Фрэнк Мерривелл: История американского героя приключений

Fictional character by Gilbert Patten

Frank Merriwell is a fictional character appearing in a series of novels and short stories by Gilbert Patten, who wrote under the pseudonym Burt L. Standish. The character appeared in over 300 dime novels between 1896 and 1930 (some between 1927 and 1930 were written by other authors with the same pen name), numerous radio dramas in 1934 and again from 1946 through 1949, a comic strip from 1928 through 1936, a comic book (four issues) Frank Merriwell At Yale, and a 12 chapter serialized film in 1936. The book series was relaunched (with a different author) in 1965, but only three books were published.

The model for all later American juvenile sports fiction, Merriwell excelled at football, baseball, basketball, crew and track at Yale while solving mysteries and righting wrongs. He played with great strength and received traumatic blows without injury. American Olympic champion boxer and bobsledder Eddie Eagan commented in his autobiography: "To this day I have never used tobacco, because Frank Merriwell didn't. My first glass of wine, which I do not care for, was taken under social compulsion in Europe. Frank never drank." Merriwell originally appeared in a series of magazine stories starting April 18, 1896 ("Frank Merriwell: or, First Days at Fardale") in Tip Top Weekly, continuing through 1912, and later in dime novels and comic books. Patten would confine himself to a hotel room for a week to write an entire story. The Frank Merriwell comic strip began in 1928, continuing until 1936. Daily strips from 1934 provided illustrations for the 1937 Big Little Book. There are at least two generations of Merriwells: Frank, his half brother Dick, and Frank's son, Frank Jr. There is a marked difference between Frank and Dick. Frank usually handles challenges on his own. Dick has mysterious friends and skills that help him, especially an old Indian friend without whom the stories would not be quite as interesting.

The McClure Newspaper Syndicate distributed Young Frank Merriwell, written by Patten and illustrated by John Hix; it debuted on March 26, 1928, and ran for six months. The comic strip was resurrected in July 1931 as Frank Merriwell's Schooldays (this time syndicated by the Central Press Association and illustrated by Jack Wilhelm) and ran for three years. Yale's alma mater, "Bright College Years", was the theme song.

A film serial entitled The Adventures of Frank Merriwell was created by Universal Studios in 1936.

A Broadway musical called Frank Merriwell, or Honor Unchallenged, opened at the Longacre Theatre on April 24, 1971. It closed after one performance.

In 1965, a new book series was launched by author Mike Frederic, with cover tagline "The thrilling sequel to the all time best selling American sports series." Only three books were published: Frank Merriwell Returns (baseball theme, 1965), Frank Merriwell Quarterback (American football theme, 1965), and Frank Merriwell At The Wheel (sports car racing theme, 1967).