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Pearl Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author and dentist. He is known for his popular adventure novels and stories associated with the
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
genre in literature and the arts; he idealized the
American frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of United States territorial acquisitions, American expansion in mainland North Amer ...
. ''
Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...
'' (1912) was his best-selling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, his books have second lives and continuing influence adapted for films and television. His novels and short stories were adapted into 112 films, two television episodes, and a television series, ''
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...
''.Hulse 2007, pp. vii–x.


Biography


Early life

Pearl Zane Grey was born January 31, 1872, in
Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capita ...
. His birth name may have originated from newspaper descriptions of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
's mourning clothes as "pearl grey." He was the fourth of five children born to Alice "Allie" Josephine Zane, whose English
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
ancestor Robert Zane came to the American colonies in 1673, and her husband, Lewis M. Gray, a dentist. His family changed the spelling of its last name to "Grey" after his birth. Later Grey dropped Pearl and used Zane as his first name. He grew up in Zanesville, a city founded by his paternal grandfather Benjamin Zane's brother-in-law, John McIntire (husband of Sarah Zane), who had been given the land by Zane's maternal great-grandfather
Ebenezer Zane Ebenezer Zane (October 7, 1747 – Nov. 19, 1811) was an American pioneer, soldier, politician, road builder and land speculator. Born in the Colony of Virginia (possibly near what became Moorefield, West Virginia), Zane established a settle ...
, an
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
patriot. Both Zane and his brother
Romer A Reference Card or "Romer" is a device for increasing the accuracy when reading a grid reference from a map. Made from transparent plastic, paper or other materials, they are also found on most baseplate compasses. Essentially, it is a speciall ...
were active, athletic boys who were enthusiastic baseball players and fishermen. From an early age, he was intrigued by history. Soon, he developed an interest in writing. His early interests contributed to his later writing success. For example, his knowledge of history informed his first three novels, which recounted the heroism of ancestors who fought in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. As a child, Grey frequently engaged in violent brawls, probably related to his father's punishing him with severe beatings. Though irascible and antisocial like his father, Grey was supported by a loving mother and found a father substitute. Muddy Miser was an old man who approved of Grey's love of fishing and writing, and who talked about the advantages of an unconventional life. Despite warnings by Grey's father to steer clear of Miser, the boy spent much time during five formative years in the company of the old man. Grey was an avid reader of adventure stories such as ''
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
'' and the ''
Leatherstocking Tales The ''Leatherstocking Tales'' is a series of five novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper, set in the eighteenth-century era of development in the primarily former Iroquois areas in central New York. Each novel features Natty Bumppo, ...
'', as well as
dime novels The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S. popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related forms, r ...
featuring
Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
and
Deadwood Dick Deadwood Dick is a fictional character who appears in a series of stories, or dime novels, published between 1877 and 1897 by Edward Lytton Wheeler (1854/5–1885). The name became so widely known in its time that it was used to advantage by s ...
. He was enthralled by and crudely copied the great illustrators
Howard Pyle Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. In 1894, he began ...
and
Frederic Remington Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United State ...
. He was particularly impressed with ''Our Western Border'', a history of the Ohio frontier that likely inspired his earliest novels. Zane wrote his first story, ''Jim of the Cave'', when he was fifteen. His father tore it to shreds and beat him. Because of the shame he felt as the result of a severe financial setback in 1889 due to a poor investment, Lewis Grey moved his family from Zanesville and started again in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. While his father struggled to re-establish his dental practice, Zane Grey made rural house calls and performed basic extractions, which his father had taught him. The younger Grey practiced until the state board intervened. His brother Romer earned money by driving a delivery wagon.Gruber 1969, p. 26. Grey also worked as a part-time usher in a theater and played summer
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
for the Columbus Capitols, with aspirations of becoming a major leaguer. Eventually, Grey was spotted by a baseball scout and received offers from many colleges. Romer also attracted scouts’ attention and went on to have a professional baseball career.


University of Pennsylvania and baseball

Grey chose the
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
on a baseball
scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...
, where he studied
dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
and joined
Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute on January 1, 1869. The fraternity was founded by James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and James McIlva ...
fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
; he graduated in 1896. When he arrived at Penn, he had to prove himself worthy of a scholarship before receiving it. He rose to the occasion by coming in to pitch against the Riverton club, pitching five scoreless innings and producing a double in the tenth which contributed to the win. The
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
was highly competitive and an excellent training ground for future pro baseball players. Grey was a solid hitter and an excellent pitcher who relied on a sharply dropping curveball. When the distance from the pitcher's mound to the plate was lengthened by ten feet in 1894 (primarily to reduce the dominance of
Cy Young Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...
's pitching), the effectiveness of Grey's pitching suffered. He was re-positioned to the outfield. The short, wiry baseball player remained a campus hero on the strength of his timely hitting.May 1997, p. 16. He was an indifferent scholar, barely achieving a minimum average. Outside class, he spent his time on baseball, swimming, and creative writing, especially poetry. His shy nature and his
teetotaling Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or i ...
set him apart from other students, and he socialized little. Grey struggled with the idea of becoming a writer or baseball player for his career, but unhappily concluded that dentistry was the practical choice. During a summer break, while playing "summer nines" in
Delphos, Ohio Delphos is a city in Allen and Van Wert counties in the U.S. state of Ohio approximately 14 mi (23 km) northwest of Lima and 13 mi (21 km) east of Van Wert. The population was 7,101 at the 2010 census. The Allen County po ...
, Grey was charged with, and quietly settled, a
paternity Paternity may refer to: *Father, the male parent of a (human) child *Paternity (law), fatherhood as a matter of law * ''Paternity'' (film), a 1981 comedy film starring Burt Reynolds * "Paternity" (''House''), a 2004 episode of the television seri ...
suit. His father paid the $133.40 cost and Grey resumed playing summer baseball. He concealed the episode when he returned to Penn. Grey went on to play minor league baseball with several teams, including the
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area. and also with the Orange Athletic Club for several years. His brother Romer Carl "Reddy" Grey (known as "R.C." to his family) did better and played professionally in the minor leagues. Zane Grey and Romer Grey played together as teammates for the 1895 Findlay Sluggers of the
Interstate League The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. Early leagues Earlier versions of the Interstate League, with years active: *1896–1901: an unclassified ...
. Romer played a single major league game in 1903 for the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
.


Dentistry

After graduating, Grey established his practice in New York City under the name of Dr. Zane Grey in 1896. It was a competitive area but he wanted to be close to publishers. He began to write in the evening to offset the tedium of his dental practice.Gruber 1969, p. 35. He struggled financially and emotionally. Grey was a natural writer but his early efforts were stiff and grammatically weak. Whenever possible, he played baseball with the Orange Athletic Club in New Jersey, a team of former collegiate players that was one of the best amateur teams in the country. Grey often went camping with his brother R.C. in
Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania Lackawaxen is an unincorporated community in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers, the former of which forms the state line with New York. ...
, where they fished in the upper
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
. When canoeing in 1900, Grey met seventeen-year-old Lina Roth, better known as "Dolly." Dolly came from a family of physicians and was studying to be a schoolteacher.


Marriage and family

After a passionate and intense courtship marked by frequent quarrels, Grey and Dolly married five years later in 1905. Grey suffered bouts of depression, anger, and
mood swings A mood swing is an extreme or sudden change of Mood (psychology), mood. Such changes can play a positive part in promoting problem solving and in producing flexible forward planning, or be disruptive. When mood swings are severe, they may be ...
, which affected him most of his life. As he described it, "A hyena lying in ambush—that is my black spell! I conquered one mood only to fall prey to the next ... I wandered about like a lost soul or a man who was conscious of imminent death." During his courtship of Dolly, Grey still saw previous girlfriends and warned her frankly,
But I love to be free. I cannot change my spots. The ordinary man is satisfied with a moderate income, a home, wife, children, and all that. ... But I am a million miles from being that kind of man and no amount of trying will ever do any good ... I shall never lose the spirit of my interest in women.
After they married in 1905, Dolly gave up her teaching career. They moved to a farmhouse at the confluence of the Lackawaxen and Delaware rivers, in
Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania Lackawaxen is an unincorporated community in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers, the former of which forms the state line with New York. ...
, where Grey's mother and sister joined them. (This house, now preserved and operated as the Zane Grey Museum, is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.) Grey finally ceased his dental practice to work full-time on his nascent literary pursuits. Dolly's inheritance provided an initial financial cushion.


Early writing career

While Dolly managed Grey's career and raised their three children, including son
Romer Zane Grey Romer Zane Grey (October 1, 1909 – March 8, 1976) was the eldest son of novelist Zane Grey He wrote Western novels and books on fishing. Grey was also a scenario writer for Paramount Pictures, plus he was a producer in charge of making movies ...
, over the next two decades Grey often spent months away from the family. He fished, wrote, and spent time with his many mistresses. While Dolly knew of his behavior, she seemed to view it as his handicap rather than a choice. Throughout their life together, he highly valued her management of his career and their family, and her solid emotional support. In addition to her considerable editorial skills, she had good business sense and handled all his contract negotiations with publishers, agents, and movie studios. All his income was split fifty-fifty with her; from her "share," she covered all family expenses. Their considerable correspondence shows evidence of his lasting love for her despite his infidelities and personal emotional turmoil. The Greys moved to California in 1918. In 1920 they settled in
Altadena, California Altadena () ("Alta", Spanish for "Upper", and "dena" from Pasadena) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in the Verdugo Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the downtown ...
, at a home later known as the '"Zane Grey Estate"'. In Altadena Grey also spent time with his mistress Brenda Montenegro. The two met while hiking Eaton Canyon. Of her he wrote,
I saw her flowing raven mane against the rocks of the canyon. I have seen the red skin of the
Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
, and the olive of the Spaniards, but her ... her skin looked as if her Creator had in that instant molded her just for me. I thought it was an apparition. She seemed to be the embodiment of the West I portray in my books, open and wild.
Grey summed up his feelings for the city: "In Altadena, I have found those qualities that make life worth living." With the help of Dolly's proofreading and copy editing, Grey gradually improved his writing. His first magazine article, "A Day on the Delaware," a human-interest story about a Grey brothers' fishing expedition, was published in the May 1902 issue of ''
Recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...
'' magazine. Elated at selling the article, Grey offered reprints to patients in his waiting room. In writing, Grey found temporary escape from the harshness of his life and his demons. "Realism is death to me. I cannot stand life as it is." By this time, he had given up baseball. Grey read
Owen Wister Owen Wister (July 14, 1860 – July 21, 1938) was an American writer and historian, considered the "father" of western fiction. He is best remembered for writing '' The Virginian'' and a biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Biography Early life ...
's great Western novel '' The Virginian''. After studying its style and structure in detail, he decided to write a full-length work.May 1997, p. 34. Grey had difficulties in writing his first novel, ''Betty Zane'' (1903). When it was rejected by Harper & Brothers, he lapsed into despair. The novel dramatized the heroism of an ancestor,
Betty Zane Elizabeth Zane McLaughlin Clark (July 19, 1765 – August 23, 1823) was a heroine of the Revolutionary War on the American frontier. She was the daughter of William Andrew Zane and Nancy Ann (née Nolan) Zane, and the sister of Ebenezer Zane ...
who had saved Fort Henry. He self-published it, perhaps with funds provided by his wife Dolly or his brother R. C.'s wealthy girlfriend Reba Smith. From the beginning, vivid description was the strongest aspect of his writing. After attending a lecture in New York in 1907 at the Camp-Fire Club by Charles Jesse "Buffalo" Jones, western hunter and guide who had co-founded
Garden City, Kansas Garden City is a city in, and the county seat of, Finney County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 28,151. The city is home to Garden City Community College and the Lee Richa ...
, Grey arranged for a
mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...
-hunting trip to the
North Rim Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considere ...
of the
Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
. He brought along a camera to document his trips and prove his adventures. He also began the habit of taking copious notes, not only of scenery and activities but of dialogue. His first two trips were arduous, but Grey learned much from his compatriot adventurers. He gained the confidence to write convincingly about the American West, its characters, and its landscape. Treacherous river crossings, unpredictable beasts, bone-chilling cold, searing heat, parching thirst, bad water, irascible tempers, and heroic cooperation all became real to him. He wrote, "Surely, of all the gifts that have come to me from contact with the West, this one of sheer love of wildness, beauty, color, grandeur, has been the greatest, the most significant for my work."May 1997, p. 52. Upon returning home in 1909, Grey wrote a new novel, ''The Last of the Plainsmen'', describing the adventures of Buffalo Jones. Harper's editor
Ripley Hitchcock Ripley Hitchcock (born James Ripley Wellman Hitchcock; 1857–1918) was a prominent American editor. He edited the works of Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Zane Grey, Joel Chandler Harris, Stephen Crane and Theodore Dreiser. Biography Ripley ...
rejected it, the fourth work in a row. He told Grey, "I do not see anything in this to convince me you can write either narrative or fiction." Grey wrote dejectedly,
I don't know which way to turn. I cannot decide what to write next. That which I desire to write does not seem to be what the editors want ... I am full of stories and zeal and fire ... yet I am inhibited by doubt, by fear that my feeling for life is false.
The book was later published by the American magazine, ''
Outing Outing is the act of disclosing an LGBT person's sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. It is often done for political reasons, either to instrumentalize homophobia in order to discredit political opponents or to com ...
'', which provided Grey some satisfaction. Grey next wrote a series of magazine articles and juvenile novels. With the birth of his first child pending, Grey felt compelled to complete his next novel, ''The Heritage of the Desert''. He wrote it in four months in 1910. It quickly became a bestseller. Grey took his next work to Hitchcock again; this time Harper published his work, a historical romance in which
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
characters were of central importance. Grey continued to write popular novels about
Manifest Destiny Manifest destiny was a cultural belief in the 19th century in the United States, 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America. There were three basic tenets to the concept: * The special vir ...
, the conquest of the
Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, and the behavior of men in elemental conditions. Two years later Grey produced his best-known book, ''
Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...
'' (1912), his all-time best-seller, and one of the most successful Western novels in history. Hitchcock rejected it, but Grey took his manuscript directly to the vice president of Harper, who accepted it. The novel had a sequel (
The Rainbow Trail ''The Rainbow Trail'', also known as ''The Desert Crucible'', is Western author Zane Grey's sequel to ''Riders of the Purple Sage''. Originally published under the title ''The Rainbow Trail'' in 1915, it was re-edited and re-released in recent ...
in 1915), and was filmed five times (in
1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...
, 1925, 1931, 1941, and 1996; but in later film versions the villains are corrupt judges or lawyers, not Mormon polygamists).


Later career

Zane Grey had become a household name; thereafter Harper eagerly received all his manuscripts. Other publishers caught on to the commercial potential of the Western novel.
Max Brand Frederick Schiller Faust (May 29, 1892 – May 12, 1944) was an American writer known primarily for his Western stories using the pseudonym Max Brand. He (as Max Brand) also created the popular fictional character of young medical intern D ...
and
Ernest Haycox Ernest James Haycox (October 1, 1899 – October 13, 1950) was an American writer of Western fiction. Biography Haycox was born in Portland, Oregon, to William James Haycox and the former Martha Burghardt on October 1, 1899.Corning, Howard M. (1 ...
were among the most notable of other writers of Westerns. Grey's publishers paired his novels with some of the best illustrators of the time, including
N. C. Wyeth Newell Convers Wyeth (October 22, 1882 – October 19, 1945), known as N. C. Wyeth, was an American painter and illustrator. He was the pupil of Howard Pyle and became one of America's most well-known illustrators. Wyeth created more than 3,000 ...
,
Frank Schoonover Frank Earle Schoonover (August 19, 1877 – September 1, 1972) was an American illustrator who worked in Wilmington, Delaware. A member of the Brandywine School, he was a contributing illustrator to magazines and did more than 5,000 painting ...
, Douglas Duer,
W. Herbert Dunton William Herbert "Buck" Dunton (August 28, 1878 – March 18, 1936) was an American artist and a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of cowboys, New Mexico, and the Southwestern United States, American Southwe ...
,
W. H. D. Koerner W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP '' B ...
, and Charles Russell.May 1997, p. 83. Grey had the time and money to engage in his first and greatest passion: fishing. From 1918 until 1932, he was a regular contributor to ''
Outdoor Life ''Outdoor Life'' is an outdoors magazine about camping, fishing, hunting, and survival. It is a sister magazine of ''Field & Stream''. Together with ''Sports Afield'', they are considered the Big Three of American outdoor publishing by Money (m ...
'' magazine. As one of its first celebrity writers, he began to popularize big-game fishing. Several times he went deep-sea fishing in Florida to relax and to write in solitude. Although he commented that "the sea, from which all life springs, has been equally with the desert my teacher and religion", Grey was unable to write a great
sea novel Nautical fiction, frequently also naval fiction, sea fiction, naval adventure fiction or maritime fiction, is a genre of literature with a setting on or near the sea, that focuses on the human relationship to the sea and sea voyages and highligh ...
. He felt the sea soothed his moods, reduced his depressions, and gained him the opportunity to harvest deeper thoughts: Over the years, Grey spent part of his time traveling and the rest of the year writing novels and articles. Unlike writers who could write every day, Grey would have dry spells and then sudden bursts of energy, in which he could write as much as 100,000 words in a month. He encountered fans in most places. He visited the Rogue River in
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in 1919 for a fishing expedition, and fell in love with it. He returned in the 1920s, eventually setting up a cabin on the lower Rogue River. Grey captured the river's essence in two books: Tales of Freshwater Fishing and Rogue River Feud. Other excursions took him to
Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
and
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
.Gruber 1969, p. 218. From 1923 to 1930, he spent a few weeks a year at his cabin on the
Mogollon Rim The Mogollon Rim ( or or ) is a topographical and geological feature cutting across the northern half of the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends approximately , starting in northern Yavapai County and running eastward, ending near the border ...
, in Central
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. After years of abandonment and decay, the cabin was restored in 1966 by Bill Goettl, a Phoenix air conditioning magnate. He opened it to the public as a free-of-charge museum. The Dude Fire destroyed the cabin in 1990. It was later reconstructed 25 miles away in the town of Payson. During the 1930s, Grey continued to write, but the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
hurt the publishing industry. His sales fell off, and he found it more difficult to sell serializations. He had avoided making investments that would have been affected by the
stock market crash A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especia ...
of 1929, and continued to earn royalty income, so he did better than many financially. Nearly half of the film adaptations of his novels were made in the 1930s. From 1925 to his death in 1939, Grey traveled more and further from his family. He became interested in exploring unspoiled lands, particularly the islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. He thought Arizona was beginning to be overrun by tourists and speculators. Near the end of his life, Grey looked into the future and wrote:


Reception by critics

The more books Grey sold, the more the established critics, such as
Heywood Broun Heywood Campbell Broun Jr. (; December 7, 1888 – December 18, 1939) was an American journalist. He worked as a sportswriter, newspaper columnist, and editor in New York City. He founded the American Newspaper Guild, later known as The Newspaper ...
and
Burton Rascoe Arthur Burton Rascoe (October 22, 1892 - March 19, 1957), was an American journalist, editor and literary critic of the '' New York Herald Tribune''. He was born in Fulton, Kentucky to Matthew L. Rascoe and Elizabeth Burton Rascoe. His fathe ...
, attacked him. They claimed his depictions of the West were too fanciful, too violent, and not faithful to the moral realities of the frontier. They thought his characters unrealistic and much larger-than-life. Broun stated that "the substance of any two Zane Grey books could be written upon the back of a postage stamp." T. K. Whipple praised a typical Grey novel as a modern version of the ancient ''
Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
'' saga, "a battle of passions with one another and with the will, a struggle of love and hate, or remorse and revenge, of blood, lust, honor, friendship, anger, grief—all of a grand scale and all incalculable and mysterious." But he also criticized Grey's writing: "His style, for example, has the stiffness which comes from an imperfect mastery of the medium. It lacks fluency and facility." Grey based his work in his own varied first-hand experience, supported by careful note-taking, and considerable research. Despite his great popular success and fortune, Grey read the reviews and sometimes became paralyzed by negative emotions after critical ones. In 1923, a reviewer said Grey's "moral ideas ... eredecidedly askew." Grey reacted with a 20-page treatise, "My Answer to the Critics." He defended his intentions to produce great literature in the setting of the Old West. He suggested that critics should ask his readers what they think of his books, and noted actor and fan
John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...
as an example. Dolly warned him against publishing the treatise, and he retreated from a public confrontation. His novel ''The Vanishing American'' (1925), first serialized in ''
The Ladies' Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In 18 ...
'' in 1922, prompted a heated debate. People recognized its
Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
hero as patterned after
Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...
, a great Native American athlete. Grey portrayed the struggle of the Navajo to preserve their identity and culture against corrupting influences of the white government and of
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
. This viewpoint enraged religious groups. Grey contended, "I have studied the Navaho Indians for 12 years. I know their wrongs. The missionaries sent out there are almost everyone mean, vicious, weak, immoral, useless men." To have the book published, Grey agreed to some structural changes. With this book, Grey completed the most productive period of his writing career, having laid out most major themes, character types, and settings.May 1997, p. 143. His ''Wanderer of the Wasteland'' is a thinly disguised autobiography. One of his books, "Tales of the Angler's El Dorado, New Zealand," helped establish the
Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...
in New Zealand as a premier
game fishing Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...
area. Several of his later writings (e.g.,
Rangle River ''Rangle River'' is a 1936 Australian Western film directed by Clarence G. Badger based on a story by Zane Grey. Synopsis Marion Hastings returns to her father Dan's cattle property in western Queensland after being away in Europe for fifteen ye ...
) were based in Australia.


Fishing

Grey co-founded the "Porpoise Club" with his friend, Robert H. Davis of ''
Munsey's Magazine ''Munsey's Weekly'', later known as ''Munsey's Magazine'', was a 36-page quarto United States, American magazine founded by Frank Munsey, Frank A. Munsey in 1889 and edited by John Kendrick Bangs. Frank Munsey aimed to publish "a magazine of the pe ...
'', to popularize the sport of hunting of
dolphins A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (t ...
and
porpoises Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals an ...
. They made their first catch off
Seabright, New Jersey Sea Bright is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was reflecting a decline of 406 (−22.3%) from the 1,818 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increa ...
, on September 21, 1912, where they harpooned and reeled in a
bottlenose dolphin Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
.Pauly 2007, p. 149. Grey's son Loren claims in the introduction to '' Tales of Tahitian Waters'' that Zane Grey fished on average 300 days a year through his adult life. Grey and his brother R.C. were frequent visitors to
Long Key Long Key is an island in the middle Florida Keys. Long Key was called Cayo Víbora (Rattlesnake Key) by early Spanish explorers, a reference to the shape of the island, which resembles a snake with its jaws open, rather than to its denizens. The ...
,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, where they helped to establish the Long Key Fishing Club, built by
Henry Morrison Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...
. Zane Grey was its president from 1917 to 1920. He pioneered the fishing of Boohoo fish (
sailfish The sailfish is one or two species of marine fish in the genus ''Istiophorus'', which belong to the family Istiophoridae (marlins). They are predominantly blue to gray in colour and have a characteristically large dorsal fin known as the sa ...
). Zane Grey Creek was named for him. Grey indulged his interest in fishing with visits to Australia and New Zealand. He first visited New Zealand in 1926 and caught several large fish of great variety, including a
mako shark ''Isurus'' is a genus of mackerel sharks in the family Lamnidae, commonly known as the mako sharks. Description The two living species are the common shortfin mako shark (''I. oxyrinchus'') and the rare longfin mako shark (''I. paucus''). They ...
, a ferocious fighter which presented a new challenge. Grey established a base at Otehei Bay,
Urupukapuka Island Urupukapuka Island is the largest island in the Bay of Islands of New Zealand, located about 7.3 km from Paihia. The island is a popular stopover point for tour boats to the Piercy Island, Hole in the Rock and is also serviced by ferries f ...
in the
Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...
, which became a destination for the rich and famous. He wrote many articles in international sporting magazines highlighting the uniqueness of New Zealand fishing, which has produced heavy-tackle world records for the major
billfish The term billfish refers to a group of saltwater predatory fish characterised by prominent pointed bills (rostra), and by their large size; some are longer than . Extant billfish include sailfish and marlin, which make up the family Istiophor ...
, striped
marlin Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...
, black marlin, blue marlin and broadbill. A lodge and camp were established at Otehei Bay in 1927 called the Zane Grey Sporting Club. He held numerous world records during this time and invented the teaser, a hookless bait that is still used today to attract fish. Grey made three additional fishing trips to New Zealand. The second was January to April 1927, the third December 1928 to March 1929, and the last from December 1932 to February 1933. Grey fished out of
Wedgeport, Nova Scotia Wedgeport is a unincorporated place in the Municipality of the District of Argyle in Southern Nova Scotia, Canada. History Wedgeport was settled in 1767 by returning Acadians who had been deported to the Boston area. The village of Wedgeport w ...
, for many summers. Grey also helped establish deep-sea sport fishing in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, Australia, particularly in Bermagui, which is famous for marlin fishing. Patron of the Bermagui Sport Fishing Association for 1936 and 1937, Grey set a number of world records, and wrote of his experiences in his book ''An American Angler in Australia''. From 1928 on, Grey was a frequent visitor to
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
. He fished the surrounding waters several months at a time and maintained a permanent fishing camp at
Vairao Vairao, also Port Vairao and Matiti, is a small port town and district on the southwest coast of Tahiti, just to the northwest of Teahupo'o Teahupoo () is a village on the southwestern coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, in the sou ...
. He claimed that these were the most difficult waters he had ever fished, but from these waters he also took some of his most important records, such as the first marlin over . Grey had built a getaway home in
Santa Catalina Island, California Santa Catalina Island ( xgf, Pimuu'nga or ; es, Isla Santa Catalina) is a rocky island off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island name is often shortened to Catalina Island or just Catalina. The island is l ...
, which still serves as the Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel. He served as president of Catalina's exclusive fishing club, the Tuna Club of Avalon.


Death

Zane Grey died of heart failure on October 23, 1939, aged 67 at his home in
Altadena, California Altadena () ("Alta", Spanish for "Upper", and "dena" from Pasadena) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in the Verdugo Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, approximately 14 miles (23 km) from the downtown ...
. He was interred at the Lackawaxen and Union Cemetery,
Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania Lackawaxen is an unincorporated community in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is located at the confluence of the Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers, the former of which forms the state line with New York. ...
.


Legacy


Literary works

Grey became one of the first millionaire authors. Zane Grey was a major force in shaping the myths of the Old West; his books and stories were adapted into other media, such as film and TV productions. He was the author of more than 90 books, some published posthumously or based on serials originally published in magazines. His total book sales exceed 40 million. Grey wrote not only Westerns, but two hunting books, six children's books, three baseball books, and eight fishing books. Many of them became bestsellers. It is estimated that he wrote more than nine million words in his career. From 1917 to 1926, Grey was in the top ten best-seller list nine times, which required sales of more than 100,000 copies each time. Even after his death, Harper had a stockpile of his manuscripts and continued to publish a new title each year until 1963. During the 1940s and afterward, as Grey's books were reprinted as paperbacks, his sales exploded.
Erle Stanley Gardner Erle Stanley Gardner (July 17, 1889 – March 11, 1970) was an American lawyer and author. He is best known for the Perry Mason series of crime fiction, detective stories, but he wrote numerous other novels and shorter pieces and also a series of ...
, prolific author of mystery novels and the ''
Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a cli ...
'' series, said of Grey: Grey was President
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
's favorite writer.


Books published after his death

A 1950 newspaper article stated that
Romer Zane Grey Romer Zane Grey (October 1, 1909 – March 8, 1976) was the eldest son of novelist Zane Grey He wrote Western novels and books on fishing. Grey was also a scenario writer for Paramount Pictures, plus he was a producer in charge of making movies ...
and his mother had completed work on ''Cahuenga Pass'', one of Zane Grey's unfinished novels, and that a film treatment would be prepared. In 1953 columnist
Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...
reported that a proposed film project, ''Thirty Thousand on the Hoof'', was based on one of the six unfinished Grey novels that had been completed by his wife.


Hollywood and other media

Grey started his association with
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
when William Fox bought the rights to ''
Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...
'' for $2,500 in 1916. The ascending arc of Grey's career matched that of the motion picture industry. It eagerly adapted
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
stories to the screen practically from its inception, with
Bronco Billy Anderson Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson (born Maxwell Henry Aronson; March 21, 1880 – January 20, 1971) was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who was the first star of the Western (genre), Western film genre. He was a ...
becoming the first major western star. Legendary director
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
was then a young stage hand and
Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...
, who had been a real cowhand, was defining the persona of the film cowboy. The Grey family moved to California to be closer to the film industry and to enable Grey to fish in the Pacific. After his first two books were adapted to the screen, Grey formed his own
motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
company. This enabled him to control production values and faithfulness to his books. After seven films he sold his company to
Jesse Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer Film producer, motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life ...
who was a partner of the founder of
Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
. Paramount made a number of movies based on Grey's writings and hired him as advisor. Many of his films were shot at locations described in his books. In 1936 Grey appeared as himself in a feature film shot in Australia, '' White Death'' (1936). At the same time he provided a story that was filmed as ''
Rangle River ''Rangle River'' is a 1936 Australian Western film directed by Clarence G. Badger based on a story by Zane Grey. Synopsis Marion Hastings returns to her father Dan's cattle property in western Queensland after being away in Europe for fifteen ye ...
'' (1936). Grey became disenchanted by the commercial exploitation and copyright infringement of his works. He felt his stories and characters were diluted by being adapted to film. Nearly 50 of his novels were converted into more than 100 Western movies.Gruber 1969, p. 4. Shortly after Grey's death, the success of Fritz Lang's ''Western Union'' (1941), a film based on one of his books, helped bring about a resurgence in Hollywood westerns. Its costars were
Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
and Robert Young. The period of the 1940s and 1950s included the great works of
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
, who successfully used the settings of Grey's novels in Arizona and Utah. The success of Grey's ''
The Lone Star Ranger ''The Lone Star Ranger'' is a Western novel published by Zane Grey in 1914. The book takes place in Texas, the Lone Star State, and several main characters are Texas Rangers, a famous band of highly capable law enforcement officers. It follows ...
'' (the novel was adapted into four movies: 1914, 1919,
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
and 1942, and a
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
in 1949) and ''
King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist i ...
'' (popular as a series of
Big Little Books The Big Little Books, first published during 1932 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, were small, compact books designed with a captioned illustration opposite each page of text. Other publishers, notably Saalfield, adopted t ...
and comics, later turned into a 1936 film and three film serials) inspired two radio series by
George Trendle George Washington Trendle (July 4, 1884 – May 10, 1972) was an American lawyer and businessman best known as the producer of the ''Lone Ranger'' radio and television programs along with ''The Green Hornet'' and ''Sergeant Preston of the Yukon''. ...
( WXYZ,
Detroit 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 th ...
). Later these were adapted again for television, forming the series ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'' and ''
Challenge of the Yukon ''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title changed from ''Challenge of the Yukon'' to ''Se ...
'' (''Sgt. Preston of the Yukon'' on TV). More of Grey's work was featured in adapted form on the ''Zane Grey Show'', which ran on the
Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...
for five months in the 1940s, and the "Zane Grey Western Theatre," which had a five-year run of 145 episodes. Many famous actors got their start in films based on Zane Grey books. They included
Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
,
Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...
,
William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Cha ...
,
Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in ''Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in ''Grand Hotel'' (193 ...
,
Richard Arlen Richard Arlen (born Sylvanus Richard Mattimore, September 1, 1899 – March 28, 1976) was an American actor of film and television. Biography Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Arlen attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served in Canada as a ...
,
Buster Crabbe Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
,
Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...
, and
Fay Wray Vina Fay Wray (September 15, 1907 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian/American actress best known for starring as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong''. Through an acting career that spanned nearly six decades, Wray a ...
.
Victor Fleming Victor Lonzo Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'', for which he won an Academy Award for Best ...
, later director of ''
Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Win ...
'', and
Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgro ...
, who later directed ''
True Grit True Grit may refer to: Fiction * ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis ** ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne ** ''True Grit'' (2010 film), a film adaptation by the Coen Brothers, ...
'', both learned their craft on Grey films.


Honors and awards

* The
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
maintains his former home in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania as the Zane Grey Museum, a part of the
Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River is a unit of the National Park Service designated under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It stretches along of the Delaware River between Hancock, New York, and Sparrowbush, New York ...
area. * Zanesville, Ohio, has a museum named in his honor, the National Road-Zane Grey Museum. * Zane Grey Terrace, a small residential street in the hillsides of Altadena, is named in his honor. * The Zane Grey Tourist Park in Bermagui, Australia. * "Zane Greys'" a headland at the western end of Matapaua Bay, New Zealand. * The Zane Grey Continuation School is located adjacent to
Reseda High School Reseda Charter High School (RCHS), established in 1955, is located in the Reseda section of the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, United States. In the fall of 2018, the school became a charter and is now Reseda Charter Hig ...
in
Reseda, Los Angeles Reseda is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1912, and its central business district started developing in 1915. The neighborhood was devoted to agriculture for many years. Earthquakes ...
, California. * Zane Grey room is located at the Sigma Nu – Beta Rho house in honor of where Zane Grey lived for part of his time at the University of Pennsylvania. * Wilder Ranch State Park near
Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz (Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a pop ...
named the Zane Grey Trail after the author. Zane Grey briefly worked as a ranch hand at Wilder Ranch. * Zane Grey Roadless Area (58,000 acres), along the Rogue River, is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Oregon, USA. * In 1977, he was inducted into the
Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...
of the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...
.


Works

Works published posthumously after 1939 include original novels, sequels to earlier novels, and compilations and revisions of previously published novels. All western works were translated from English into Spanish by Editorial Juventud in 1959 for CLASICOS Y MODERNOS collection.


Books


Films

Between 1911 and 1996, 112 films were adapted from the novels and stories of Zane Grey. In addition, three television series included episodes adapted from his work, including ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' (1956–58). * '' Fighting Blood'' (1911 short)
Watch
novel * ''
Graft Graft or grafting may refer to: *Graft (politics), a form of political corruption *Graft, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Graft-De Rijp Science and technology *Graft (surgery), a surgical procedure *Grafting, the joining of plant ti ...
'' (1915) story * '' The Border Legion'' (1918) novel * ''
Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...
'' (1918) novel * ''
The Rainbow Trail ''The Rainbow Trail'', also known as ''The Desert Crucible'', is Western author Zane Grey's sequel to ''Riders of the Purple Sage''. Originally published under the title ''The Rainbow Trail'' in 1915, it was re-edited and re-released in recent ...
'' (1918) story * '' The Light of the Western Stars'' (1918) novel * ''
The Lone Star Ranger ''The Lone Star Ranger'' is a Western novel published by Zane Grey in 1914. The book takes place in Texas, the Lone Star State, and several main characters are Texas Rangers, a famous band of highly capable law enforcement officers. It follows ...
'' (1919) novel * '' The Last of the Duanes'' (1919) story * ''
Desert Gold Desert Gold may refer to: * ''Geraea canescens'', a wildflower also known as Desert Sunflower * Desert Gold (horse), a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse **Desert Gold (1919 film), ''Desert Gold'' (1919 film), an Australian film about the racehorse ...
'' (1919) * '' Riders of the Dawn'' (1920) novel ''The Desert of Wheat'' * ''Days of Daring'' (1920 short) novel ''In the Days of Thundering Herd'' * ''
The U.P. Trail ''The U.P. Trail'' is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Jack Conway and starring Kathlyn Williams, Roy Stewart, and Marguerite De La Motte Marguerite De La Motte (June 22, 1902 – March 10, 1950) was an American film ac ...
'' (1920) novel * '' Man of the Forest'' (1921) novel * '' The Mysterious Rider'' (1921) novel * '' The Last Trail'' (1921) novel * ''
When Romance Rides ''When Romance Rides'' is a 1922 American drama film directed by Eliot Howe, Charles O. Rush, and Jean Hersholt and written by Benjamin B. Hampton. It is based on the 1917 novel ''Wildfire'' by Zane Grey. The film stars Claire Adams, Carl Gantvo ...
'' (1922) novel ''Wildfire'' * ''Golden Dreams'' (1922) story * '' To the Last Man'' (1923) novel * ''
The Lone Star Ranger ''The Lone Star Ranger'' is a Western novel published by Zane Grey in 1914. The book takes place in Texas, the Lone Star State, and several main characters are Texas Rangers, a famous band of highly capable law enforcement officers. It follows ...
'' (1923) novel * ''
The Call of the Canyon ''The Call of the Canyon'' is a 1923 American silent Western film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Richard Dix, Lois Wilson, and Marjorie Daw. Based on the novel ''The Call of the Canyon'' by Zane Grey, the film is about a returning wa ...
'' (1923) story * '' Heritage of the Desert'' (1924) novel * '' Wanderer of the Wasteland'' (1924) novel * '' The Border Legion'' (1924) novel * '' The Last of the Duanes'' (1924) story * '' The Thundering Herd'' (1925) novel * ''
Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...
'' (1925)
Watch
novel * '' Code of the West'' (1925) novel * ''
The Rainbow Trail ''The Rainbow Trail'', also known as ''The Desert Crucible'', is Western author Zane Grey's sequel to ''Riders of the Purple Sage''. Originally published under the title ''The Rainbow Trail'' in 1915, it was re-edited and re-released in recent ...
'' (1925) story * '' The Light of Western Stars'' (1925) novel * '' Wild Horse Mesa'' (1925) novel * ''
The Vanishing American ''The Vanishing American'' is a 1925 American silent Western film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by George B. Seitz and starred Richard Dix and Lois Wilson, recently paire ...
'' (1925) novel * ''
Desert Gold Desert Gold may refer to: * ''Geraea canescens'', a wildflower also known as Desert Sunflower * Desert Gold (horse), a New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse **Desert Gold (1919 film), ''Desert Gold'' (1919 film), an Australian film about the racehorse ...
'' (1926) novel * ''
Born to the West ''Born to the West'' (reissue title ''Hell Town'') is a 1937 American Western film starring John Wayne, Marsha Hunt, and John Mack Brown. Filmed in black and white and based upon a Zane Grey novel, the movie incorporates footage from an ea ...
'' (1926) story * '' Forlorn River'' (1926) novel * '' Man of the Forest'' (1926) novel * '' The Last Trail'' (1927) novel * '' The Mysterious Rider'' (1927) novel * '' Drums of the Desert'' (1927) novel ''Captives of the Desert'' * ''
Lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
'' (1927) story * ''
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
'' (1927) novel * ''
Open Range In the Western United States and Canada, open range is rangeland where cattle roam freely regardless of land ownership. Where there are "open range" laws, those wanting to keep animals off their property must erect a fence to keep animals out; th ...
'' (1927) novel ''Valley of Wild Horses'' * '' Under the Tonto Rim'' (1928) novel * ''
The Vanishing Pioneer ''The Vanishing Pioneer'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by John Waters and starring Jack Holt, Sally Blane and William Powell. Holt's son, Tim makes his screen debut in this film The film is now lost. It is based on a story ...
'' (1928) novel ''Golden Dreams'' * ''
The Water Hole ''The Water Hole'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by F. Richard Jones starring Jack Holt, Nancy Carroll, and John Boles It was based on a novel by Zane Grey and released by Paramount Pictures. The film had sequences filme ...
'' (1928) story * ''
Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and earth ...
'' (1928) novel * '' Sunset Pass'' (1929) novel * ''
Stairs of Sand ''Stairs of Sand'' is a 1929 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film starring Wallace Beery, Jean Arthur and Phillips Holmes, made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Otto Brower, and written by Agnes Brand Leahy, Sam Mintz an ...
'' (1929) novel * ''
The Lone Star Ranger ''The Lone Star Ranger'' is a Western novel published by Zane Grey in 1914. The book takes place in Texas, the Lone Star State, and several main characters are Texas Rangers, a famous band of highly capable law enforcement officers. It follows ...
'' (1930) novel * '' The Light of Western Stars'' (1930) novel * '' The Border Legion'' (1930) novel * '' The Last of the Duanes'' (1930) novel * ''El último de los Vargas'' (1930) novel * ''
Fighting Caravans ''Fighting Caravans'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Otto Brower and David Burton and starring Gary Cooper, Lili Damita, and Ernest Torrence. Based on the 1929 novel ''Fighting Caravans'' by Zane Grey, the film is about a ...
'' (1931) novel ''Wagon Wheels'' * ''
Riders of the Purple Sage ''Riders of the Purple Sage'' is a Western novel by Zane Grey, first published by Harper & Brothers in 1912. Considered by scholars to have played a significant role in shaping the formula of the popular Western genre, the novel has been called ...
'' (1931) novel * ''
The Rainbow Trail ''The Rainbow Trail'', also known as ''The Desert Crucible'', is Western author Zane Grey's sequel to ''Riders of the Purple Sage''. Originally published under the title ''The Rainbow Trail'' in 1915, it was re-edited and re-released in recent ...
'' (1932) story * '' Heritage of the Desert'' (1932) story * '' The Golden West'' (1932) story * '' Wild Horse Mesa'' * '' End of the Trail'' (1932) story * ''
Robbers' Roost The Robbers Roost was an outlaw hideout in southeastern Utah used mostly by Butch Cassidy and his Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, Wild Bunch gang in the closing years of the Old West. The hideout was considered ideal because of the rough terrain. I ...
'' (1932) novel * ''
The Woman Accused ''The Woman Accused'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Paul Sloane and starring Nancy Carroll and Cary Grant as a young engaged couple on a sea cruise, with the woman being implicated in the death of her former lover. The suppo ...
'' (1933) story ''Liberty Magazine'' along with 7 other authors * ''
Smoke Lightning ''Smoke Lightning'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Western film directed by David Howard and written by Sidney D. Mitchell and Gordon Rigby. The film stars George O'Brien, Nell O'Day, Betsy King Ross, Frank Atkinson, Clarence Wilson and Morgan ...
'' (1933) novel ''Canyon Walls'' * '' The Thundering Herd'' (1933) story * '' Under the Tonto Rim'' (1933) novel ''The Bee Hunter'' * '' Sunset Pass'' (1933) novel * ''
Life in the Raw ''Life in the Raw'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film, based on Zane Grey's short story "From Missouri", directed by Louis King and written by Stuart Anthony. It was Claire Trevor's film debut. Plot Cast * George O'Brien as J ...
'' (1933) novel * '' The Last Trail'' (1933) novel * '' Man of the Forest'' (1933) novel * '' To the Last Man'' (1933) story * '' The Last Round-Up'' (1934) novel ''The Border Legion'' * ''
Wagon Wheels Wagon Wheels are a sweet snack food sold in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, other Commonwealth countries like New Zealand and India, and Ireland. They consist of two biscuits that form a sandwich with a marshmallow filling with jam, an ...
'' (1934) novel ''Fighting Caravans'' * ''
The Dude Ranger ''The Dude Ranger'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Edward F. Cline based on the 1931 novel by Zane Grey. Parts of the film were shot in Johnson Canyon, Springdale, Zion National Park, and the Virgin River in Utah. The Grand Canyon w ...
'' (1934) story * '' West of the Pecos'' (1934) novel * ''
Home on the Range "Home on the Range" is a classic cowboy song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Home" in 1872 or 1873 ...
'' (1935) novel ''Code of the West'' * ''
Rocky Mountain Mystery ''Rocky Mountain Mystery'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Charles Barton and starring Randolph Scott, Mrs. Leslie Carter, and Ann Sheridan. Based on an unpublished novel ''Golden Dreams'' by Zane Grey, the film is about a mining e ...
'' (1935) novel ''Golden Dreams'' * '' Wanderer of the Wasteland'' (1935) novel * '' Thunder Mountain'' (1935) novel * ''
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
'' (1935) novel * ''
Drift Fence ''Drift Fence'' (reissued as ''Texas Desperadoes'') is a 1936 American Western film, directed by Otho Lovering and released by Paramount Pictures. The film's sets were designed by art director David S. Garber. Cast * Buster Crabbe as "Slin ...
'' (1936) novel * ''Desert Gold (1936 film), Desert Gold'' (1936) novel * ''The Arizona Raiders'' (1936) novel ''Raiders of Spanish Peaks'' * ''
King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist i ...
'' (1936) story * ''End of the Trail (1936 film), End of the Trail'' (1936) novel ''Outlaws of Palouse'' * ''Arizona Mahoney'' (1936) novel ''Stairs of Sand'' * ''
Rangle River ''Rangle River'' is a 1936 Australian Western film directed by Clarence G. Badger based on a story by Zane Grey. Synopsis Marion Hastings returns to her father Dan's cattle property in western Queensland after being away in Europe for fifteen ye ...
'' (1936) novel * ''Forlorn River (1937 film), Forlorn River'' (1937) novel * ''Roll Along, Cowboy'' (1937) novel ''The Dude Ranger'' * ''Thunder Trail'' (1937) story "Arizona Ames" * ''Born to the West'' (1937) novel * ''The Mysterious Rider (1938 film), The Mysterious Rider'' (1938) characters * ''Heritage of the Desert (1939 film), Heritage of the Desert'' (1939) novel * ''The Light of Western Stars (1940 film), The Light of Western Stars'' (1940) novel * ''Knights of the Range'' (1940) story * ''The Border Legion'' (1940) novel * ''Western Union (film), Western Union'' (1941) novel * ''Last of the Duanes (1941 film), Last of the Duanes'' (1941) story * ''Riders of the Purple Sage (1941 film), Riders of the Purple Sage'' (1941) novel * ''Lone Star Ranger'' (1942) novel * ''Nevada (1944 film), Nevada'' (1944) novel * ''Wanderer of the Wasteland (1945 film), Wanderer of the Wasteland'' (1945) novel * ''West of the Pecos (1945 film), West of the Pecos'' (1945) novel * ''Sunset Pass (1946 film), Sunset Pass'' (1946) novel * ''Code of the West (1947 film), Code of the West'' (1947) novel * ''Thunder Mountain (1947 film), Thunder Mountain'' (1947) novel * ''Gunfighters (film), Gunfighters'' (1947) novel ''Twin Sombreros'' * ''Under the Tonto Rim (1947 film), Under the Tonto Rim'' (1947) novel * ''Wild Horse Mesa (1947 film), Wild Horse Mesa'' * ''Red Canyon (1949 film), Red Canyon'' (1949) novel ''Wildfire'' * ''Robbers' Roost (1955 film), Robbers' Roost'' (1955) story * ''The Vanishing American (1955 film), The Vanishing American'' (1955) novel * ''Chevron Hall of Stars'' (1956, TV) story "The Lone Hand" * ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' (1956 TV) story "A Tale of Wells Fargo" * ''The Maverick Queen'' (1956) novel * ''
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...
'' (1956–58 TV) stories for 6 episodes * ''Riders of the Purple Sage (1996 film), Riders of the Purple Sage'' (1996, TV film) novel


See also

*Bret Harte *Rex Beach *James Oliver Curwood *Jack London


References


Bibliography

* * * *


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links

Sources * * * *
Works by Zane Grey
a
Freeread
* Archival Materials
Zane Grey papers, MSS 8316
a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections
Brigham Young University
Joe Wheeler collection on Zane Grey, MSS 7641
a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections
Brigham Young University
Guide to Zane Grey's papers at the University of Oregon
* * * *hdl:10079/fa/beinecke.greyzanecoll, Zane Grey Collection. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke RareBook and Manuscript Library. * Other *
Western American Literature Journal: Zane Grey

Zane Grey's West Society

Zane Grey Cabin


in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania
National Road/Zane Grey Museum
Norwich, Ohio
King of the Royal Mounted BLBs and Comics

Zane Grey biography at Ohio History Central
* *
Zane Grey Incorporated
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, Zane 1872 births 1939 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists American Western (genre) novelists American dentists American film studio executives American fishers American male novelists American people of English descent Angling writers Film producers from Ohio Findlay Sluggers players Novelists from Ohio Penn Quakers baseball players People from Zanesville, Ohio University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine alumni