Philip Gordon Wylie (May 12, 1902 – October 25, 1971) was an American writer of works ranging from pulp science fiction, mysteries, social diatribes and

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...

to ecology and the threat of

nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear Armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes globally widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenar ...

Early life and career

Born in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

, Wylie was the son of

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

minister Edmund Melville Wylie and the former Edna Edwards, a novelist, who died when Philip was five years old. His family later moved to

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...

. Wylie attended

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

from 1920–1923. A writer of fiction and

nonfiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

, Wylie's output included hundreds of articles, novels, serials, short stories, syndicated newspaper columns, and works of social criticism. He also wrote screenplays while in Hollywood, was an editor for Farrar & Rinehart, served on the Dade County, Florida Defense Council, was a director of the Lerner Marine Laboratory, and at one time was an adviser to the chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee for Atomic Energy, which led to the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission. Most of Wylie's major writings contain critical, though often philosophical, views on man and society as a result of his studies and interests in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

ethnology Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

and

psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...

. At least nine movies were made from novels or stories by Wylie. He sold the rights for two others that were never produced. Wylie's wide range of interests defies easy classification, but his earliest work exercised great influence in 20th-century science fiction

pulp magazines Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...

and comic books: * ''

Gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

'' (1930) partially inspired the comic-book character

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

. * ''The Savage Gentleman'' (1932) "Pulp historians point out that the themes of ''The Savage Gentleman'' are replicated to an uncanny degree in the pulp character Clark "Doc" Savage (1933) created by

Lester Dent Lester Dent (October 12, 1904 – March 11, 1959) was an American pulp-fiction writer, best known as the creator and main writer of the series of novels about the scientist and adventurer Doc Savage. The 159 Doc Savage novels that Dent wrote over ...

..." - Richard A. Lupoff * '' When Worlds Collide'' (1933), co-written with Edwin Balmer, inspired

Alex Raymond Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. (October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American cartoonist who was best known for creating the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip for King Features Syndicate in 1934. The strip was subsequently adapted into many ...

's comic strip

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established '' Buck Rogers'' adv ...

and was adapted as an eponymous 1951 film by producer

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

. Wylie applied engineering principles and the scientific method quite broadly in his work. His novel ''The Disappearance'' (1951) is about what happens when everyone suddenly finds that all members of the opposite sex are missing (all the men have to get along without women, and vice versa). The book delves into the double standards between men and women that existed prior the women's movement of the 1970s, exploring the nature of the relationship between men and women and the issues of

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...

and

homosexuality Homosexuality is Romance (love), romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romant ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, writing ''The Paradise Crater'' (1945) resulted in Wylie's house arrest by the federal government; in this work, he described a post-WWII 1965

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

conspiracy to develop and use

uranium-237 Uranium (92U) is a naturally occurring radioactive element that has no stable isotope. It has two primordial isotopes, uranium-238 and uranium-235, that have long half-lives and are found in appreciable quantity in the Earth's crust. The decay pro ...

bombs, months before the first successful atomic test at

Alamogordo Alamogordo () is the seat of Otero County, New Mexico, United States. A city in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, it is bordered on the east by the Sacramento Mountains and to the west by Holloman Air Force Base. The population was ...

– the most highly classified secret of the war. Wylie's book of essays, '' Generation of Vipers'' (1942), was a best-seller during the 1940s and inspired the term " Momism". Some people have accused ''Generation of Vipers'' of being

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...

. ''The Disappearance'' shows his thinking on the subject is very complex. (His only child,

Karen Pryor Karen Pryor (née Wylie; born May 14, 1932) is an American author who specialized in behavioral psychology and marine mammal biology. She is a founder and proponent of clicker training. She was formerly a Marine Mammal Commissioner to the U.S. g ...

, is the author of a classic book for breastfeeding mothers, ''Nursing Your Baby'', and has commented that her father was far from being a misogynist.) His

novel of manners A novel of manners is a work of fiction that re-creates a social world, conveying with detailed observation the customs, values, and mores of a highly developed and complex society. The conventions of the society dominate the action of the story, ...

, ''Finnley Wren'', was also highly regarded in its time. In 1945, he wrote a political column for the

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

. Wylie wrote 69 "Crunch and Des" stories, most of which appeared in the ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

'', about the adventures of Captain Crunch Adams, master of the charter boat ''Poseidon'', which was the basis of a brief television series. In 1941, Wylie became Vice-President of the International Game Fish Association, and for many years was responsible for writing IGFA rules and reviewing world record claims. Wylie's 1954 novel ''Tomorrow!'' dealt graphically with the civilian impact of thermonuclear war to make a case for a strong

Civil Defense Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mit ...

network in the United States, as he told the story of two neighboring cities (one prepared, one unprepared) before and after an attack by missile-armed Soviet bombers. This was adapted on October 17, 1956, by ABC Radio, as a one-hour drama narrated by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, produced in cooperation with the

Federal Civil Defense Administration The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was organized by President Harry S. Truman on December 1, 1950, through Executive Order 10186, and became an official government agency via the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 on 12 January 1 ...

. Wylie was also active in writing detective and mystery novelettes for a variety of magazines. Five of them were collected in 2010 as ''Ten Thousand Blunt Instruments and Other Mysteries,'' published by

Crippen & Landru Crippen & Landru Publishers is a small publisher of mystery fiction collections, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1994 by husband and wife Sandi and Douglas G. Greene in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is named af ...

in its "Lost Classics" series and edited by

Bill Pronzini Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories. Pronzini is ...

. An article Wylie wrote in 1951 in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' entitled "Anyone Can Raise Orchids" led to the popularization of this hobby—not just the rich, but gardeners of every economic level began experimenting with orchids. Wylie's final works dealt with the potentially catastrophic effects of pollution and climate change. Notably, Wylie wrote " L.A. 2017", a 1971 episode of the television series '' The Name of the Game''. The series was normally a contemporary drama; however, in this unique science fiction episode, the lead character awakens in a science-fiction dystopia, centered on a psychiatric/fascist government overseeing the underground-sheltered remnants of humanity, the aftermath of an environmental (pollution) catastrophe. The 90-minute episode was directed by

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

, and featured Gene Barry,

Barry Sullivan Barry Sullivan may refer to: *Barry Sullivan (American actor) (1912–1994), US film and Broadway actor *Barry Sullivan (stage actor) (1821–1891), Irish born stage actor active in Britain and Australia *Barry Sullivan (lawyer) Barry Sullivan is ...

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Brien w ...

, Severn Darden and

Sharon Farrell Sharon Farrell (born December 24, 1940) is an American television and film actress, and former dancer. Originally beginning her career as a ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre company, Farrell made her film debut in 1959 in ''Kiss Her Goo ...

. Wylie wrote a near-simultaneous novelization of the story as ''Los Angeles: A.D. 2017''. Wylie's final novel, The End of the Dream, was published posthumously in 1972 and foresees a dark future where America slides into ecological catastrophe. Wylie, and now the Philip Wylie estate, is represented by Harold Ober Associates.

Personal life

Wylie married Sally Ondek, and had one child, Karen Pryor. After divorcing his first wife, he married Frederica Ballard, who was born and raised in

Rushford, New York Rushford is a town in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,085 at the 2020 census. Rushford is in the northwest part of Allegany County and is northeast of Olean. History The first settlersEnos Gary and two of his chi ...

; they are both buried in Rushford. Wylie's daughter, Karen Pryor, is an author who became the inventor of animal "clicker" training. Wylie's niece Janice Wylie, the daughter of his brother Max Wylie, co-creator of ''

The Flying Nun ''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book '' The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere ...

'', was murdered, along with her roommate Emily Hoffert, in New York in August 1963, in what became known as the " Career Girls murders" case.

Death

While on vacation, Wylie died from a heart attack on October 25, 1971, in Miami. Some of his papers, writings, and other possessions are in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Princeton University Library.

Bibliography

Novels

* ''Whoops, Dearie!'' (New York,

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...

, 1927) (ghostwritten by Wylie; credited to cartoonist

Peter Arno Curtis Arnoux Peters, Jr. (January 8, 1904 – February 22, 1968), known professionally as Peter Arno, was an American cartoonist. He contributed cartoons and 101 covers to ''The New Yorker'' from 1925, the magazine's first year, until 1968, the ...

) * ''Heavy Laden'' (1928) * ''Babes and Sucklings'' (1929) * ''

'' (New York,

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers i ...

, 1930) * ''The Murderer Invisible'' (1931) * ''Footprint of Cinderella'' (1931) * ''The Savage Gentleman'' (New York, Farrar & Rinehart, 1932) * '' When Worlds Collide'' (1933) (with Edwin Balmer) – Earth is destroyed in a collision with the rogue planet Bronson Alpha, with about a year of warning enabling a small group of survivors to build a spacecraft and escape to the rogue planet's moon, Bronson Beta. Filmed, with major changes to the story, as '' When Worlds Collide'' (1951). * ''

After Worlds Collide ''After Worlds Collide'' (1934) is a sequel to the 1933 science fiction novel, '' When Worlds Collide''. Both novels were co-written by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie. ''After Worlds Collide'' first appeared as a six-part monthly serial (November ...

'' (1934) (with Edwin Balmer) – Continues the story of ''When Worlds Collide'', with both exploration of Bronson Beta and conflict with other groups of survivors. * ''The Golden Hoard'' (1934) * ''Finnley Wren'' (1934) * ''Too Much of Everything'' (1936) * ''An April Afternoon'' (1938) * ''The Other Horseman'' (1942) * ''Corpses at Indian Stones'' (1943) * ''

Night Unto Night ''Night unto Night'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Don Siegel and written by Kathryn Scola. It is based on the 1944 novel by Philip Wylie. The film stars Ronald Reagan, Viveca Lindfors, Broderick Crawford, Rosemary DeCamp, Osa Massen ...

'' (1944), filmed in 1949, starring

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

* ''Opus 21'' (1949) * ''The Disappearance'' (1951) – An unexplained cosmic "blink" splits humanity along gender lines into two divergent timelines: from the men's perspective, all the women disappear and from the women's, all men vanish. The novel explores issues of gender role and sexual identity. It depicts an empowered condition for liberated women and a dystopia of an all-male world. Wylie's setting allows him to investigate the role of homosexuality in situations where no gender alternative exists. Producer

was extremely interested in the story and purchased the option to it soon after publication. Because Pal wanted to emphasize its highly sexual nature and wanted to include nudity, Paramount executive

Y. Frank Freeman Young Frank Freeman (14 December 1890 – 5 February 1969) was studio head at Paramount Pictures from 1938 to 1959. Freeman was born in Greenville, Georgia, and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1910. In addition to his wo ...

refused to make the film. It remained in

development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are Media industry, media and Software industry, software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between d ...

as Pal repurchased the rights and took it to several studios. He continued working on it until his death in 1980. * ''The Smuggled Atom Bomb'' (1951) * ''Three to be Read'' (1951). Three suspense novellas from ''The Saturday Evening Post'' * ''Tomorrow!'' (1954) – Nuclear war story centering on the atomic bombing of two fictional Midwest cities adjacent to each other in the mid-1950s; one has an effective

program, the other does not. * ''The Innocent Ambassadors'' (1957) * ''They Both Were Naked'' (1963) * ''Triumph'' (1963) – Nuclear war story involving a worst-case USA/USSR "spasm war" where both sides empty their arsenals into each other with extensive use of "dirty" bombs to maximize casualties, resulting in the main characters (in a very deep bomb shelter) being the only survivors in the entire Northern Hemisphere. An condensed version of this novel appeared in the ''Saturday Evening Post'' magazine. * ''The Spy Who Spoke Porpoise'' (1969) – The President of the United States learns that there is a category of CIA files, code named Zed, to which he is not allowed access. * ''Los Angeles: A.D. 2017'' (1971) - A novelization of Wylie's " L.A. 2017", a 1971 episode of the television series '' The Name of the Game''. * ''The End of the Dream'' (1972)

Short stories

* ''Seeing New York by Kiddie Car'' (1926) * ''Jungle Journey'' (1945) * ''The Paradise Crater'' (1945) * ''Blunder'' (1946) * ''An Epistle to the Thessalonians'' (1950) * ''Philadelphia Phase'' (1951) * '' The Answer: A Fable for Our Times'' (1955) * ''Ten Thousand Blunt Instruments and Other Mysteries'' (

, 2010)

"Crunch and Des" collections

* ''The Big Ones Get Away'' (1940) * ''Salt Water Daffy'' (1941) * ''Fish and Tin Fish'' (1944) * ''Selected Short Stories of Philip Wylie'' (1945) * ''Crunch & Des: Stories of Florida Fishing'' (1948) * ''The Best of Crunch & Des'' (1954) * ''Treasure Cruise and other Stories'' (1956) * ''Crunch & Des: Classic Stories about Saltwater Fishing (1990) The Big Ones Get Away, Salt Water Daffy, Fish and Tin Fish and Selected Short Stories of Philip Wylie were published as

Armed Services Edition Armed Services Editions (ASEs) were small paperback books of fiction and nonfiction that were distributed in the American military during World War II. From 1943 to 1947, some 122 million copies of more than 1,300 ASE titles were distributed to s ...

s during WWII, as were Night Unto Night and When Worlds Collide.

Non-fiction

* '' Generation of Vipers'' (1942) * ''An Essay on Morals'' (1947) * ''Denizens Of The Deep'' (1953) * ''The Answer'' (1955) * ''The Magic Animal'' (1968) * ''Sons and Daughters of Mom'' (1971)

Essays/articles

The following is a partial list: * "Why Colleges Fail Students" ''Saturday Evening Post'' (December 13, 1930) * "The Quitter as Hero" ''

Harper's Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

'' (Oct. 1933) * "Writing for the Movies" ''Harper's Magazine'' (Nov. 1933) *"The Illiteracy of Educators" '' Saturday Review of Literature'' (June 3, 1944) * "Sex and the Censor" ''Nation'' (July 8, 1944) * "War and Peace in Miami" '' New Republic'' (1944) * "Memorandum on

Anti-Semitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

" ''American Mercury'' (Jan. 1945) *"Safe and Insane" ''The Atlantic'' (Jan. 1948) * "How To Admire Writers" ''Atlantic'' (1950) * "We Are Making a Circus of Death" ''Coronet'' (September 1959) * "Medievalism and the MacArthurian Legend" ''Quarterly Journal of Speech'' (1951) * "Panic, Psychology, and the Bomb" ''

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists The ''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists'' is a nonprofit organization concerning science and global security issues resulting from accelerating technological advances that have negative consequences for humanity. The ''Bulletin'' publishes conte ...

'' (Feb. 1954) * "Science Has Spoiled My Supper" ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'' (Apr, 1954) * "The Mysterious Doctors of

Bimini Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas and comprises a chain of islands located about due east of Miami. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately west-northwest of Nassau. The popula ...

" ''

'' (1954) * "The Crime of

Mickey Spillane Frank Morrison Spillane (; March 9, 1918July 17, 2006), better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American crime novelist, whose stories often feature his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have ...

" ''

Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Hous ...

'' (1955) * "Predictions: 2001 A.D." (1956) * "The Career Woman" ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' (January 1963) * "UFOs: The Sense and Nonsense" ''

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

'' (March 1967) * "McNamara's Missile Defense: A Multi-Billion Dollar Fiasco?" ''Popular Science'' (Jan. 1968) * "Who Killed Mankind?" '' Today's Health'' (Oct. 1970)

Films

* '' Island of Lost Souls'' (1932) screenplay * '' Murders in the Zoo'' (1933) screenplay * '' King of the Jungle'' (1933) screenplay * ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Originally serialized in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devo ...

'' (1933) uncredited * ''

Come On, Marines! ''Come On Marines!'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Richard Arlen and Ida Lupino.Death Flies East'' (1935) story * '' Fair Warning'' (1937) story * '' Under Suspicion'' (1937) story * '' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) story * '' The Gladiator'' (1938) based on novel * ''

Charlie Chan in Reno ''Charlie Chan in Reno'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Norman Foster, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan, based on an original story "Death Makes a Decree" by Philip Wylie. Plot Mary Whit ...

'' (1939) original story "Death Makes a Decree" * ''

The Smiling Ghost ''The Smiling Ghost'' is a 1941 American film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Wayne Morris, Alexis Smith, and Alan Hale. The film is in the horror comedy genre, which was popular in the 1940s. Plot The elderly Mrs. Bentley (Helen West ...

'' (1941) story - uncredited * '' Springtime in the Rockies'' (1942) story * ''

Cinderella Jones ''Cinderella Jones'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Busby Berkeley and written by Charles Hoffman. The film stars Joan Leslie, Robert Alda, Julie Bishop, William Prince, S. Z. Sakall, and Edward Everett Horton. The film wa ...

'' (1946) story * ''

'' (1949) novel * '' When Worlds Collide'' (1951) novel * ''

Johnny Tiger ''Johnny Tiger'' (1966) is a Florida Western film directed by Paul Wendkos, starring Robert Taylor, Chad Everett, and Geraldine Brooks. The Universal Studios film was shot in Central Florida in 1965, with the city of Longwood, Florida substit ...

'' (1966) co-screenplay

TV series

*''Crunch and Des'' was adapted for a syndicated TV series (37 episodes, 1955–1956) starring

Forrest Tucker Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker worked as a vaudeville straight man at the age of fifteen. A mentor provided fund ...

and

Sandy Kenyon Sandy Kenyon (born Sanford Klein; August 5, 1922 – February 20, 2010) was an American actor of film and television. He appeared as a guest actor on numerous television series, including a recurring role on ''The Americans''. He was also the orig ...

and filmed in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

. *" L.A. 2017", a 1971 episode of the television series '' The Name of the Game''. A science-fiction

dystopia A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

, based around a psychiatric/

fascist Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the ...

government in the underground-sheltered remnants of humanity, the aftermath of an environmental (pollution) catastrophe. Wylie wrote the novelization as ''Los Angeles: A.D. 2017''.

References

;Notes ;Sources * Barshay, Robert Howard. ''Philip Wylie; The Man and His Work.'' Washington, DC: University Press of America, 1979. * Bendau, Clifford P. ''Still Worlds Collide: Philip Wylie and the End of the American Dream.'' San Bernardino: The Borgo Press, 1980. Volume 30 in The Milford Series "Popular Writers of Today", 63 pages. * Breit, Harvey "Talk with Philip Wylie" ''New York Times Book Review'' (July 3, 1959) * * Keefer, Truman F. ''Philip Wylie.'' Boston: Twain Publishers, 1978. * Lupoff, Richard A.br>"In Search of The Savage: An Introduction"
* Orlean, Susan. '' The Orchid Thief.'' New York: Random House, 1998. * * * Wylie, Philip. ''Crunch & Des: Classic Stories of Saltwater Fishing.'' New York: Lyons & Burford, 1990.

External links

* * * *
Extensive bibliography
* *

by Charlie Courtney
"Common Women"
excerpt from ''Generation of Vipers'' (1942, 1955)
Philip Wylie Papers
at the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections Princeton University Library

from Gary Westfahl's ''Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film''

from Allmovie

interviewed by Mike Wallace 5/12/57 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wylie, Philip Gordon 1902 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American novelists American Presbyterians American male dramatists and playwrights American male novelists American male screenwriters American male short story writers American science fiction writers American male essayists Princeton University alumni Novelists from Florida Novelists from Massachusetts 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American essayists People from Rushford, New York People from Beverly, Massachusetts 20th-century American male writers Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from Massachusetts Screenwriters from Florida 20th-century American screenwriters