Robert Smythe Hichens (14 November 1864 – 20 July 1950) was an English journalist, novelist, music lyricist, short story writer, music critic and collaborated on successful plays. He is best remembered as a

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Early satirical authors *Aes ...

of the " Naughty Nineties".

John Sutherland John Sutherland may refer to: Politicians * John Sutherland (New South Wales politician) (1816–1889), member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and Council * John Sutherland (Canadian senator) (1821–1899), Canadian Senator from Manitoba * John Su ...

. "HICHENS, Robert" in ''The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction''. 1989

Brian Stableford Brian Michael Stableford (25 July 1948 – 24 February 2024) was a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who published a hundred novels and over a hundred volumes of translations. His earlier books were published under the name Br ...

, "Hichens, Robert (Smythe)" in

David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whi ...

, ed. ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic writers''. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1998, (pp. 268-70).

Biography

Hichens was born in

Speldhurst Speldhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is west of the town. Speldhurst has a primary school, a parish church, a community run gener ...

in Kent, the eldest son of the Rev. Frederick Harrison Hichens, and his wife Abigail Elizabeth Smythe. He was educated at

Clifton College Clifton College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the city of Bristol in South West England, founded in 1862 and offering both boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18. In its early years, unlike mo ...

, the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

and early on had a desire to be a musician. Later in life he would become music critic on ''

The World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...

'', taking the place of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. He studied at the

London School of Journalism The London School of Journalism (LSJ) is an independent journalism school based in London, England, which offers qualifications in journalism, freelance journalism and creative writing. The LSJ provides both on-site and distance learning to it ...

. Hichens was a great traveller. Egypt was one of his favourite destinations – he first went there in the early 1890s for his health. For most of his later life he lived outside England, in Switzerland and the

Riviera () is an Italian word which means , ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria (the Genoa region in northwestern Italy) in the form , then shortened in English. Riviera may a ...

. Hichens was a homosexual;"Like Douglas and Turner, Hichens was sexually attracted to men".

Dennis Denisoff Dennis Denisoff is a Canadian author, poet and scholar, and the Endowed McFarlin Chair of Literature and Film in the English Department at the University of Tulsa. Denisoff was an early member of The Kootenay School of Writing. Biography Ed ...

, ''Aestheticism and Sexual Parody 1840-1940''.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006 , (p. 115). he never married. Hichens first novel, ''The Coastguard's Secret'' (1886), was written when he was only seventeen. He first became well known among the reading public with ''

The Green Carnation ''The Green Carnation'' is a novel by Robert Hichens that was first published anonymously in 1894. A satire on contemporary champions of the Aesthetic Movement, it was withdrawn briefly after the scandal of the Oscar Wilde trial in the follo ...

'' (1894), a satire of Hichens's friends

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

and

Lord Alfred Douglas Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas (22 October 1870 – 20 March 1945), also known as Bosie Douglas, was an English poet and journalist, and a lover of Oscar Wilde. At Oxford University he edited an undergraduate journal, ''The Spirit Lamp'', that carr ...

; since the work made clear Wilde was homosexual it was withdrawn from publication in 1895, but not before helping set the stage for Wilde's public disgrace and downfall. Hichens was also friends with several other writers, including

E. F. Benson Edward Frederic Benson (24 July 1867 – 29 February 1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, historian and short story writer. Early life E. F. Benson was born at Wellington College (Berkshire), Wellington College in Berkshire, ...

and Reggie Turner, as well as the composer

Maude Valérie White Maude Valérie White (1855 – 1937) was a French-born English composer who became one of the most successful songwriters of the Victorian period.Christopher Howell'Rediscovering Maude Valerie White', at ''MusicWeb International'' 10 April 202 ...

Hichens's first big success was '' An Imaginative Man'' (1895); set in the city of

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

, Egypt, a place which fascinated Hichens, it is a study of insanity, in which the hero becomes dangerously obsessed with the

Great Sphinx The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Facing east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The original sh ...

. Other early fiction includes ''The Folly of Eustace'' (1896), a collection of stories including some supernatural; ''Flames'' (1897), a story resembling '' Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde''; ''The Londoners'' (1898), a satire about decadent London; '' The Slave'' (1899), a fantasy about an amazing emerald; ''Tongues of Conscience'' (1900), a collection of five horror stories including "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" (this story is about a supernatural visitation and is thought by some to be Hichens's best fiction – it is frequently anthologised). "How Love Came to Professor Guildea" was not initially well-received, with

Frederic Taber Cooper Frederic Taber Cooper Ph.D. (May 27, 1864 – May 20, 1937) was an American editor and writer. Life Cooper was born in New York City, graduated from Harvard University in 1886 and obtained an LL.B. from Columbia University in 1887."Frederi ...

calling the story "a hideous bit of morbidity""Frederic T. Cooper", "Robert Hichens",in: Colavito, Jason, ed. ''A Hideous Bit of Morbidity: An Anthology of Horror Criticism from the Enlightenment to World War I''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. (pp. 307–324). (Reprinted from Cooper's ''Some English Story Tellers'', 1912. pp. 342–375.) and

Edmund Wilson Edmund Wilson Jr. (May 8, 1895 – June 12, 1972) was an American writer, literary critic, and journalist. He is widely regarded as one of the most important literary critics of the 20th century. Wilson began his career as a journalist, writing ...

dismissing the story as "trash". Later reviews of the story were more positive;

J. A. Cuddon John Anthony Bowden Cuddon (2 June 1928 – 12 March 1996), was an English author, dictionary writer, and school teacher. He is known best for his ''Dictionary of Literary Terms'' (published in several editions), described by the Times Education ...

called it "outstanding" and compared it with "

The Horla "The Horla" (French: "Le Horla") is an 1887 short horror story written in the style of a journal by the French writer Guy de Maupassant, after an initial (much shorter) version published in the newspaper '' Gil Blas'', October 26, 1886. The ...

" by

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, celebrated as a master of the short story, as well as a representative of the naturalist school, depicting human lives, destinies and s ...

and "The Beckoning Fair One" by

Oliver Onions George Oliver Onions (13 November 1873 – 9 April 1961), who published under the name Oliver Onions, was an English writer of short stories and novels. He wrote in various genres, but is perhaps best remembered for his ghost stories, notably ...

.J. A. Cuddon, ''The Penguin Book of Horror Stories''. London, Bloomsbury. (p. 44)

described the story as an "authentic masterpiece of horror fiction", and

Jason Colavito Jason Colavito (born 1981) is an American author and independent scholar specializing in the study of fringe theories particularly around ancient history and extraterrestrials. Colavito has written a number of books, including ''The Cult of Alien ...

called it "possibly one of the greatest stories of its age". Hichens's ''Felix'' (1902), is an early fictional treatment of hypodermic morphine addiction, while '' The Garden of Allah'' (1904) sold well internationally, and was made into a film three times. Hichens published his memoirs in 1947, ''Yesterday''.

Selected bibliography

Novels * ''The Coast Guard's Secret'' (1886) * ''

'' (published anonymously, 1894; republished, 1949) –

available In reliability engineering, the term availability has the following meanings: * The degree to which a system, subsystem or equipment is in a specified operable and committable state at the start of a mission, when the mission is called for at a ...

Wikisource Wikisource is an online wiki-based digital library of free-content source text, textual sources operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole; it is also the name for each instance of that project, one f ...

* '' An Imaginative Man'' (1895) * ''The Collaborators'' (1896)
''Flames''
(1897)
''The Londoners''
(1898) * '' The Slave'' (1899)
''The Prophet of Berkeley Square''
(1901)
''Felix''
(1902) * '' The Garden of Allah'' (1904), elaborately presented as a play in New York City and filmed thrice, in

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Empire, British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that has been stored ...

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

(with

Alice Terry Alice Frances Taaffe (July 24, 1899 – December 22, 1987), known professionally as Alice Terry, was an American film actress and director. She began her career during the Silent film, silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films betwe ...

) and

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

(one of the earliest three-strip

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

features, with

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

and

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

) * '' The Woman with the Fan'' (1904) * '' The Call of the Blood'' (1906) * ''

Barbary Sheep The Barbary sheep (''Ammotragus lervia''), also known as aoudad (pronounced �ɑʊdæd, is a species of caprine native to rocky mountains in North Africa and parts of West Africa. While this is the only species in genus ''Ammotragus'', six sub ...

'' (1907) * '' A Spirit in Prison'' (1908) * '' Bella Donna'' (1909), in which

Alla Nazimova Alla Aleksandrovna Nazimova (, born Marem-Ides Leventon; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. May 22 1879 – July 13, 1945) was a Russian-American actress, director, producer and scre ...

starred on Broadway in 1912, filmed in 1915, in 1923 with

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienn ...

and in 1934 with

Mary Ellis Mary Ellis (born May Belle Elsas; June 15, 1897 – January 30, 2003) was an American actress and singer who spent most of her career in Britain. Trained as a lyric soprano, she began performing at the Metropolitan Opera where she created the ...

and

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt ( , ; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German and British actor. He attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and ''The Man ...

. * '' The Fruitful Vine'' (1911) * ''The Dweller on the Threshold'' (1911) * ''

The Way of Ambition ''The Way of Ambition'' is a 1913 novel by the British writer Robert Hichens (writer), Robert Hichens.Vinson p.350 An young woman marries a musical genius and ambitiously manages his career. References Bibliography

* Vinson, James. ''Twent ...

'' (1913) * '' In the Wilderness'' (1917) * ''Snake-Bite'' (1919) * ''Mrs. Marden'' (1919) * ''Spirit of the Time'' (1921) * '' December Love'' (1922) * ''The Last Time'' (1924) * '' After the Verdict'' (1924) * '' The Bracelet'' (1930) * '' The First Lady Brendon'' (1931) * ''Mortimer Brice'' (1932) * ''

The Paradine Case ''The Paradine Case'' is a 1947 American courtroom drama film with elements of film noir set in England, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick. Selznick and an uncredited Ben Hecht wrote the screenplay from an adaptatio ...

'' (1933) – film version directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

in 1947 * '' The Power To Kill'' (1934) * ''The Pyramid'' (1936) * ''The Sixth of October'' (1936) * '' Daniel Airlie'' (1937) * ''Secret Information'' (1938) * ''

The Journey Up ''The Journey Up'' is a 1938 novel by the British writer Robert Hichens.Vinson p.350 References Bibliography * Vinson, James. ''Twentieth-Century Romance and Gothic Writers''. Macmillan, 1982. 1938 British novels Novels by Robert Hichens ...

'' (1938) * ''That Which Is Hidden'' (1939) * ''The Million'' (1940) * ''

A New Way of Life ''A New Way of Life'' is a 1942 novel by the British writer Robert Hichens.Vinson p.350 Like many of his works, it is set in North Africa in the Sahara Desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is ...

'' (1942) * ''Veils'' (1943) * ''Harps in the Wind'' (1945) * '' Beneath the Magic'' (1950) Collections
''The Folly of Eustace: And Other Stories''
(1896) *''Bye-Ways'' (1897)
''Tongues of Conscience''
(1898, 1900)
''The Black Spaniel: And Other Stories''
(1905) *''Snake-Bite: And Other Stories'' (1919) *''The Afterglow and Other Stories'' (1935) *''The Return of the Soul and Other Stories'' (2001; ed.

S. T. Joshi Sunand Tryambak Joshi (born June 22, 1958) is an American literary critic whose work has largely focused on weird and fantastic fiction, especially the life and work of H. P. Lovecraft and associated writers. Career His literary critic ...

) Nonfiction * '' The Spell of Egypt'' (1910) *''Yesterday'' (1947) Anthologies containing stories by Hichens *''Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror 1st Series'' (1928) *''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1957) *''The 2nd Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories'' (1966) *''Medley Macabre'' (1966) *''Black Water'' (1984) *''I Shudder at Your Touch'' (1992) *''4 Classic Ghostly Tales'' (1993) Short stories *"How Love Came to Professor Guildea" (1900) *"Demetriadi's Dream"

Plays

* ''The Law of the Sands'' (1916) * ''Black Magic'' (1917) * ''

The Voice from the Minaret ''The Voice from the Minaret'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Norma Talmadge, Eugene O'Brien, and Winter Hall. The film is based on the play of the same name by Robert Smythe Hichens (London, ...

'' (1919)

Filmography

*'' Bella Donna'', directed by

Edwin S. Porter Edwin Stanton Porter (April 21, 1870 – April 30, 1941) was an American film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Famous Players Film Company. Of over ...

and Hugh Ford (1915, based on the novel '' Bella Donna'') *'' The Garden of Allah'', directed by Colin Campbell (1916, based on the novel '' The Garden of Allah'') *''

'', directed by

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

(1917, based on the novel ''

'') *''

Flames A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasma. ...

'', directed by

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

(UK, 1917, based on the novel ''Flames'') *'' The Slave'', directed by

Arrigo Bocchi Arrigo Bocchi (c.1871 – ?) was a British-Italian film director and producer of the silent era.Low p.149-50 After the First World War Bocchi worked for Windsor Films at the Catford Studios in London as well as shooting films on location in Ital ...

(UK, 1918, based on the novel '' The Slave'') *''

Hidden Lives ''Hidden Lives'' () is a 1920 Dutch silent film directed by Maurits Binger. It is based on a novel by John Knittel. Plot Arundel is an ambitious professor who is working on a book on the evolution of the female. He does this at the expense o ...

'', directed by

Maurits Binger Maurits Binger (5 April 1868 – 9 April 1923) was a Dutch film director, film producer, producer and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. He directed 39 films between 1913 and 1922 and is considered one of the pioneers of fictional ...

and

B. E. Doxat-Pratt Bernard Edwin Doxat-Pratt (1886 – unknown)B.E. Doxat-Pratt ...

(Netherlands, 1920, based on a play by Robert Hichens and

John Knittel John Knittel, originally Hermann Emanuel Knittel (March 24, 1891 in Dharwar, India – April 26, 1970 in Maienfeld, Graubünden) was a Swiss writer. Life John Knittel was the son of a Württemberg missionary, Hermann Wilhelm Knittel, who was in ...

) *'' The Call of the Blood'', directed by

Louis Mercanton Louis Mercanton (4 May 1879 – 29 April 1932) was a Swiss people, Swiss film director, screenwriter and actor. Mercanton was born in Nyon, Vaud, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Partial filmography Director * ' ...

(France, 1920, based on the novel '' The Call of the Blood'') *'' The Woman with the Fan'', directed by

René Plaissetty René Plaissetty (1889–1955) was an American film director. Son of Achille Plaissetty, chemist and businessman and Corinne Bonnecaze, professor of singing, René Plaissetty was born on March 7, 1889, in Chicago. In 1907 he came to live in F ...

(UK, 1921, based on the novel '' The Woman with the Fan'') *'' The Fruitful Vine'', directed by

(UK, 1921, based on the novel '' The Fruitful Vine'') *''

'', directed by

Frank Lloyd Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a Scottish-American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president from ...

(1923, based on the play ''

'') *'' Bella Donna'', directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...

(1923, based on the novel ''Bella Donna'') *''

The Lady Who Lied ''The Lady Who Lied'' is a 1925 American silent melodrama film produced and distributed by First National Pictures and based on a novel by Robert Hichens. Edwin Carewe directed, and Nita Naldi, and Lewis Stone star. The film has the distinction ...

'', directed by

Edwin Carewe Edwin Carewe ( Chickasaw Nation, March 3, 1883 – January 22, 1940) was a Native American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Early life and education Jay John Fox was born on March 3, 1883, in Gainesville, Texas. H ...

(1925, based on the story ''The Lady Who Lied'') *'' The Garden of Allah'', directed by Rex Ingram (1927, based on the novel ''The Garden of Allah'') *'' After the Verdict'', directed by

Henrik Galeen Henrik Galeen (7 January 1881 – 30 July 1949) was an Austrian-born actor, screenwriter and film director considered an influential figure in the development of German Expressionist cinema during the silent era. He wrote the screenplay for ''Nosf ...

(UK, 1929, based on the novel '' After the Verdict'') *'' Bella Donna'', directed by

Robert Milton Robert A. Milton (born July 30, 1960) was the chairman of the board of directors of United Airlines Holdings, which is the parent company of United Airlines. He serves as the lead independent director of Air Lease Corporation. He was the chairman, ...

(UK, 1934, based on the novel ''Bella Donna'') *'' The Garden of Allah'', directed by

Richard Boleslawski Richard Boleslawski (born Bolesław Ryszard Srzednicki; February 4, 1889 – January 17, 1937) was a Polish theatre and film director, actor and teacher of acting. Biography Richard Boleslawski was born Bolesław Ryszard Srzednicki on February ...

(1936, based on the novel ''The Garden of Allah'') *''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'', directed by

Irving Pichel Irving Pichel (June 24, 1891 – July 13, 1954) was an American actor and film director, who won acclaim both as an actor and director in his Hollywood career. Career Pichel was born to a American Jews, Jewish family in Pittsburgh. He attended ...

(1946, based on the novel ''Bella Donna'') *''

'', directed by

(1947, based on the novel ''

'') *'' Call of the Blood'', directed by John Clements and

Ladislao Vajda Ladislao Vajda (born Vajda László, ; 18 August 1906 – 25 March 1965) was a Hungarian-Spanish film director who made films in Hungary, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Italy and West Germany. Biography Vajda was born in Budapest, his f ...

(UK, 1948, based on the novel ''Call of the Blood'')

References

Additional sources *"Robert S. Hichens". ''Dictionary of Literary Biography. Volume 153: Late-Victorian and Edwardian British Novelists''. First Series. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995.
''Author and Book Info.com''

External links

*

in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''
Robert Hichens
at Fantastic Fiction
Robert Hichens
at Great War Theatre * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hichens, Robert Smythe 1864 births 1950 deaths People from Speldhurst 19th-century English novelists 20th-century English novelists Alumni of the London School of Journalism Alumni of the Royal College of Music English autobiographers English horror writers English male novelists British gay writers English LGBTQ writers People educated at Clifton College 19th-century English male writers 20th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers People from the Borough of Tunbridge Wells English satirists British satirical short story writers British satirical novelists