Frederic Stewart Isham (March 29, 1865 – September 6, 1922) was an American novelist and playwright who wrote mainly historical romances and adventure novels.

Life

Isham was born in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, the son of Charles Storrs Isham and Lucy B. (Mott) Isham. He studied at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

in London for two years. In 1895 he married Helen Margaret Frue. He died in New York.

Career

Isham began as a playwright and later turned to novels, writing mainly historical romances and adventure novels set in various periods. ''Black Friday'', for example, centers on the American financial crisis of 1869, while ''Under the Rose'' is set in 16th century Europe. His experiences in theater informed his first novel, ''The Strollers''. Published by

Bobbs-Merrill Company The Bobbs-Merrill Company was a book publisher located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Company history The company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore and entered the publishing business. After his death in 1 ...

and its predecessor Bowen-Merrill Company, Isham's novels were illustrated by such artists as

Harrison Fisher Harrison Fisher (July 27, 1875 or 1877 – January 19, 1934) was an American illustrator. Career Fisher was born in Brooklyn, New York City and began to draw at an early age. Both his father and his grandfather were artists.Harrison & Carrin ...

, William Thacher Van Dresser, Max J. Spero, and W. B. King. The critic

H. L. Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...

wrote of his novel ''Half a Chance'' that it was "a brisk and entertaining story, with not too much reality in it," which well summarizes the general tenor of Isham's work. Several of his novels have been turned into movies. With

Max Marcin Max Marcin (5 May 1879 – 30 March 1948) was a Polish-born American playwright, novelist, screenwriter, and film director. He wrote for 47 films between 1916 and 1949. He also directed six films between 1931 and 1936. His stage work inclu ...

he turned his 1918 novel ''

Three Live Ghosts ''Three Live Ghosts'' is a novel by Frederic Isham published in 1918. He adapted it into the 1920 Broadway play of the same name produced by Max Marcin. There were also three film adaptations: * ''Three Live Ghosts'' (1922 film), a British come ...

'' into a 1920 comic play, and it was later made into a movie three times: a 1922 British comedy directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

, a 1929 American comedy directed by

Thornton Freeland Thornton Freeland (February 10, 1898 – May 22, 1987) was an American film director who directed 26 British and American films in a career that lasted from 1924 to 1949. Early success He was born in Hope, North Dakota in 1898 and originally wor ...

, and a 1936 American film directed by

H. Bruce Humberstone H. Bruce "Lucky" Humberstone (November 18, 1901 – October 11, 1984) was an American film director. He was previously a movie actor (as a child), a script clerk, and an assistant director, working with directors such as King Vidor, Edmund Gould ...

. Isham co-wrote the screenplay for the last of the three movies, which are about a trio of World War I soldiers who return home after the war only to discover that they are thought to be dead. His 1914 novel '' Nothing But the Truth'' was made into a movie twice: as a loose adaptation in 1929 directed by

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fil ...

and more faithfully as a 1941 film directed by

Elliott Nugent Elliott Nugent (September 20, 1896 – August 9, 1980) was an American actor, playwright, writer, and film director. Biography Nugent was born in Dover, Ohio, the son of actor J.C. Nugent. He successfully made the transition from silent film ...

. '' The Social Buccaneer'' was a ten-episode 1923 American film serial based on Isham's novel and directed by

Robert F. Hill Robert F. Hill (April 14, 1886 – March 18, 1966) was a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Career Bob Hill began his screen career in 1915 at Universal Pictures. In those early days, members of film crews were sometimes c ...

. It is now thought to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

Books

;Novels * ''Aladdin from Broadway'' (1913) * ''Black Friday'' (1904) * ''Half a Chance'' (1909) * ''The Lady of the Mount'' (1908) * ''A Man and His Money'' (1912) * '' Nothing But the Truth'' (1914) * ''

The Nut Cracker ''The Nut Cracker'' is a 1920 comedy novel by the American writer Frederic S. Isham. It was publisher by the Indianapolis-based Bobbs-Merrill Company. After an accident a man pretends to have lost his memory and enjoys a series of adventures. Ad ...

'' (1920) * ''The Social Bucaneer'' (1910) * ''The Strollers'' (1902) * ''This Way Out'' (1917) * ''The Thousand and Second Night: A Romantic Comedy'' (1911) * ''

'' (1918) * ''Under the Rose'' (1903) ;Plays * ''The Toy Shop: A Drama for Children'' (1891) * ''Three Live Ghosts'' (1920, with Max Marcin)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Isham, Frederic S. 1865 births 1922 deaths 20th-century American novelists Writers from Detroit American male novelists Novelists from Michigan 20th-century American male writers