George Anthony Armstrong Willis (1897–1976), known as Anthony Armstrong, was an Anglo-Canadian writer, dramatist and essayist. A humorist who contributed to ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'' and '' The New Yorker'' magazines, he wrote well-plotted crime plays including ''Ten Minute Alibi'' (1933).

Biography

Anthony Armstrong was the son of George Hughlings Armstrong Willis and Adela Emma Temple Frere. Although his parents were both English, he was born in Esquimalt, British Columbia as a consequence of his father's career as a Paymaster Captain in the Royal Navy. They returned to England before his brother's birth in 1900 in Dorset. He was educated at Uppingham School. His brother John Christopher Temple Willis (1900–1969) was Director-General of the Ordnance Survey 1953–1957, and a watercolourist. During the First World War Willis was commissioned as a

2nd Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

in 1915. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. From 1925 to 1933 Armstrong contributed a weekly column to ''Punch'' under the name "A. A." He married Frances Monica Sealy, and had three children: John Humfrey Armstrong Willis (1928–2012), Antonia Armstrong Willis (1932-2017), and Felicity Armstrong Willis (1936-2006). Antonia married the art expert and gallery owner

Jeremy Maas Jeremy Stephen Maas (31 August 1928 – 23 January 1997) was an English art dealer and art historian, best known for his expertise in Victorian painting. Early and private life Maas was born in Penang, then in British Malaya. His father, Oscar Hen ...

; one of their sons,

Rupert Rupert may refer to: People * Rupert (name), various people known by the given name or surname "Rupert" Places Canada *Rupert, Quebec, a village *Rupert Bay, a large bay located on the south-east shore of James Bay *Rupert River, Quebec *Rupert' ...

, is also an art expert, notable for his appearances on the '' Antiques Roadshow''. Jonathan, another of their sons, is the current intellectual property rights holder for Anthony Armstrong's works and can be reached via his London agents, Eric Glass Ltd. Armstrong contributed to the screenplay of

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 ...

's '' Young and Innocent'' (1937). Several of his own works were adapted into films including '' The Strange Case of Mr Pelham'', which was made into a first-season episode of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' (and directed by Hitchcock), and the film ''

The Man Who Haunted Himself ''The Man Who Haunted Himself'' is a 1970 British psychological thriller film written and directed by Basil Dearden (his final film prior to his death by automobile accident in 1971) and starring Roger Moore. It is based on the 1957 novel ''The ...

'' (1970).

Major works

Novels

* ''Lure of the Past'' (1920) * ''The Love of Prince Raameses'' (1921) * ''The Wine of Death: A Tale of the Lost Long-Ago'' (1925) * ''Patrick, Undergraduate'' (1926) * ''The Trail of Fear'' (1927) * ''The Secret Trail'' (1928) * ''The Trail of the Lotto'' (1929) * ''The Trail of the Black King'' (1931) * ''The Poison Trail'' (1932) * ''Britisher on Broadway'' (1932) * ''Easy Warriors'' (1932) * ''Ten Minute Alibi'' (1934) – novelization of his play, adapted as a 1935 film * '' Without Witness'' (1934) * ''Cottage into House'' (1936) * ''The End of the Road'' (1943) * ''When the Bells Rang: A Tale of What Might Have Been '' (1943) * ''No Higher Mountain'' (1951) * '' He Was Found in the Road'' (1952) – adapted as the 1956 film '' The Man in the Road'' * ''Spies in Amber'' (1956) * '' The Strange Case of Mr. Pelham'' (1957) – adapted as the 1970 film ''

'' * ''One Jump Ahead'' (1973)

Short story collections

* ''Apple and Percival'' (1931), humorous stories about Apple and his friend Percival. * ''The Prince Who Hiccupped and Other Tales: Being Some Fairy Tales for Grownups'' (1932) * ''The Pack of Pieces'' (1942) – more fairy tales for adults

Plays

* '' In the Dentist's Chair'' (1931) * '' Orders Are Orders'' (1932) * ''The Eleventh Hour'' (1933) * '' Ten Minute Alibi'' (1933) * '' Mile-Away Murder'' (1937)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Anthony 1897 births 1976 deaths Canadian male novelists 20th-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English novelists English dramatists and playwrights People from Esquimalt, British Columbia People educated at Uppingham School 20th-century Canadian novelists Canadian male dramatists and playwrights English male novelists 20th-century Canadian male writers Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Engineers officers British Army personnel of World War I 20th-century English male writers