Mary Roberts Rinehart (August 12, 1876September 22, 1958) was an American writer, often called the American

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

.Keating, H.R.F., ''The Bedside Companion to Crime''. New York: Mysterious Press, 1989, p. 170. Rinehart published her first mystery novel ''

The Circular Staircase ''The Circular Staircase'' is a mystery novel by American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart. The story follows dowager Rachel Innes as she thwarts a series of strange crimes at a summer house she has rented with her niece and nephew. The novel was Rin ...

'' in 1908, which introduced the " had I but known" narrative style. Rinehart is also considered the source of "the butler did it" plot device in her novel ''The Door'' (1930), although the exact phrase does not appear in her work. She also worked to tell the stories and experiences of front line soldiers during World War I, one of the first women to travel to the Belgian front lines.

Biography

Rinehart was born Mary Ella Roberts in

Allegheny City Allegheny City was a municipality that existed in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1788 until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It was located north across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh, with its southwest border formed by ...

, Pennsylvania, now a part of Pittsburgh. A sister, Olive Louise, four years Mary's junior, would later gain recognition as an author of children's books and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. Her father was a frustrated inventor, and throughout her childhood, the family often had financial problems. Her father committed suicide when Mary was 19 years old. Left-handed at a time when that was considered inappropriate, she was trained to use her right hand instead. She attended public schools and graduated at age 16, then enrolled at the Pittsburgh Training School for Nurses at Pittsburgh Homeopathic Hospital, where she graduated in 1896. She described the experience as "all the tragedy of the world under one roof." After graduation, she married Stanley Marshall Rinehart (1867–1932), a physician she had met there. They had three sons: Stanley Jr.,

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

, and Frederick. During the stock market crash of 1903, the couple lost their savings, spurring Rinehart's efforts at writing as a way to earn income. She was 27 that year, and produced 45 short stories. In 1907, she wrote ''

'', the novel that propelled her to national fame. According to her obituary in the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' in 1958, the book sold 1.25 million copies. Her regular contributions to ''The Saturday Evening Post'' were immensely popular and helped the magazine mold American middle-class taste and manners. In 1911, after the publication of five successful books and two plays, the Rineharts moved to the Pittsburgh suburb of Glen Osborne, where they purchased a large home at the corner of Orchard and Linden Streets called "Cassella." Before they moved into the house, however, Mrs. Rinehart had to have the house completely rebuilt because it had fallen into disrepair. "The venture was mine, and I had put every dollar I possessed into the purchase. All week long I wrote wildly to meet the payroll and contractor costs." she wrote in her autobiography. In 1925, the Rineharts sold the house to the Marks family; the house was demolished in 1969. Today, a Mary Roberts Rinehart Nature Park sits in the borough of Glen Osborne at 1414 Beaver Street, Sewickley, Pennsylvania. Rinehart's commercial success sometimes conflicted with her domestic roles of wife and mother, yet she often pursued adventure, including a job as a war correspondent for ''The Saturday Evening Post'' at the Belgian front during World War I. During her time in Belgium, she interviewed

Albert I of Belgium Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. Born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern ...

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

and

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...

, writing of the latter "This afternoon I am to be presented to the queen of England. I am to curtsey and to say 'Your majesty,' the first time!" Rinehart was working in Europe in 1918 to report on developments to the War Department and was in Paris when the armistice was signed. In 1922, the family moved to Washington, DC, when Dr. Rinehart was appointed to a post in the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

. She was a member of the Literary Society of Washington from 1932 to 1936. Her husband died in 1932, but she continued to live in Washington until 1935, when she moved to New York City. There she helped her sons found the publishing house Farrar & Rinehart, serving as its director. She also maintained a vacation home in Bar Harbor, Maine. In 1947, a Filipino chef who had worked for her for 25 years fired a gun at her and then attempted to slash her with knives until other servants rescued her. The chef committed suicide in his cell the next day. Rinehart suffered from breast cancer, which led to a radical mastectomy. She eventually went public with her story, at a time when such matters were not openly discussed. The interview "I Had Cancer" was published in a 1947 issue of the ''Ladies' Home Journal''; in it, Rinehart encouraged women to have breast examinations. Rinehart received a

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

special award a year after she published her last novel, and an honorary doctorate in literature from George Washington University. On November 9, 1956, Rinehart appeared on the interview program '' Person to Person''. She died at age 82 at her apartment at 630 Park Avenue in New York City.

Writing

Rinehart wrote hundreds of short stories, poems, travelogues and articles. Many of her short stories, books, and plays were adapted for movies, such as ''Bab: A Sub-Deb'' (1917), '' The Bat'' (1926), '' The Bat Whispers'' (1930), ''

Miss Pinkerton ''Miss Pinkerton'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy mystery film about a nurse who becomes involved in a murder investigation. It stars Joan Blondell, George Brent and Ruth Hall. Cast * Joan Blondell as Nurse Adams aka "Miss Pinkerton" * Geo ...

'' (1932), and '' The Bat'' (1959 remake). The novel ''The Circular Staircase'' was first adapted to the screen as a silent film in 1915, and later as an episode in the TV show ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS progra ...

'' in 1956. In 1933

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

released ''The Bat'' as one of the early talking book recordings. She co-wrote the 1920 play '' The Bat'' which was later adapted into the 1930 film '' The Bat Whispers''. The latter influenced Bob Kane in the creation of Batman's iconography.

Carole Lombard Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...

and

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

starred in '' I Take This Woman'' (1931), an early sound film based on Rinehart's novel ''Lost Ecstasy'' (1927). While many of her books were best sellers, critics were most appreciative of her

murder mysteries "Murder Mysteries" is a fantasy short story by Neil Gaiman first published in the 1992 anthology ''Midnight Graffiti'' and later collected in his collections '' Angels and Visitations'' and '' Smoke and Mirrors''. Plot The narrator, a young ...

. Rinehart, in ''

'' (1908), is credited with inventing the " Had-I-but-Known" school of mystery writing. In ''The Circular Staircase'' "a middle-aged spinster is persuaded by her niece and nephew to rent a country house for the summer. The gentle, peace-loving trio is plunged into a series of crimes solved with the help of the aunt."Roseman, Mill ''et al.'' ''Detectionary''. New York: Overlook Press, 1971. The Had-I-But-Known mystery novel is one where the principal character (frequently female) does things in connection with a crime that have the effect of prolonging the action of the novel.

Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote over 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York Times'' the country's best ...

parodied the school in his poem ''Don't Guess Let Me Tell You'': "Sometimes the Had I But Known then what I know now I could have saved at least three lives by revealing to the Inspector the conversation I heard through that fortuitous hole in the floor." The phrase "The butler did it" came from Rinehart's novel ''The Door'', in which the butler actually did murder someone, although that exact phrase does not appear in the work. Tim Kelly adapted Rinehart's play into a musical, ''The Butler Did It, Singing''. This play includes five lead female roles and five lead male roles. She followed her initial success with ''The Man in Lower Ten'', another novel that continued to reinforce her fame. After these two, Rinehart published about a book a year. She also wrote a long series of comic stories about Letitia (Tish) Carberry, that was frequented in the ''Saturday Evening Post'' over a number of years. This was later made into a series of novels by Rinehart that started with ''The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry'' in 1911. After her fiction writing era, Rinehart worked as a correspondent during World War I. She became "obsessed by the injustice, the wanton waste and cost" of the war, and wrote extensively of the things she had seen in 10 articles for the ''Saturday Evening Post'', which were later republished in the ''London Times.'' During this time she interviewed many famous historical figures, including Albert I of Belgium, Winston Churchill, French General Ferdinand Foch, and Mary of Teck. The notes from her interview with Albert the I she sent to President Wilson in the hopes of swaying him from neutrality to fight alongside the Belgians, though it didn't immediately work. Her articles were later published as a collection titled "Kings, Queens and Pawns" in 1915. She never stopped working to serve her country and tell the stories of the men fighting in World War I. Afterwards, she continued to write many novels and even began writing plays. Although she was greatly remembered for her plays ''Seven Days'' in 1909 and ''The Bat'' in 1920, Rinehart will always be most remembered for her mystery novels, which paved the way for the current generation of mystery writers. She had written an autobiography, ''My Story'', in 1931, which later was revised in 1948. During her prime, Rinehart was said to be even more famous than her rival, the great Agatha Christie. At the time of Rinehart's death, her books had sold over 10 million copies.

Works

Novels

*''

'' (1908) Adapted (with

Avery Hopwood James Avery Hopwood (May 28, 1882 – July 1, 1928) was an American playwright of the Jazz Age. He had four plays running simultaneously on Broadway in 1920. Early life Hopwood was born to James and Jule Pendergast Hopwood on May 28, 1882 ...

) for the stage as '' The Bat'' *''The Man in Lower Ten'' (1909) *''The Window at the White Cat'' (1910) Revision of ''The Mystery of 1122'' *''When A Man Marries, or Seven Days'' (1910) Expansion of Rinehart's 1908 novella ''Seven Days'' *''Where There's a Will'' (1912) *'' The Case of Jennie Brice'' (1913) *''The Street of Seven Stars'' (1914) *''The After House: A Story of Love, Mystery and a Private Yacht'' (1914) *'' K.'' (1915) *''Bab, a Sub-Deb'' (1916) *''Long Live the King!'' (1917) *''The Amazing Interlude'' (1918) *''Twenty-Three and a Half Hours' Leave'' (1918) *''Dangerous Days'' (1919) *''A Poor Wise Man'' (1920) *''The Truce of God'' (1920) *''The Confession'' (1921) *''The Breaking Point'' (1922) *''The Red Lamp'' (1925) Alternate title ''The Mystery Lamp'' *''The Bat'' (1926) Novelization of play, credited to Rinehart and Hopwood, but ghostwritten by Stephen Vincent Benét *''Lost Ecstasy'' (1927) Alternate title ''I Take This Woman'' *''This Strange Adventure'' (1928) *''Two Flights Up'' (1928) *''The Door'' (1930) *''The Double Alibi'' (1932) *''The Album'' (1933) *''The State vs. Elinor Norton'' (1933) *''The Doctor'' (1936) *''The Wall'' (1938) *''The Great Mistake'' (1940) *''The Haunted Lady'' (1942) *''The Yellow Room'' (1945) *''A Light in the Window'' (1948) *''The Swimming Pool'' (1952)

Series

*Letitia (Tish) Carberry **''The Amazing Adventures of Letitia Carberry'' (1911) **''Tish: The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions'' (1916) **''More Tish'' (1921) **''Tish Plays the Game'' (1926) **''Tish Marches On'' (1937) *Hilda Adams **''The Buckled Bag'' (1914) **''Locked Doors'' (1914) **''Miss Pinkerton'' (1932) Alternate title ''The Double Alibi'' **''The Haunted Lady'' (1942) Sequel to ''Miss Pinkerton'' **''Episode of the Wandering Knife'' (1950)

Short story collections

*''Love Stories'' (1919) *''Affinities and Other Stories'' (1920) *''Sight Unseen'' (1921) *''Temperamental People'' (1924) *''The Romantics'' (1929) *''Married People'' (1937) *''Familiar Faces: Stories of People You Know'' (1941) *''Alibi for Isabel and Other Stories'' (1944) *''The Frightened Wife and Other Murder Stories'' (1953) Special

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

, 1954

Plays

*''The Double Life'' (1906) *'' Seven Days'' (1909) (with Avery Hopwood) *''Cheer Up'' (1912) Produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille *''Tumble In'' (1919) (with Avery Hopwood) Musical version of ''Seven Days'' *'' The Bat'' (1920) (with Avery Hopwood) *'' Spanish Love'' (1920) (with Avery Hopwood) *'' The Breaking Point'' (1923)

Nonfiction

* "Faces and Brains," ''

Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film (another name for ''photoplay'') fan magazines. It was founded in 1911 in Chicago, the same year that J. Stuart Blackton founded '' Motion Picture Story,'' a magazine also directed at fans. For mo ...

'', February 1922, p. 47. *''Kings, Queens, and Pawns: An American Woman at the Front'' (1915) A collection of Rinehart's reports as a correspondent during World War I * ''Through Glacier Park: Seeing America First with Howard Eaton'' (1916) *''The Altar of Freedom: An Appeal to the Mothers of America'' (1917) An appeal to prepare for the coming war * ''Tenting Tonight: A Chronicle of Sport and Adventure in Glacier Park and the

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, a ...

'' (1918) First published 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 ...

'' (1917) * ''The Out Trail'' (1923) * ''Nomad's Land'' (1926) *''My Story'' (1931; revised 1948) Rinehart's autobiography

Essays

* "Isn't That Just Like a Man!" (1920) Available in one volume with "Oh, Well, You Know How Women Are!" by

Irvin S. Cobb Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb (June 23, 1876 – March 11, 1944) was an American author, humorist, editor and columnist from Paducah, Kentucky, who relocated to New York in 1904, living there for the remainder of his life. He wrote for the ''New York Worl ...

* "Why I Believe in Scouting for Girls"

Film and TV adaptations

*1914 – ';– short film *1914 – ';– short film *1915 – ';– short film *1915 – ';– short film *1915 – ';– short film *1915 – ''

'' (novel ''

'') *1915 – ';– short film *1915 – ';– short film *1915 – '' What Happened to Father?'' (story) *1916 – '' Acquitted'' (story) *1917 – '' Bab's Diary'' (story) *1917 – ''

Bab's Burglar ''Bab's Burglar'' was a 1917 American silent romantic comedy film directed by J. Searle Dawley and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film followed '' Bab's Diary'', released on October 17, 1917, and was the second in the trilogy of ''Babs'' ...

'' (story) *1917 – ''

Bab's Matinee Idol ''Bab's Matinee Idol'' is a 1917 American silent romantic comedy film, based on the Mary Roberts Rinehart novels, produced by Famous Players-Lasky, and directed by J. Searle Dawley. This was the final film in the trilogy of ''Babs'' films that sta ...

'' (story) *1918 – ''

The Doctor and the Woman ''The Doctor and the Woman'' is a lost 1918 American silent mystery film directed by Phillips Smalley and Lois Weber. It starred Mildred Harris and True Boardman and was produced by Weber and Universal Film Manufacturing Company as a Jewel Produc ...

'' (novel '' K.'') *1918 – ''The Street of Seven Stars'' (novel) *1918 – ''

Her Country First ''Her Country First'' is a 1918 American comedy silent film directed by James Young and written by Edith Kennedy and Mary Roberts Rinehart. The film stars Vivian Martin, John Cossar, Florence Oberle, J. Parks Jones, Larry Steers, and Bernadi ...

'' (story "The G.A.C.") *1919 – '' 23 1/2 Hours' Leave'' (story) *1920 – ' (novel) / (titles) *1920 – ' (story "Empire Builders");- film *1922 – ''Affinities'' (story) *1922 – '' The Glorious Fool'' (stories "In the Pavillion" and "Twenty-Two") *1923 – ''Mind Over Motor'' (story) *1923 – '' Long Live the King'' (book) *1924 – '' The Breaking Point'' (novel) *1924 – ''

The Silent Watcher ''The Silent Watcher'' is a lost 1924 American silent melodrama film directed by Frank Lloyd. It stars Glenn Hunter and Bessie Love. It was produced by Frank Lloyd Productions/ First National and distributed by First National Pictures. It was ...

'' (story "The Altar on the Hill") *1924 – ''

Her Love Story ''Her Love Story'' is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Gloria Swanson. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky, distributed by Paramount Pictures, and based on the short story "Her Majesty, the Qu ...

'' (story "Her Majesty, the Queen") *1924 – ''K — The Unknown'' (novel '' K.'') *1925 – '' Seven Days'' (play co-written with

) *1926 – '' The Bat'' (play '' The Bat'') *1927 – ''City of Shadows'' (story) *1927 – '' What Happened to Father?'' (story) *1927 – ''

Aflame in the Sky ''Aflame in the Sky'' is a 1927 American silent film, silent adventure film directed by J.P. McGowan and starring Sharon Lynn, Jack Luden and William J. Humphrey, William Humphrey.McGowan p.100 Cast * Sharon Lynn as Inez Carillo * Jack Luden as ...

'' (story) *1928 – '' Finders Keepers'' (story "Make Them Happy") *1930 – '' The Bat Whispers'' (based upon play '' The Bat'') *1931 – '' I Take This Woman'' (novel ''Lost Ecstacy'') *1932 – ''

'' (novel) *1934 – ''

Elinor Norton ''Elinor Norton'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Hamilton MacFadden and written by Rose Franken and Philip Klein. It is based on the 1933 novel, ''The State versus Elinor Norton'' by Mary Roberts Rinehart. The film stars Claire Trevor ...

'' (novel ''The State vs. Elinor Norton'') *1935 – ''

Mr. Cohen Takes a Walk ''Mr. Cohen Takes a Walk'', also known as ''Father Takes a Walk'', is a 1935 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine, starring Paul Graetz, Violet Farebrother, and Chili Bouchier, and based on a novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart. This w ...

'' (novel) *1937 – ''23½ Hours Leave'' (story) *1941 – ''The Dog in the Orchard'' (story) – short film *1941 – '' The Nurse's Secret'' (novel ''Miss Pinkerton'') *1942 – '' Tish'' (stories) *1952 – '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' (TV series) (novel ''The Wall'') *1953 – '' Your Favorite Story'' (TV series) (story "Strange Journey") *1953 – '' Broadway Television Theatre'' (TV series) – '' The Bat'' *1956 – ''Star Stage'' (TV series) (story "I Am Her Nurse") *1954–56 – ''

Ford Television Theatre ''General Motors Theatre'' (also known as ''CBC Theatre, Encounter, Ford Television Theatre,'' and ''General Motors Presents'') was a Canadian television anthology drama series of television plays, which ran on CBC Television under various titl ...

'' (TV series) – ''The Unlocked Door'' (1954) original story/''Autumn Fever'' (1956) *1954–56 – ''

'' (TV series) – ''The After House'' (1954)/''

'' (1956) *1957 - '' Telephone Time'' (TV series) - ''Novel Appeal''. Claudette Colbert portrayed Rinehart in the story of the genesis of the novel '' The After House''. *1959 – '' The Bat'' (play '' The Bat'') with

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

and

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

*1960 – '' Dow Hour of Great Mysteries'' (TV series) – '' The Bat'' *1978 – ' (TV film) based on '' The Bat''

References

External links

*
Arlington National Cemetery
*

Electronic editions

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rinehart, Mary Roberts 1876 births 1958 deaths Writers from Pittsburgh 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American women writers American mystery writers American women in World War I American women journalists American women novelists American women short story writers American women war correspondents Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Edgar Award winners Novelists from Pennsylvania Rinehart family War correspondents of World War I Women mystery writers