Maurice R. Coons (July 18, 1902 – October 10, 1930), known by the pen name Armitage Trail, was an American
pulp fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...
author, known best for his 1929 novel ''
Scarface''. This novel was based on the life of gangster
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...
, and was adapted as the 1932 movie ''
Scarface'' directed by
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name."
A v ...
and produced by
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
. The movie of 1932 was later modernized and remade as 1983's movie ''
Scarface''. His only other significant work is the detective novel ''The Thirteenth Guest'', though Coons is speculated to have used a variety of pseudonyms.
[Steve. “» Inquiry: MAURICE COONS Aka ARMITAGE TRAIL.” Accessed January 24, 2017. http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=303.
]
Biography
Early life
Armitage Trail was born Maurice R. Coons on July 18, 1902, in
Madison, Nebraska
Madison is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,438 at the 2010 census.
History
Madison was founded in 1867. It was named from Madison County. Madison was designated county seat in 18 ...
. He was the oldest child of Oscar A. Coons and Alice L. Coons, living also with Alice's mother, Mary J. McIntyre. He had two brothers, Hannibal (born Stanley J. Coons) and Eugene, as well as a sister named Evelyn.
[“Ancestry.com - 1920 United States Federal Census.” Accessed February 2, 2017.
] Due to Oscar's job as a road tour manager for the New Orleans Opera Company, the family relocated multiple times before Trail became an adult, with one definite location being
.
[“Trail, Armitage (Maurice Coons) (Pulp Fiction Writer).” Accessed January 24, 2017. http://what-when-how.com/pulp-fiction-writers/trail-armitage-maurice-coons-pulp-fiction-writer/.
] Trail developed a passion for writing, quitting school at the age of 16 to devote his time to it. Likewise, his interest in gangsters such as Al Capone began at a young age, and it was stated by Hannibal Coons that his brother Maurice "was interested in gangsters as other men are interested in postage stamps, old coins, or spread-eagled butterflies.”
Throughout the rest of his teens and early twenties, Maurice Coons used a variety of pseudonyms, writing various crime and detective stories for pulp magazines. During this time, he visited New York City, eventually quitting home to live in the vicinity of Chicago, where he wrote ''Scarface''.
Chicago and ''Scarface''
Not much is known about Trail's time in Illinois. He lived in
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...
, a town adjacent to the west side of Chicago, where he worked on composing ''Scarface'' daily in his sun-room.
He did not live there long enough to be recorded by an official U.S. Census. Trail spent much of the rest of his time in Chicago, supposedly being associated with local Sicilian gangs by an Italian-American lawyer with whom he was acquainted. From then on, Trail spent his nights socializing with gang members in order to gain ideas for his novel.
Trail published ''Scarface'' during 1930. Though Trail never formally met Al Capone, with whom his novel was mainly concerned, Capone may have known of the work.
Selling ''Scarface''
Producer
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
eventually approached Trail about his novel with the interest of adapting it as a movie. Trail sold the rights to ''Scarface'' to Hughes for $25,000, relocating to Los Angeles in the process, where he lived at 3811 Delman Torrace St.
[Ancestry.com - "1930 United States Federal Census." Accessed February 2, 2017.
] After selling the rights to ''Scarface'',
W.R. Burnett
William Riley Burnett (November 25, 1899 April 25, 1982) was an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for the crime novel ''Little Caesar'', the film adaptation of which is considered the first of the classic American gangster m ...
, who worked on the screenplay, stated that Trail began to struggle with alcoholism.
Trail lived flamboyantly in Hollywood, rapidly gaining weight, wearing wide-brimmed
Borsalino
Borsalino is the oldest Italian company specializing in the manufacture of luxury hats. Since 1857, the manufacture has been based in Alessandria, Piedmont. The founder, Giuseppe Borsalino, is remembered for creating a particular model of felt ...
hats,
and hiring a servant named Elijah Ford.
Death
Trail never lived to see the movie ''Scarface'' finished, as during October 1930 he died of heart failure at the
Paramount Theatre.
[Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d Ed. (2 Volume Set)''. McFarland, 2016.
] He is buried in corridor/building C, crypt 237, the
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...
.
''The Thirteenth Guest''
Trail's first novel, published first during 1929, was named ''The Thirteenth Guest'', and concerned the investigation of the murder of fictional character Marie Morgan. A private detective, named in the first movie as Phil Winston and the second as Johnny Smith, surveys the crime scene. The scene is Morgan's grandfather's mansion, where he was also murdered 13 years prior.
[“Speed Dugan.” Accessed January 27, 2017. http://www.thrillingdetective.com/more_eyes/13th_guest.html.
] The novel was later adapted as the movie ''
The Thirteenth Guest
''The Thirteenth Guest'' is a 1932 American pre-Code mystery comedy thriller film, released on August 9, 1932. The film is also known as ''Lady Beware'' in the United Kingdom. It is based on the 1929 novel ''The Thirteenth Guest'' written by cri ...
'' during 1932 by
Albert Ray
Albert Ray (August 28, 1897 – February 5, 1944) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed more than 70 films between 1920 and 1939. He also appeared in 18 films between 1915 and 1922. He was born in New Roche ...
, and then was remade as ''
Mystery of the 13th Guest
''The Mystery of the 13th Guest'' is a 1943 American crime/mystery film directed by William Beaudine and released by Monogram Pictures. It is based on Armitage Trail's 1929 novel ''The 13th Guest'' and is an updated version of the 1932 film '' T ...
'' during 1943 by
William Beaudine
William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres.
Life and car ...
.
''Scarface''
Trail's most famous novel, published first during 1930, details the life of Tony "Scarface" Camonte, a character based on gangster Al Capone. The protagonist has the same first name for all three of the ''Scarface'' works. After the release of the 1932 movie, at which time Trail was already dead, Capone reportedly sent some of his men to question screenwriter
Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...
after Capone was offended at the movie's portrayal of him by actor
Paul Muni
Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...
.
Other works
It has been speculated that Trail wrote numerous pulp stories, supposedly even whole magazines of them, using a variety of pseudonyms.
References
Bibliography
* Server, Lee. ''Encyclopedia of Pulp Fiction Writers''. New York, NY (2002)
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trail, Armitage
20th-century American novelists
American crime fiction writers
American male novelists
Novelists from Nebraska
1902 births
1930 deaths
20th-century American male writers
Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
20th-century pseudonymous writers
People from Madison, Nebraska