Robert Hichens (Robert Smythe Hichens, 14 November 1864 – 20 July 1950) was an English journalist, novelist, music lyricist, short story writer, music critic and collaborated on successful plays. He is best remembered as a

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Under Contemporary, 1930-196 ...

of the " Naughty Nineties". John Sutherland. "HICHENS, Robert" in ''The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction''. 1989

Brian Stableford Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...

, "Hichens, Robert (Smythe)" in

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of ''Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whic ...

, ed. ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic writers''. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1998, (pp. 268-70).

Biography

Hichens was born in

Speldhurst Speldhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is west of the town. Speldhurst has a primary school, a parish church, a general store with p ...

in Kent, the eldest son of the Rev. Frederick Harrison Hichens, and his wife Abigail Elizabeth Smythe. He was educated at

Clifton College ''The spirit nourishes within'' , established = 160 years ago , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent boarding and day school , religion = Christian , president = , head_label = Head of College , head ...

, the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

and early on had a desire to be a musician. Later in life he would become music critic on ''

The World In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

'', taking the place of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

. He studied at the

London School of Journalism The London School of Journalism (LSJ) is an independent journalism school based in London, England, which offers qualifications in journalism, freelance journalism and creative writing. The LSJ provides both on-site and distance learning to it ...

. Hichens was a great traveller. Egypt was one of his favourite destinations – he first went there in the early 1890s for his health. For most of his later life he lived outside England, in Switzerland and the

Riviera ''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two areas ...

. Hichens was a homosexual;"Like Douglas and Turner, Hichens was sexually attracted to men". Dennis Denisoff, ''Aestheticism and Sexual Parody 1840-1940''.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006 , (p. 115). he never married. Hichens first novel, ''The Coastguard's Secret'' (1886), was written when he was only seventeen. He first became well known among the reading public with ''

The Green Carnation ''The Green Carnation'' is a novel by Robert Hichens that was first published anonymously in 1894. A satire on contemporary champions of the Aesthetic Movement, it was withdrawn briefly after the scandal of the Oscar Wilde trial in the foll ...

'' (1894), a satire of Hichens's friends

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

and

Lord Alfred Douglas Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas (22 October 1870 – 20 March 1945), also known as Bosie Douglas, was an English poet and journalist, and a lover of Oscar Wilde. At Oxford he edited an undergraduate journal, ''The Spirit Lamp'', that carried a homoer ...

; since the work made clear Wilde was homosexual it was withdrawn from publication in 1895, but not before helping set the stage for Wilde's public disgrace and downfall. Hichens was also friends with several other writers, including

E. F. Benson Edward Frederic Benson (24 July 1867 – 29 February 1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer. Early life E.F. Benson was born at Wellington College (Berkshire), Wellington College in Berkshir ...

and Reggie Turner, as well as the composer

Maude Valérie White Maude Valérie White (1855 – 1937) was a French-born English composer who became one of the most successful songwriters (in the English serious style) of the Victorian period. Early years Although born near Dieppe in Normandy to upper midd ...

Hichens's first big success was ''

An Imaginative Man ''An Imaginative Man'' is an 1895 novel by the British writer Robert Hichens. A tale about a young man on holiday in Cairo who after experiencing dissatisfaction with his new wife becomes increasingly obsessed with Great Sphinx The Great Sphi ...

'' (1895); set in the city of

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

, Egypt, a place which fascinated Hichens, it is a study of insanity, in which the hero has a number of sexual adventures and then smashes his head against the

Great Sphinx The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human, and the body of a lion. Facing directly from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, E ...

. Other early fiction includes ''The Folly of Eustace'' (1896), a collection of stories including some supernatural; ''Flames'' (1897), a story resembling '' Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''; ''The Londoners'' (1898), a satire about decadent London; '' The Slave'' (1899), a fantasy about an amazing emerald; ''Tongues of Conscience'' (1900), a collection of five horror stories including "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" (this story is about a supernatural visitation and is thought by some to be Hichens's best fiction – it is frequently anthologised). "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" was not initially well-received, with

Frederic Taber Cooper Frederic Taber Cooper Ph.D. (May 27, 1864 – May 20, 1937) was an American editor and writer. Life Cooper was born in New York City, graduated from Harvard University in 1886 and obtained an LL.B. from Columbia University in 1887."Frederi ...

calling the story "a hideous bit of morbidity""Frederic T. Cooper", "Robert Hichens",in: Colavito, Jason, ed. ''A Hideous Bit of Morbidity: An Anthology of Horror Criticism from the Enlightenment to World War I''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. (pp. 307–324). (Reprinted from Cooper's ''Some English Story Tellers'', 1912. pp. 342–375.) and

Edmund Wilson Edmund Wilson Jr. (May 8, 1895 – June 12, 1972) was an American writer and literary critic who explored Freudian and Marxist themes. He influenced many American authors, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose unfinished work he edited for publi ...

dismissing the story as "trash". Later reviews of the story were more positive; J. A. Cuddon called it "outstanding" and compared it with "

The Horla "The Horla" (French: ''Le Horla'') is an 1887 short horror story written in the style of a journal by the French writer Guy de Maupassant, after an initial, much shorter version published in the newspaper ''Gil Blas'', October 26, 1886. The ...

" by

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

and "The Beckoning Fair One" by

Oliver Onions George Oliver Onions (13 November 1873 – 9 April 1961), who published under the name Oliver Onions, was an English writer of short stories and novels. He wrote in various genres, but is perhaps best remembered for his ghost stories, notably t ...

.J. A. Cuddon, ''The Penguin Book of Horror Stories''. London, Bloomsbury. (p. 44)

described the story as an "authentic masterpiece of horror fiction", and

Jason Colavito Jason Colavito (born 1981) is an American author and independent scholar specializing in the study of fringe theories particularly around ancient history and extraterrestrials. Colavito has written a number of books, including ''The Cult of Alien ...

called it "possibly one of the greatest stories of its age". Hichens's ''Felix'' (1902), is an early fictional treatment of hypodermic morphine addiction, while '' The Garden of Allah'' (1904) sold well internationally, and was made into a film three times. Hichens published his memoirs in 1947, ''Yesterday''.

Selected bibliography

Novels * ''The Coast Guard's Secret'' (1886) * ''

'' (published anonymously, 1894; republished, 1949) –

available In reliability engineering, the term availability has the following meanings: * The degree to which a system, subsystem or equipment is in a specified operable and committable state at the start of a mission, when the mission is called for at a ...

Wikisource Wikisource is an online digital library of free-content textual sources on a wiki, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole and the name for each instance of that project (each instance usually rep ...

* ''

'' (1895)
''Flames''
(1897)
''The Londoners''
(1898) * '' The Slave'' (1899)
''The Prophet of Berkeley Square''
(1901)
''Felix''
(1902)
''Black Spaniel, and Other Stories''
(1905) * '' The Garden of Allah'' (1904), elaborately presented as a play in New York City and filmed thrice, in 1916, 1927 (with

Alice Terry Alice Frances Taaffe (July 24, 1899 – December 22, 1987), known professionally as Alice Terry, was an American film actress and director. She began her career during the silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films between 1916 and 1 ...

) and

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

(one of the earliest three-strip

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

features, with

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

and

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

) * '' The Woman with the Fan'' (1904) * '' The Call of the Blood'' (1906) * ''

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'' (1907) * '' A Spirit in Prison'' (1908) * '' Bella Donna'' (1909), in which

Alla Nazimova Alla Nazimova (Russian: Алла Назимова; born Marem-Ides Leventon, Russian: Марем-Идес Левентон; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._May_22.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O ...

starred on Broadway in 1912, filmed in 1915, in 1923 with

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Apolonia Chalupec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femme ...

and in 1934 with

Mary Ellis Mary Ellis (born May Belle Elsas, June 15, 1897 – January 30, 2003) was an American actress and singer appearing on stage, radio, television and film, best known for her musical theatre roles, particularly in Ivor Novello works. After appea ...

and

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German film actor who attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and ''The Man Who Laugh ...

. * ''

The Fruitful Vine ''The Fruitful Vine'' is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Basil Rathbone, Valia and Irene Rooke. From the silent era, probably the most notable thing about the film was an early appearance of British a ...

'' (1911) * ''The Dweller on the Threshold'' (1911) * '' The Way of Ambition'' (1913) * '' In the Wilderness'' (1917) * ''Snake-Bite'' (1919) * ''Mrs. Marden'' (1919) * ''Spirit of the Time'' (1921) * '' December Love'' (1922) * ''The Last Time'' (1924) * '' After the Verdict'' (1924) * '' The Bracelet'' (1930) * '' The First Lady Brendon'' (1931) * ''Mortimer Brice'' (1932) * ''

The Paradine Case ''The Paradine Case'' is a 1947 American film noir courtroom drama film, set in England, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick. The screenplay was written by Selznick and an uncredited Ben Hecht, from an adaptation by Al ...

'' (1933) –

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

in 1947 * '' The Power To Kill'' (1934) * ''The Pyramid'' (1936) * ''The Sixth of October'' (1936) * '' Daniel Airlie'' (1937) * ''Secret Information'' (1938) * '' The Journey Up'' (1938) * ''That Which Is Hidden'' (1939) * ''The Million'' (1940) * '' A New Way of Life'' (1942) * ''Veils'' (1943) * ''Harps in the Wind'' (1945) * '' Beneath the Magic'' (1950) Collections
''The Folly of Eustace: And Other Stories''
(1896) *''Bye-Ways'' (1897)
''Tongues of Conscience''
(1898, 1900)
''The Black Spaniel: And Other Stories''
(1905) *''Snake-Bite: And Other Stories'' (1919) *''The Return of the Soul and Other Stories'' (2001; ed. S. T. Joshi) Nonfiction * '' The Spell of Egypt'' (1910) *''Yesterday'' (1947) Anthologies containing stories by Hichens *''Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror 1st Series'' (1928) *''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957) *''The 2nd Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories'' (1966) *''Medley Macabre'' (1966) *''Black Water'' (1984) *''I Shudder at Your Touch'' (1992) *''4 Classic Ghostly Tales'' (1993) Short stories *" How Love Came to Professor Guildea" (1900) *"Demetriadi's Dream"

Plays

* ''The Law of the Sands'' (1916) * ''Black Magic'' (1917) * ''

The Voice from the Minaret ''The Voice from the Minaret'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Norma Talmadge, Eugene O'Brien, and Winter Hall. The film is based on the play of the same name by Robert Smythe Hichens (London ...

'' (1919)

Filmography

*'' Bella Donna'', directed by

Edwin S. Porter Edwin Stanton Porter (April 21, 1870 – April 30, 1941) was an American film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Famous Players Film Company. Of over ...

and Hugh Ford (1915, based on the novel '' Bella Donna'') *'' The Garden of Allah'', directed by

Colin Campbell Colin may refer to: * Colin (given name) * Colin (surname) * ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie * Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse * Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney, ...

(1916, based on the novel '' The Garden of Allah'') *''

'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (1917, based on the novel ''

'') *''

Flames A flame (from Latin ''flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density they ...

'', directed by

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

(UK, 1917, based on the novel ''Flames'') *'' The Slave'', directed by

Arrigo Bocchi Arrigo Bocchi (c.1871 – ?) was a British-Italian film director and producer of the silent era.Low p.149-50 After the First World War Bocchi worked for Windsor Films at the Catford Studios in London as well as shooting films on location in I ...

(UK, 1918, based on the novel '' The Slave'') *''

Hidden Lives ''Hidden Lives'' ( nl, Het verborgen leven) is a 1920 Dutch silent film directed by Maurits Binger. It is based on a novel by John Knittel. Plot Arundel is an ambitious professor who is working on a book on the evolution of the female. He do ...

'', directed by

Maurits Binger Maurits Binger (5 April 1868 – 9 April 1923) was a Dutch film director, producer and screenwriter of the silent era. He directed 39 films between 1913 and 1922 and is considered one of the pioneers of fictional films in the Netherlands. ...

and B. E. Doxat-Pratt (Netherlands, 1920, based on a play by Robert Hichens and

John Knittel John Knittel, originally Hermann Emanuel Knittel (March 24, 1891 in Dharwar, India – April 26, 1970 in Maienfeld, Graubünden) was a Swiss writer. Life John Knittel was the son of a Württemberg missionary, Hermann Wilhelm Knittel, who was i ...

) *'' The Call of the Blood'', directed by

Louis Mercanton Louis Mercanton (4 May 1879 – 29 April 1932) was a Swiss people, Swiss film director, screenwriter and actor. Mercanton was born in Nyon, Vaud, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Partial filmography Director * '' ...

(France, 1920, based on the novel '' The Call of the Blood'') *'' The Woman with the Fan'', directed by

René Plaissetty René Plaissetty (1889–1955) was an American film director. Son of Achille Plaissetty, chemist and businessman and Corinne Bonnecaze, professor of singing, René Plaissetty was born on March 7, 1889, in Chicago. In 1907 he came to live in F ...

(UK, 1921, based on the novel '' The Woman with the Fan'') *''

'', directed by

(UK, 1921, based on the novel ''

'') *''

'', directed by

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a British-born American film director, actor, scriptwriter, and producer. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president ...

(1923, based on the play ''

'') *'' Bella Donna'', 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 ...

(1923, based on the novel ''Bella Donna'') *'' The Lady Who Lied'', directed by

Edwin Carewe Edwin Carewe (March 3, 1883 – January 22, 1940) was an American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. His birth name was Jay John Fox; he was born in Gainesville, Texas. Career After brief studies at the Universities of ...

(1925, based on the story ''The Lady Who Lied'') *'' The Garden of Allah'', directed by Rex Ingram (1927, based on the novel ''The Garden of Allah'') *'' After the Verdict'', directed by

Henrik Galeen Henrik Galeen (7 January 1881 – 30 July 1949) was an Austrian-born actor, screenwriter and film director considered an influential figure in the development of German Expressionist cinema during the silent era. Early years Considerable mystery ...

(UK, 1929, based on the novel '' After the Verdict'') *'' Bella Donna'', directed by

Robert Milton Robert A. Milton (born July 30, 1960) is the chairman of the board of directors of United Airlines Holdings, which is the parent company of United Airlines. He also serves as the lead independent director of Air Lease Corporation. He was the chairm ...

(UK, 1934, based on the novel ''Bella Donna'') *'' The Garden of Allah'', directed by

Richard Boleslawski Richard Boleslawski (born Bolesław Ryszard Srzednicki; February 4, 1889 – January 17, 1937) was a Polish theatre and film director, actor and teacher of acting. Biography Richard Boleslawski was born Bolesław Ryszard Srzednicki on February ...

(1936, based on the novel ''The Garden of Allah'') *''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'', directed by

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended Pittsburgh Cent ...

(1946, based on the novel ''Bella Donna'') *''

'', directed by

(1947, based on the novel ''

'') *'' Call of the Blood'', directed by John Clements and

Ladislao Vajda Ladislao Vajda (born Weisz László; 18 August 1906, Budapest – 25 March 1965, Barcelona) was a Hungarian-Spanish film director who made films in Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Italy and West Germany. Biography He was born in Budapest, ...

(UK, 1948, based on the novel ''Call of the Blood'')

References

Additional sources *"Robert S. Hichens". ''Dictionary of Literary Biography. Volume 153: Late-Victorian and Edwardian British Novelists''. First Series. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995.
''Author and Book Info.com''

External links

* * *
Robert S Hichens
brief bibliography at Fantastic Fiction * *
Two plays by Robert Hichens on Great War TheatreObituary in ''The New York Times''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hichens, Robert Smythe 1864 births 1950 deaths People from Speldhurst 19th-century English novelists 20th-century English novelists Alumni of the London School of Journalism Alumni of the Royal College of Music English autobiographers English horror writers English male novelists British gay writers English LGBT writers People educated at Clifton College 19th-century English male writers 20th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers People from the Borough of Tunbridge Wells