Tuesday, August 18, 2015

What's the 411 on Jane Wallis Burrell?

From the mailbag --

I am writing a piece about Jane Wallis Burrell, daughter of newspaper editor and writer, James Harold Wallis.

Wallis family legend has Harold being good friends with Robert Benchley and the Algonquian Round Table.

Here's a collection of his books from a brief biography:

Wallis authored eleven novels including The Woman He Chose (1934), The Politician: His Habits, Outcries, and Protective Coloring (1935), The Synthetic Philanthropist (1943) and The Niece of Abraham Pein (1943). He also wrote three volumes of poetry and numerous magazine articles.

1945 Once Off Guard was made into a film entitled The Woman in the Window starring Raymond Massey, Edward G. Robinson, and Joan Bennett. In 1949 "Strange Bargain" screen play by Lillie Hayward, based on a story by J. H. Wallis, was produced by Sid Rogell for RKO Radio Pictures. Inc.

other books Wallis authored were mystery-detective novels including The Servant of Death, Murder Mansion, Cries in the Night, The Capital City Mystery, Murder by Formula, The Servant of Death, and The Mystery of Vaucluse.

you ever heard of Wallis?

thanks

D.W.

If anyone can answer the question, email David Trumbull at david@robertbenchley.org.

No comments:

Robert Benchley Society

For more information about the Robert Benchley Society, local chapters near you, our annual Award for Humor, and our Annual Gathering, visit The RBS Website