller (1920–61). The two also wrote under several other pseudonyms, including Wade Miller and Will Daemer.
Together they wrote more than thirty novels, of which several were adapted for films. Most famously, their novel Badge of Evil
Badge of Evil
Badge of Evil is a novel written by Whit Masterson and published in 1956...
was converted into the Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
film Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil is a 1958 American crime thriller film, written, directed by, and co-starring Orson Welles. The screenplay was loosely based on the novel Badge of Evil by Whit Masterson...
.
Wade and Miller met at violin lessons when they were both 12. From an interview with Wade: "The Wade Miller collaboration worked successfully largely because it began so early. We teamed up at the age of 12." They went on to attend college together at San Diego State, leaving in their senior year of college to enlist in the US Air Force. http://www.allanguthrie.co.uk/5/wade_miller.htm (source for above 2 paragraphs, also, same information is found in a Mystery*File article by Ed Lynskey
Ed Lynskey
Ed Lynskey is an American poet, critic, and novelist, mostly of crime fiction. He was born in Washington, D.C. where he still lives and works. His first four books are mysteries featuring his Private Investigator Frank Johnson: The Dirt-Brown Derby , The Blue Cheer , Pelham Fell Here , Troglodytes...
).
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher
Anthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle...
reviewed their first novel, Deadly Weapon, in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
in 1946. He described their writing as having "machinegun tempo, tight writing, unexaggerated hardness" and said it was a "highly satisfactory debut of new publishers and new writing team." (from the San Francisco Chronicle, April 6, 1946) A more recent reading by Richard Moore found that "modern readers would need to overcome instinctive reactions to racial and other slurs" but that "This was a stunning debut novel. It would be a shame if the language of the times kept it from revival." (from Mystery*File magazine #42 April 2004, published by Steve Lewis in CT, also see www.mysteryfile.com link below in Sources)
After Miller's death from a heart attack on August 21, 1961, Wade went on to a solo career as a movie and television scriptwriter. In 1988, Wade was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Private Eye Writers of America. (sources same as above, Mystery*File and the articles by Ed Lynskey, who also interviewed Wade along with Bill Pronzini
Bill Pronzini
Bill Pronzini is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories....
)
Sources
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0557767/
- http://www.mysteryfile.com/Wade/Miller.html
- http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=318535
- http://www.mysteryfile.com/Wade/Miller.html#Crider
External links
- http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bios.cgi?entry=bk11
At the above link, you will find an illustration of the cover of Branded Woman by Wade Miller, along with the option to read a sample chapter, and some description and blurbs.