Ramona Stewart (February 19, 1922 – April 30, 2006) was an American author. She is best known for her 1946 novel ''Desert Town'' and the 1970 supernatural
thriller
Thriller may refer to:
* Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television
** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre
Comics
* ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
''
The Possession of Joel Delaney'', both of which were
adapted into films.
Life and career
Stewart was born in San Francisco, California in 1922, the daughter of James Oliver Stewart and Theresa Waugh.
She grew up in Los Angeles with her father, a promoter of silver mines.
She was of Irish descent.
Stewart attended the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
from 1938 until 1941.
[
Her first published works were serialized stories for '']Collier's
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...
'' magazine. The first of them, first published as "Bitter Harvest" from November 24 to December 8, 1945, was quickly optioned by Hollywood producer Hal B. Wallis and became the basis of '' Desert Fury'', a film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
by Lewis Allen starring Lizabeth Scott, John Hodiak
John Hodiak ( ; April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film.
Early life
Hodiak was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Anna (Pogorzelec) and Walter Hodiak. He was of Ukrainian and ...
, and Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
. Stewart later developed the story into her first full-length novel with the title ''Desert Town''.
After this early success, Stewart continued to submit material to ''Collier's'', often coming-of-age stories In genre studies, a coming-of-age story is a genre of literature, theatre, film, and video game that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, or "coming of age". Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or internal ...
that were popular in the slicks
A racing slick or slick tyre is a type of tyre that has a smooth tread used mostly in auto racing. The first production slick tyre was developed by M&H Tires in the early 1950s for use in drag racing. By eliminating any grooves cut into the trea ...
. She wouldn't publish another novel until 1962, ''The Stars Abide''. This was followed by several other books sharing the themes she had established in her debut: odd love triangles, dysfunctional families, and more or less explicit homosexual relationships. At least one of those books, ''The Surprise Party Complex'', dealing with disenchanted teenagers living in Hollywood, seems to have been turned into a spec script, but no film was produced.
After a detour toward the historical novel with ''Casey'' in 1968, Stewart finally settled as an author of thriller
Thriller may refer to:
* Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television
** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre
Comics
* ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
s with supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
elements in the 1970s, starting with ''The Possession of Joel Delaney'', which became her second title to be adapted into a film
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 ...
, directed by Waris Hussein and starring Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...
and Perry King
Perry Firestone King (born April 30, 1948) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television and in films.
King received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the television film ''The Hasty Heart'' (1983), which is a rema ...
.
Stewart's final novel, ''The Nightmare Candidate'', was published in 1980. For much of her adult life she resided with her husband in Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
, where she died in 2006.
Reception and impact
While ''Desert Town'' has been marketed as an early example of pulp fiction, Stewart's early novels in particular have been praised for the depth hidden beneath the raunchy dialogue and the relationships between innocent females and almost clichéd males. Author and poet Sarah Key wrote that Stewart's female characters were "ahead of their time, often outcasts from conventional society, sometimes aided by supernatural forces".
Stewart's work is also noted for its early depictions of homosexual relationships. Noir expert Eddie Muller called the film adaptation of ''Desert Town'' "the gayest movie ever produced in Hollywood's golden era".[Eddie Muller: ''Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir'', St. Martin's, New York 1998, , p. 183.]
Bibliography
External links
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Ramona
20th-century American novelists
American people of Irish descent
American women novelists
1922 births
2006 deaths
People from San Francisco
American LGBT writers
University of Southern California alumni
Writers from Los Angeles
20th-century American women writers
20th-century American LGBT people
21st-century American women