 Edgar Wallace, born Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace, was an extremely prolific English author who in his lifetime wrote 175 novels, 24 plays and countless articles for newspapers and journals.
Born on 1 April 1875 to Richard Horatio Edgar (whom it is alleged never knew of his son’s existence) and Mary Jane Richards (stage name “Polly”), nee Blair, Edgar Wallace was raised – at his mother’s request – by a close friend of her midwife, Mrs Freeman, while Mary said she would visit as regularly as possible.
A time came when Mary, suffering a commensurate decrease in earnings, could no longer afford to pay the Freemans for taking care of her son, however, when she approached the Freemans with this news and an offer to place him in a workhouse she was met with furious resistance by a family who had grown to love the boy.
It is said that, overwhelmed with emotion, she never again visited the boy.
Wallace grew up and enlisted in the Infantry preparatory leaving for South Africa, but found himself unaccustomed to army life and managed to secure a transfer to the Royal Army Medical Corps. This, too, Wallace found unappealing, and so transferred again to the Press Corps. This is where he found his calling.
He worked during the Boer War as a war correspondent for the Daily Mail and was also a poet/columnist for various periodicals.
During his career he wrote a vast amount as a crime writer, journalist, novelist, screenwriter and playwright, and it is suggested that more films have been made from his novels than any other author.
His most famous work is probably the role he played in creating King Kong, which he wrote the early screenplay and story for the movie of. The short story “King Kong” (1933) is credited to him and Draycott Dell.
He was also well known for the J. G. Reeder detective stories, The Four Just Men, The Ringer, and for creating the Green Archer character during his lifetime.
Edgar Wallace died on 10 February 1932 after being diagnosed with diabetes. He had suffered severe headaches for a time before this and was informed by the doctor (when finally one was summoned) that he was lucky he had not been blind or sight-impaired for years. [edit]
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