About

Known credits:
56
Birthday:
1906-12-24
Place of birth:
London, England, UK
Website:
N/A

James Hadley Chase

Overview

James Hadley Chase (24 December 1906 – 6 February 1985) was an English writer. While his birth name was René Lodge Brabazon Raymond, he was well known by his various pseudonyms, including James Hadley Chase, James L. Docherty, Raymond Marshall, R. Raymond, and Ambrose Grant. He was one of the best known thriller writers of all time. The canon of Chase, comprising 90 titles, earned him a reputation as the king of thriller writers in Europe. He was also one of the internationally best-selling authors, and to date 50 of his books have been made into films.

René Lodge Brabazon Raymond (James Hadley Chase) was born on 24 December 1906 in London, England. He was the son of Colonel Francis Raymond of the colonial Indian Army, a veterinary surgeon. His father intended his son to have a scientific career and had him educated at King's School, Rochester, Kent.

Chase left home at the age of 18. In 1932, Chase married Sylvia Ray, and they had a son. In 1956, they moved to France. In 1969, they moved to Switzerland, living a secluded life in Corseaux-sur-Vevey, on Lake Geneva. Chase died there on 6 February 1985.

During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force, achieving the rank of Squadron Leader. He edited the RAF journal with David Langdon and had several stories from it published after the war in the book Slipstream: A Royal Air Force Anthology.

After Chase left home at the age of 18, he worked in sales, primarily focusing on books and literature. He sold children's encyclopaedias, while also working in a bookshop. He also served as an executive for a book wholesaler, before turning to a writing career that produced more than 90 mystery books. His interests included photography, of a professional standard, reading, and listening to classical music and opera. As a form of relaxation between novels, he put together highly complicated and sophisticated Meccano models.

Prohibition and the ensuing Great Depression in the US (1929–39) had given rise to the Chicago gangster culture prior to World War II. This, combined with Chase's book trade experience, convinced him that there was a big demand for gangster stories. After reading James M. Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934), and having read about the American gangster Ma Barker and her sons, and with the help of maps and a slang dictionary, he wrote No Orchids for Miss Blandish in his spare time, he claimed over a period of six weekends, though his papers suggest it took longer. The book achieved remarkable notoriety and became one of the best-selling books of the decade. It was the subject of the 1944 essay "Raffles and Miss Blandish" by George Orwell. Chase and Robert Nesbitt adapted it to a stage play of the same name which ran in London's West End to good reviews. The 1948 film adaptation was widely denounced as salacious due to the film's portrayal of violence and sexuality. Robert Aldrich did a remake, The Grissom Gang, in 1971. ...

Source: Article "James Hadley Chase" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Writing
2018 Eva Writing Novel 56
Average
1998 Palmetto Writing Book 58
Average
1995 Rough Magic Writing Book 58
Average
1995 The Set Up Writing Book 58
Average
1993 Requiem per voce e pianoforte Writing Book 59
Average
1992 Казино Writing Book 59
Average
1992 He Will Receive Writing Novel 59
Average
1991 Sniper Writing Book 59
Average
1991 The Bay of Death Writing Book 59
Average
1991 The Vulture Is a Patient Bird Writing Book 59
Average
1990 Mais qui arrêtera la pluie ? Writing Book N/A
N/A
1990 Believed Violent Writing Novel 59
Average
1990 Want to Stay Alive Writing Book 59
Average
1990 Have a Nice Night Writing Book 59
Average
1989 Try This One for Size Writing Book 59
Average
1988 Cambiamento d'aria Writing Novel 59
Average
1987 Assicurazione sulla morte Writing Novel 58
Average
1986 Rise and Fall of a Small Film Company Writing Novel 59
Average
1985 Rigged Writing Book 59
Average
1983 Mirage Writing Book 70
Good
1982 Patto con la morte Writing Novel 70
Good
1979 Zlaté rybičky Writing Novel 59
Average
1979 Pracka v láhvi Writing Novel 59
Average
1976 Crime and Passion Writing Book 58
Average
1975 The Catamount Killing Writing Author 59
Average
1975 Flesh of the Orchid Writing Novel 58
Average
1972 Not Dumb, the Bird Writing Book 59
Average
1971 Too Small My Friend Writing Novel 59
Average
1971 The Grissom Gang Writing Book 59
Average
1968 A Little Virtuous Writing Book 59
Average
1968 The Woman Is a Stranger Writing Novel 59
Average
1967 The Blonde from Peking Writing Novel 58
Average
1967 Lotosblüten für Miss Quon Writing Novel 59
Average
1967 The Night of the Generals Writing Book 61
Fair
1965 Dead End Writing Novel 59
Average
1965 Crime on a Summer Morning Writing Novel 59
Average
1964 Coffin from Hong Kong Writing Novel 59
Average
1964 Mark of the Tortoise Writing Book 59
Average
1964 Mission to Venice Writing Novel 59
Average
1963 Highway Pick-Up Writing Novel 59
Average
1963 The Cobweb Writing Story 59
Average
1963 A Blonde Like That Writing Novel 59
Average
1962 Eva Writing Novel 59
Average
1961 In the Mouth of the Wolf Writing Novel 59
Average
1961 On Friday at Eleven Writing Book 59
Average
1960 Take Me As I Am Writing Novel 59
Average
1959 It Only Happens to the Living Writing Novel 59
Average
1959 Hit and Run Writing Novel 59
Average
1957 A Kiss for a Killer Writing Novel 58
Average
1957 There's Always a Price Tag Writing Novel 59
Average
1957 Young Girls Beware Writing Scenario Writer 58
Average
1957 The Man in the Raincoat Writing Book 59
Average
1952 The Last Page Writing Book 58
Average
1951 I'll Get You for This Writing Novel 59
Average
1948 No Orchids for Miss Blandish Writing Writer 59
Average
1948 No Orchids for Miss Blandish Writing Book 59
Average