Robert William Chambers (May 26, 1865 – December 16, 1933) was an American artist and fiction writer, best known for his book of short stories titled '' The King in Yellow'', published in 1895.

Life

Chambers was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York, to William P. Chambers (1827–1911), a corporate and bankruptcy lawyer, and Caroline Smith Boughton (1842–1913). His parents met when his mother was twelve years old and William P. was interning with her father, Joseph Boughton, a prominent corporate lawyer. Eventually the two formed the law firm of Chambers and Boughton which continued to prosper even after Joseph's death in 1861. Robert Chambers's great-grandfather, William Chambers (birth unknown), a lieutenant in the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

, was married to Amelia Saunders (1765–1822), a great granddaughter of

Tobias Saunders Tobias Saunders (c. 1620 – 1695) was a Deputy to the Rhode Island General Assembly (1669, 1671, 1672, 1680, 1681, 1683, and 1690), a Conservator of the Peace (1669, 1678, and 1695) and a founding settler of Westerly, Rhode Island. Uncertain origi ...

of Westerly, Rhode Island. The couple moved from Westerly to Greenfield, Massachusetts and then to Galway, New York, where their son, also William Chambers (1798–1874), was born. The second William graduated from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

at the age of 18, and then went to a college in Boston, where he studied medicine. Upon graduating, he and his wife, Eliza P. Allen (1793–1880), a direct descendant of

Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantatio ...

, the founder of Providence, Rhode Island, were among the first settlers of Broadalbin, New York. His brother was the architect Walter Boughton Chambers. Chambers was first educated at the

Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...

, and then entered the Art Students' League at around the age of twenty, where the artist

Charles Dana Gibson Charles Dana Gibson (September 14, 1867 – December 23, 1944) was an American illustrator. He was best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent Euro-American woman at the turn of the ...

was a fellow student. Chambers studied in Paris at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

and the

Académie Julian The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number ...

from 1886 to 1893, and his work was displayed at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ( ...

as early as 1889. On his return to New York, he succeeded in selling his illustrations to ''Life'', ''

Truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as belief ...

'', and ''Vogue'' magazines. Then, for reasons unclear, he devoted his time to writing, producing his first novel, ''

In the Quarter IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...

'', written in 1887 in Munich. His most famous, and perhaps most meritorious, effort is '' The King in Yellow'', a collection of Art Nouveau short stories published in 1895. This included several famous weird short stories which are connected by the theme of a fictitious drama of the same title, which drives those who read it insane.

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 ...

, "The King in Yellow" in Frank N. Magill, ed. ''Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature'', Vol 2. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Press, Inc., 1983. (pp. 844–847).

E. F. Bleiler Everett Franklin Bleiler (April 30, 1920 – June 13, 2010) was an American editor, bibliographer, and scholar of science fiction, detective fiction, and fantasy literature. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he co-edited the first "year's best" s ...

described ''The King in Yellow'' as one of the most important works of American supernatural fiction. It was also strongly admired by H. P. Lovecraft and his circle. Chambers returned to the weird genre in his later short story collections '' The Maker of Moons'', '' The Mystery of Choice'' and '' The Tree of Heaven'', but none earned him as much success as ''The King in Yellow''. Some of Chambers's work contains elements of science fiction, such as ''In Search of the Unknown'' and ''Police!!!'', about a

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

who encounters monsters. Chambers's main work of historical fiction was a series of novels set during the Franco-Prussian War. These novels were ''The Red Republic'' (1895, centring on the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defende ...

), ''Lorraine'' (1898), ''Ashes of Empire'' (1898) and ''Maids of Paradise'' (1903).Nield, Jonathan (1925), ''A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales''. G. P. Putnam's Sons, (pp. 91, 114)Bousfield, Wendy. "Chambers, Robert W(illiam)", in Henderson, Lesley, and Kirkpatrick. D. L. (eds.), ''Twentieth-century romance and historical writers''. Detroit : St. James Press, 1990. (pp. 120–122) Chambers wrote ''Special Messenger'' (1909), ''Ailsa Paige'' (1910) and ''Whistling Cat'' (1932), novels set during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Chambers also wrote ''Cardigan'' (1901), a historical novel for younger readers, set at the outbreak of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. Chambers later turned to writing romantic fiction to earn a living. According to some estimates, Chambers had one of the most successful literary careers of his period, his later novels selling well and a handful achieving best-seller status. Chambers' romance novels often featured intimate relationships between "caddish" men and sexually willing women, resulting in some reviewers accusing Chambers' works of promoting immorality. Many of his works were also serialised in magazines. His novel ''The Man They Hanged'' was about

Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...

, and argued that Kidd was not a pirate but had been made a scapegoat by the British government. During World War I, Chambers wrote war adventure novels and war stories, some of which showed a strong return to his old weird style, such as "Marooned" in ''Barbarians'' (1917). After 1924 he devoted himself solely to writing historical fiction. Chambers for several years made Broadalbin, New York, his summer home. Some of his novels touch upon colonial life in Broadalbin and Johnstown. On July 12, 1898, he married Elsa (Elsie) Vaughn Moller (1872–1939). They had a son, Robert Edward Stuart Chambers (1899–1955) (who sometimes used the name Robert Husted Chambers). Robert W. Chambers died on December 16, 1933, after having undergone intestinal surgery three days earlier.

Criticism and legacy

H. P. Lovecraft said of Chambers in a letter to

Clark Ashton Smith Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne. As a poet, Smi ...

: Despite Chambers's effective later abandonment of the weird supernatural tale, these early works are all that remained in print through most of the twentieth century, thanks to Lovecraft's inclusion of them in the critical study " Supernatural Horror in Literature".

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."Fred ...

commented: In an overview of Chambers'

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

, Wendy Bousfield stated that the historical novel ''Cardigan'' was "Chambers' most highly praised historical novel" during his lifetime. Bousfield also argued that much of Chambers' historical fiction was marred by poorly written characters and "insensitive humor at the expense of ethnic types". Bousfield also wrote that "Chambers' trivializing of human relationships is regrettable, since his recreation of period details of dress and daily life is vivid and historically accurate." Critical studies of Chambers's horror and fantasy work include Lee Weinstein's essay in ''Supernatural Fiction Writers'', Brian Stableford's essay in the ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers'' and a chapter in

S.T. Joshi Sunand Tryambak Joshi (born June 22, 1958) is an American literary critic whose work has largely focused on weird and fantastic fiction, especially the life and work of H. P. Lovecraft and associated writers. Career His literary critici ...

's book ''The Evolution of the Weird Tale'' (2004). Chambers's novel ''The Tracer of Lost Persons'' was adapted into a long-running (1937–54) radio crime drama, ''

Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons ''Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons'' was one of radio's longest running shows, airing October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955, continuing well into the television era. It was produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, who based it upon Robert W. Chambers ...

'', by soap opera producers Frank and

Anne Hummert Anne Hummert (née Schumacher) (January 19, 1905 – July 5, 1996) was the leading creator of daytime radio serials or soap opera dramas during the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for more than three dozen series. Biography She was born in Baltimore ...

. Chambers's '' The King in Yellow'' has inspired many modern authors, including

Karl Edward Wagner Karl Edward Wagner (12 December 1945 – 14 October 1994) was an American writer, poet, editor, and publisher of horror, science fiction, and heroic fantasy, who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and originally trained as a psychiatrist. He ...

Joseph S. Pulver Joseph S. Pulver Sr. (July 5, 1955 – April 24, 2020) was an author and poet, much of whose work falls within the horror fiction, noir fiction / hardboiled, and dark fantasy genres. He lived in Germany, and died from COPD and other issues in a ...

Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. ...

James Blish James Benjamin Blish () was an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is best known for his '' Cities in Flight'' novels and his series of ''Star Trek'' novelizations written with his wife, J. A. Lawrence. His novel '' A Case of Conscie ...

, Nic Pizzolatto,

Michael Cisco Michael Cisco (born October 13, 1970) is an American writer, Deleuzian academic, and teacher currently living in New York City. He is best known for his first novel, ''The Divinity Student,'' winner of the International Horror Guild Award for ...

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

, Ann K. Schwader, Robert M. Price, Galad Elflandsson and

Charles Stross Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine '' ...

In Search of the Unknown - Bookcover - Project Gutenberg eText 18668

Bibliography

Novels and story collections

* ''In the Quarter'' (1894) * '' The King in Yellow'' (1895) – short stories * ''The Red Republic'' (1895) * '' The Maker of Moons'' (1896) – short stories * ''A King and A Few Dukes'' (1896) * ''With the Band'' (1896) * '' The Mystery of Choice'' (1897) – short stories * ''Lorraine'' (1898) * ''Ashes of Empire'' (1898) * '' The Haunts of Men'' (1898) – short stories * ''Outsiders'' (1899) * ''The Cambric Mask'' (1899) * ''The Conspirators'' (1899) * ''Cardigan'' (1901) * ''The Maid-at-Arms'' (1902) * ''The Maids of Paradise'' (1903) * ''In Search of the Unknown'' (1904) * '' A Young Man in a Hurry'' (1904) – short stories * ''The Reckoning'' (1905) * ''Iole'' (1905) * ''The Tracer of Lost Persons'' (1906) * ''The Fighting Chance'' (1906) * '' The Tree of Heaven'' (1907) – short stories * ''The Younger Set'' (1907) * ''Some Ladies in Haste'' (1908) * ''The Firing Line'' (1908) * ''Special Messenger'' (1909) * ''The Danger Mark'' (1909) * ''The Green Mouse'' (1910) * ''Ailsa Paige'' (1910) * ''The Common Law'' (1911) * ''The Adventures of a Modest Man'' (1911) * ''Blue-Bird Weather'' (1912) * ''The Streets of Ascalon'' (1912) * ''The Japonette'' (1912) – serialized in ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' under the title ''The Turning Point'' * ''The Gay Rebellion'' (1913) * ''The Business of Life'' (1913) * ''Quick Action'' (1914) * ''The Hidden Children'' (1914) * ''Anne's Bridge'' (1914) * ''Between Friends'' (1914) * ''Who Goes There!'' (1915) * ''Athalie'' (1915) * ''Police!!!'' (1915) – short stories * ''The Girl Philippa'' (1916) * ''The Better Man'' (1916) – short stories * ''The Dark Star'' (1917) * ''Barbarians'' (1917)book in front of me--Toronto: George J. McLeod, Ltd. Publishers, 1917 * ''The Laughing Girl'' (1918) * ''The Restless Sex'' (1918) * ''The Moonlit Way'' (1919) * ''In Secret'' (1919) * ''The Crimson Tide'' (1919) * ''A Story of Primitive Love'' (1920) * ''The Slayer of Souls'' (1920) * ''The Little Red Foot'' (1920) * ''Eris'' (1922) * ''The Flaming Jewel'' (1922) * ''The Talkers'' (1923) * ''The Hi-Jackers'' (1923) * ''America; or, The Sacrifice'' (1924) * ''The Mystery Lady'' (1925) * ''Marie Halkett'' (1925 UK, 1937 US) * ''The Girl in Golden Rags'' (1925 UK, 1936 US) * ''The Man They Hanged'' (1926) * ''The Drums of Aulone'' (1927) * ''The Gold Chase'' (1927) * ''The Sun Hawk'' (1928) * ''The Rogue's Moon'' (1928) * ''The Happy Parrot'' (1929) * ''The Painted Minx'' (1930) * ''The Rake and the Hussy'' (1930) * ''War Paint and Rouge'' (1931) * ''Gitana'' (1931) * ''Whistling Cat'' (1932) * ''Whatever Love Is'' (1933) * ''Secret Service Operator 13'' (1934) – short stories published in ''Cosmopolitan'' between 1930 and 1932 * ''The Young Man's Girl'' (1934) – serialized in '' The Delineator'', 1933 * ''Love and the Lieutenant'' (1935) – serialized in '' The Woman's Home Companion'', 1934 * ''Beating Wings'' (1936) – serialized in ''

McCall's ''McCall's'' was a monthly American women's magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-f ...

'', 1927 * ''The Fifth Horseman'' (1937) – serialized in ''McCall's'', 1930 * ''Smoke of Battle'' (1938) – this novel was possibly finished by Rupert Hughes.

Children's books

* ''Outdoorland'' (1902) Illustrated by Reginald Bathurst Birch * ''Orchard-Land'' (1903) Illustrated by Reginald Bathurst Birch * ''River-Land'' (1904) Illustrated by Elizabeth S. Green * ''Forest-Land'' (1905) Illustrated by Emily Benson Knipe * ''Mountain-Land'' (1906) Illustrated by Frederick Richardson & Walter King Stone * ''Garden-Land'' (1907) Illustrated by Harrison Cady * The Happy Parrot (1931) Illustrated by Norman Price

Reprint collections

* ''The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories'', edited by

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

1970 * ''The Yellow Sign and Other Stories'', edited by

Chaosium Chaosium Inc. is a publisher of tabletop role-playing games established by Greg Stafford in 1975. Chaosium's major titles include '' Call of Cthulhu'', based on the horror fiction stories of H. P. Lovecraft'', RuneQuest Glorantha'', ''Pendragon ...

2004

Anthologies containing reprinted work by Robert W. Chambers

* ''Sporting Blood: The Great Sports Detective Stories'', edited by

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

Little, Brown and Company Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily ...

1942 – contains "The Purple Emperor" * '' Sleep No More'', edited by

August Derleth August William Derleth (February 24, 1909 – July 4, 1971) was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and th ...

, Rinehart & Company 1944 – contains "The Yellow Sign" * ''The Faded Banners'', edited by Eric Solomon, T. Yoseloff 1960 – contains "Pickets" * ''The Dark Descent'', edited by David G. Hartwell, Tor 1987 – contains "

The Repairer of Reputations "The Repairer of Reputations" is a short story published by Robert W. Chambers in the collection '' The King in Yellow'' in 1895. The story is an example of Chambers' horror fiction, and is one of the stories in the collection which contains the m ...

" * ''The Horror Hall of Fame'', edited by

Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Gran ...

and Martin H. Greenberg,

Carroll & Graf Carroll & Graf Publishers was an American publishing company based in New York City, New York, known for publishing a wide range of fiction and non-fiction by both new and established authors, as well as issuing reprints of previously hard-to ...

1991 – contains "The Yellow Sign" * ''The Hastur Cycle'', edited by Robert M. Price,

1993 – contains "

" and "The Yellow Sign" * ''Detection by Gaslight'', edited by

Douglas G. Greene Douglas G. Greene (born September 24,1944) is an American historian, editor, and author. He is the son of Margaret Chindahl Greene and the Reverend George L. Greene, He is married to Sandi Greene with whom he has a son, Eric and a daughter, Kather ...

Dover Publications Dover Publications, also known as Dover Books, is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward and Blanche Cirker. It primarily reissues books that are out of print from their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books ...

1997 – contains "The Purple Emperor" * ''The Innsmouth Cycle'', edited by Robert M. Price,

1998 – contains "The Harbor-Master" (the first five chapters of ''In Search of the Unknown'') * ''American Supernatural Tales'', edited by

S. T. Joshi Sunand Tryambak Joshi (born June 22, 1958) is an American literary critic whose work has largely focused on weird and fantastic fiction, especially the life and work of H. P. Lovecraft and associated writers. Career His literary critici ...

Penguin Classics Penguin Classics is an imprint of Penguin Books under which classic works of literature are published in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean among other languages. Literary critics see books in this series as important members of the West ...

2007 – contains "The Yellow Sign" * ''The Tindalos Cycle'', edited by Robert M. Price,

Hippocampus Press Hippocampus Press is an American publisher that specializes in, "the works of H. P. Lovecraft and his literary circle." Founded in 1999, and based in New York City, Hippocampus is operated by founder Derrick Hussey. As of 2017, it has issued ...

2010 – contains " The Maker of Moons"

Movies

* '' The Reckoning'' (1908), silent short film adaptation of novel. Directed by

D. W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...

* '' The Common Law'' (1916), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by

Albert Capellani Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of the silent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922. One of his brothers was the actor-sculptor Paul Capellani, and another, film dir ...

* ' (1916), silent film adaptation of novel. * '' The Girl Philippa'' (1917), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by S. Rankin Drew * '' The Hidden Children'' (1917), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by Oscar Apfel * '' The Fettered Woman'' (1917), silent film adaptation of ''Anne's Bridge''. Directed by

Tom Terriss Thomas Herbert F. Lewin (28 September 1872 – 8 February 1964), known professionally as Tom Terriss, was a British actor, screenwriter, and film director. After trying various occupations, he became an actor playing a variety of roles, beginni ...

* ' (1917), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by William P. S. Earle * '' The Woman Between Friends'' (1918), silent film adaptation of ''Between Friends''. Directed by Tom Terriss * ' (1918), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by Tom Terriss * ''

The Danger Mark ''The Danger Mark'' is a lost 1918 American silent drama film directed by Hugh Ford and starring Elsie Ferguson. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on a play by Robert W. Chambers. Prior ...

'' (1918), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by Hugh Ford * ''The Girl of Today'' (1918), silent film adaptation of short story. Directed by

John S. Robertson John Stuart Robertson (14 June 1878 – 5 November 1964) was a Canadian born actor and later film director perhaps best known for his 1920 screen adaptation of ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', starring John Barrymore. Biography Robertson was born ...

* '' The Cambric Mask'' (1919), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by Tom Terriss * ''

The Firing Line ''The Firing Line'' is a lost 1919 American silent drama film directed by Charles Maigne and starring Irene Castle. It was based on the 1908 novel by Robert W. Chambers and produced by Famous Players-Lasky. Paramount Pictures distributed the fi ...

'' (1919), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by

Charles Maigne Charles Maigne (November 11, 1879 – November 28, 1929) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era. He wrote for 32 films between 1916 and 1928. He also directed 18 films between 1918 and 1923. He was born in Richmon ...

* '' The Dark Star'' (1919), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, wa ...

* ''

The Black Secret ''The Black Secret'' is a 1919 American adventure film serial directed by George B. Seitz. The film was recorded in both Fort Lee, New Jersey, as well as in the nearby Hudson Palisades. Recording took place during a time when many of the early 2 ...

'' (1919), silent film serial adaptation of ''In Secret''. Directed by

George B. Seitz George Brackett Seitz (January 3, 1888 – July 8, 1944) was an American playwright, screenwriter, film actor and director. He was known for his screenplays for action serials, such as '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914) and ''The Exploits of ...

* '' Even as Eve'' (1920), silent film adaptation of short story "The Shining Band". Directed by Chester De Vonde and

B. A. Rolfe Benjamin Albert Rolfe (October 24, 1879 – April 23, 1956) was an American musician known as "The Boy Trumpet Wonder" who went on to be a bandleader, recording artist, radio personality, and film producer. Biography He was born on October 24, ...

* '' The Turning Point'' (1920), silent film adaptation of ''The Japonette''. Directed by J. A. Barry * '' The Fighting Chance'' (1920), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by Charles Maigne * '' The Restless Sex'' (1920), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by Leon D'Usseau and Robert Z. Leonard * ''

Unseen Forces ''Unseen Forces'' is an extant 1920 silent film drama directed by Sidney Franklin and starring Sylvia Breamer and Conrad Nagel. It was long thought to be lost until a copy was located in New Zealand. It was produced by the same production compan ...

'' (1920), silent film adaptation of ''Athalie''. Directed by Sidney A. Franklin * '' Cardigan'' (1922), silent film adaptation of novel. Screenplay by Chambers. Directed by

John W. Noble John Winthrop Noble (born Winfield Fernley Kutz; June 24, 1880 – September 10, 1946) was an American film director and screenwriter during the silent era. Career John Winthrop Noble was the professional name of Winfield Fernley Kutz (sometimes ...

* '' The Common Law'' (1923), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by

George Archainbaud George Archainbaud (May 7, 1890 – February 20, 1959) was a French-American film and television director. Biography In the beginning of his career he worked on stage as an actor and manager. He came to the United States in January 1914, and st ...

* ''

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

'' (1924), silent film adaptation of ''The Reckoning''. Screenplay by Chambers. Directed by D. W. Griffith * '' Between Friends'' (1924), silent film adaptation of novel. Directed by

J. Stuart Blackton James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to ...

* '' The Common Law'' (1931), film adaptation of novel. Directed by Paul L. Stein * '' Operator 13'' (1934), film adaptation of short stories from ''Secret Service Operator 13''. Directed by Richard Boleslawski * ''

A Time Out of War ''A Time Out of War'' is a 1954 American short war film directed by Denis Sanders and starring Corey Allen and Barry Atwater. In 1955, it won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel) at the 27th Academy Awards, first prize at th ...

'' (1954), short film adaptation of short story "Pickets". Directed by

Denis Sanders Denis Sanders (January 21, 1929 – December 10, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer who directed the debut performances of Robert Redford and Tom Skerritt in the 1962 film '' War Hunt''. He won two Academy Awards, ...

* ''The Yellow Sign'' (2001), film adaptation of short story. Directed by Aaron Vanek

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * * * * *
''Operator 13'' Manuscript
at Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Robert W. 1865 births 1933 deaths 19th-century American novelists 20th-century American novelists Académie Julian alumni American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts American fantasy writers American historical novelists Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age American horror writers American illustrators American science fiction writers Mythopoeic writers Writers from Brooklyn People from Broadalbin, New York American male novelists American male short story writers 19th-century American short story writers Novelists from New York (state) Weird fiction writers 20th-century American male writers Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters