Эван Хантер: Жизнь и творчество американского писателя.

American author and screenwriter

Evan Hunter (born Salvatore Albert Lombino; October 15, 1926 – July 6, 2005) was an American author of crime and mystery fiction. He is best known as the author of 87th Precinct novels, published under the pen name Ed McBain, which are considered staples of police procedural genre. His other notable works include The Blackboard Jungle, a semi autobiographical novel about life in a troubled inner city school, which was adapted into a hit 1955 film of the same name. He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film The Birds, based on the Daphne du Maurier short story. Hunter, who legally adopted that name in 1952, also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon and Richard Marsten, among others.

Salvatore Lombino was born and raised in New York City. He lived in East Harlem until age 12, when his family moved to the Bronx. He attended Olinville Junior High School (later Richard R. Green Middle School #113), then Evander Childs High School (now Evander Childs Educational Campus), before winning a New York Art Students League scholarship. Later, he was admitted as an art student at Cooper Union. Lombino served in the United States Navy during World War II and wrote several short stories while serving aboard a destroyer in the Pacific. However, none of these stories was published until after he had established himself as an author in the 1950s. After the war, Lombino returned to New York and attended Hunter College, where he majored in English and psychology, with minors in dramatics and education, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1950. He published a weekly column in the Hunter College newspaper as "S. A. Lombino". In 1981, Lombino was inducted into the Hunter College Hall of Fame, where he was honored for outstanding professional achievement. While looking to start a career as a writer, Lombino took a variety of jobs, including 17 days as a teacher at Bronx Vocational High School in September 1950. This experience would later form the basis for his novel The Blackboard Jungle (1954), written under the pen name Evan Hunter, which was adapted into the film Blackboard Jungle (1955). In 1951, Lombino took a job as an executive editor for the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, working with authors such as Poul Anderson, Arthur C. Clarke, Lester del Rey, Richard S. Prather, and P. G. Wodehouse. He made his first professional short story sale the same year, a science fiction tale titled "Welcome, Martians! ", credited to S. A. Lombino.

Soon after his initial sale, Lombino sold stories under the pen names Evan Hunter and Hunt Collins. The name Evan Hunter is generally believed to have been derived from two schools he attended, Evander Childs High School and Hunter College, although the author himself would never confirm that. (He did confirm that Hunt Collins was derived from Hunter College.) Lombino legally changed his name to Evan Hunter in May 1952, after an editor told him that a novel he wrote would sell more copies if credited to Evan Hunter than to S. A. Lombino. Thereafter, he used the name Evan Hunter both personally and professionally. As Evan Hunter, he gained notice with his novel The Blackboard Jungle (1954) dealing with juvenile crime and the New York City public school system. The film adaptation followed in 1955. During this era, Hunter also wrote a great deal of genre fiction. He was advised by his agents that publishing too much fiction under the Hunter byline, or publishing any crime fiction as Evan Hunter, might weaken his literary reputation. Consequently, during the 1950s Hunter used the pseudonyms Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, and Richard Marsten for much of his crime fiction. A prolific author in several genres, Hunter also published approximately two dozen science fiction stories and four science fiction novels between 1951 and 1956 under the names S. A. Lombino, Evan Hunter, Richard Marsten, D. A. Addams, and Ted Taine. Ed McBain, his best known pseudonym, was first used with Cop Hater (1956), the first novel in the 87th Precinct crime series. Hunter revealed that he was McBain in 1958 but continued to use the pseudonym for decades, notably for the 87th Precinct series and the Matthew Hope detective series. He retired the pen names Addams, Cannon, Collins, Marsten, and Taine around 1960. From then on crime novels were generally attributed to McBain and other sorts of fiction to Hunter. Reprints of crime oriented stories and novels written in the 1950s previously attributed to other pseudonyms were reissued under the McBain byline. Hunter stated that the division of names allowed readers to know what to expect: McBain novels had a consistent writing style, while Hunter novels were more varied. Under the Hunter name, novels steadily appeared throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, including Come Winter (1973) and Lizzie (1984). Hunter was also successful as screenwriter for film and television. He wrote the screenplay for the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds (1963), loosely adapted from Daphne du Maurier's eponymous 1952 novelette. Following The Birds, Hunter was again hired by Hitchcock to complete an in progress script adapting Winston Graham's novel Marnie. However, Hunter and the director disagreed on how to treat the novel's rape scene, and the writer was sacked. Hunter's other screenplays included Strangers When We Meet (1960), based on his own 1958 novel; and Fuzz (1972), based on his eponymous 1968 87th Precinct novel, which he had written as Ed McBain. After having thirteen 87th Precinct novels published from 1956 to 1960, further 87th Precinct novels appeared at a rate of approximately one a year until his death. Additionally, NBC ran a police drama called 87th Precinct during the 1961–62 season, based on McBain's work. From 1978 to 1998, McBain published a series about lawyer Matthew Hope; books in this series appeared every year or two, and usually had titles derived from well known children's stories. For about a decade, from 1984 to 1994, Hunter published no fiction under his own name. In 2000, a novel called Candyland appeared that was credited to both Hunter and McBain. The two part novel opened in Hunter's psychologically based narrative voice before switching to McBain's customary police procedural style. Aside from McBain, Hunter used at least two other pseudonyms for his fiction after 1960: Doors (1975), which was originally attributed to Ezra Hannon before being reissued as a work by McBain, and Scimitar (1992), which was credited to John Abbott. Hunter gave advice to other authors in his article "Dig in and get it done: no nonsense advice from a prolific author (aka Ed McBain) on starting and finishing your novel". In it, he advised authors to "find their voice for it is the most important thing in any novel".

Hunter was long rumored to have written an unknown number of pornographic novels, as Dean Hudson, for William Hamling's publishing houses. Hunter adamantly and consistently denied writing any books as Hudson until he died. However, apparently his agent Scott Meredith sold books to Hamling's company as Hunter's work (for attribution as "Dean Hudson") and received payments for these books in cash. While notable, it is not definitive proof: Meredith almost certainly forwarded novels to Hamling by any number of authors, claiming these novels were by Hunter simply to make a sale. Ninety three novels were published under the Hudson name from 1961 to 1969, and even the most avid proponents of the Hunter as Hudson theory do not believe Hunter is responsible for all 93.

He had three sons: Richard Hunter, an author, speaker, advisor to chief information officers on business value and risk issues, and harmonica player; Mark Hunter, an academic, educator, investigative reporter, and author; and Ted Hunter, a painter, who died in 2006.

A heavy smoker for many decades, Hunter had three heart attacks over a number of years (his first in 1987) and needed heart surgery. A precancerous lesion was found on his larynx in 1992. This was removed, but the cancer later returned. In 2005, Hunter died in Weston, Connecticut from laryngeal cancer. He was 78.

Year Title Creditedauthor Series Notes1952 Find The Feathered Serpent Evan Hunter YA novel1952 The Evil Sleep! Evan Hunter Reprinted in 1956 as "So Nude, So Dead" under the name Richard Marsten1953 Don't Crowd Me Evan Hunter 1953 Danger: Dinosaurs! Richard Marsten YA novel1953 Rocket to Luna Richard Marsten YA novel1954 The Blackboard Jungle Evan Hunter 1954 Runaway Black Richard Marsten Later credited as Ed McBain1954 Cut Me In Hunt Collins Later republished as The Proposition1955 Murder in the Navy Richard Marsten Later republished as Death of a Nurse by Ed McBain1956 Second Ending Evan Hunter 1956 Cop Hater Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1956 The Mugger Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1956 The Pusher Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1960 film adaptation The Pusher 1956 Tomorrow's World Hunt Collins Later republished as Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Hunt Collins, and as Sphere by Ed McBain1957 The Con Man Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1957 Killer's Choice Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1957 Vanishing Ladies Richard Marsten Later republished as by Ed McBain1957 The Spiked Heel Richard Marsten 1958 Strangers When We Meet Evan Hunter 1958 The April Robin Murders Craig Rice and Ed McBain Hunter finished this novel started by Rice, using his McBain pen name.1958 Killer's Payoff Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1958 Lady Killer Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1958 Even The Wicked Richard Marsten Later republished as by Ed McBain1958 I'm Cannon—For Hire Curt Cannon Later revised and republished as The Gutter and the Grave by Ed McBain 1959 A Matter of Conviction Evan Hunter 1959 The Remarkable Harry Evan Hunter Children's book1959 Big Man Richard Marsten Later republished as by Ed McBain1959 Killer's Wedge Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1959 'til Death Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1959 King's Ransom Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1960 Give the Boys a Great Big Hand Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1960 The Heckler Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1960 See Them Die Ed McBain 87th Precinct 1961Lady, Lady I Did It!Ed McBain87th Precinct1961Mothers And DaughtersEvan Hunter1961The Wonderful ButtonEvan HunterChildren's book1962Like LoveEd McBain87th Precinct1963Ten Plus OneEd McBain87th Precinct1964BuddwingEvan Hunter1964AxEd McBain87th Precinct1964He Who HesitatesEd McBain87th Precinct1965DollEd McBain87th Precinct1965The SentriesEd McBain1965Me And Mr. StennerEvan HunterChildren's book1965Happy New Year, HerbieEvan Hunter1966The Paper DragonEvan Hunter196680 Million EyesEd McBain87th Precinct1967A Horse's HeadEvan Hunter1968Last SummerEvan Hunter1968FuzzEd McBain87th Precinct1969SonsEvan Hunter1969ShotgunEd McBain87th Precinct1970JigsawEd McBain87th PrecinctThis novel was adapted as the Columbo episode "Undercover" in 1994.1971Nobody Knew They Were ThereEvan Hunter1971Hail, Hail the Gang's All Here Ed McBain87th Precinct1972Every Little Crook And NannyEvan Hunter1972Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man Ed McBain87th Precinct1972SevenEvan Hunter1972Sadie When She Died Ed McBain87th Precinct1973Come WinterEvan Hunter1973Hail to the Chief Ed McBain87th Precinct1974Streets Of GoldEvan Hunter1974BreadEd McBain87th Precinct1975Where There's Smoke Ed McBain1975Blood RelativesEd McBain87th Precinct1975DoorsEzra HannonLater republished as by Ed McBain1976So Long as You Both Shall LiveEd McBain87th PrecinctThis novel was adapted as the Columbo episode "No Time to Die" in 1992.1976The ChisholmsEvan Hunter1976Guns Ed McBain1977Long Time No SeeEd McBain87th Precinct1977GoldilocksEd McBainMatthew Hope1979Walk ProudEvan Hunter1979CalypsoEd McBain87th Precinct1980GhostsEd McBain87th Precinct1981Love, DadEvan Hunter1981HeatEd McBain87th Precinct1981RumpelstiltskinEd McBainMatthew Hope1982Beauty & The BeastEd McBainMatthew Hope1983Far From The SeaEvan Hunter1983IceEd McBain87th Precinct1984LizzieEvan Hunter1984LightningEd McBain87th Precinct1984Jack & The BeanstalkEd McBainMatthew Hope1984And All Through the HouseEd McBain87th PrecinctShort story length work, issued (with illustrations) as a limited edition novel. Reissued in 1994.1985Eight Black HorsesEd McBain87th Precinct1985Snow White & Rose RedEd McBainMatthew Hope1986Another Part of the City Ed McBain1986CinderellaEd McBainMatthew Hope1987PoisonEd McBain87th Precinct1987TricksEd McBain87th Precinct1987Puss in BootsEd McBainMatthew Hope1988The House that Jack BuiltEd McBainMatthew Hope1989LullabyEd McBain87th Precinct1990VespersEd McBain87th Precinct1990Three Blind MiceEd McBainMatthew HopeAdapted as a TV Movie in 2001, starring Brian Dennehy1991DowntownEd McBain1991WidowsEd McBain87th Precinct1992KissEd McBain87th Precinct1992Mary, MaryEd McBainMatthew Hope1992ScimitarJohn Abbott1993MischiefEd McBain87th Precinct1994There Was A Little GirlEd McBainMatthew Hope1994Criminal ConversationEvan Hunter1995RomanceEd McBain87th Precinct1996Privileged ConversationEvan Hunter1996Gladly The Cross Eyed BearEd McBainMatthew Hope1997NocturneEd McBain87th Precinct1998The Last Best HopeEd McBainMatthew Hope1999The Big Bad CityEd McBain87th Precinct2000CandylandEvan Hunter and Ed McBainTwo part novel that was billed as a "collaboration" between Hunter and his pseudonym.2000Driving Lessons Ed McBain2000The Last DanceEd McBain87th Precinct2001Money, Money, MoneyEd McBain87th Precinct2002The Moment She Was GoneEvan Hunter2002Fat Ollie's BookEd McBain87th Precinct2003The Frumious Bandersnatch Ed McBain87th Precinct2004Hark! Ed McBain87th Precinct2005Alice in JeopardyEd McBain2005FiddlersEd McBain87th Precinct

Becca in Jeopardy (Near completion at the time of Hunter's death. Apparently to remain unpublished.)