Robin Estridge, a.k.a. Robin York and Philip Loraine (1 May 1920 – 24 October 2002) was a British

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

suspense fiction Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. S ...

and a

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Biography

He was born Robin Phillip Lorraine Estridge on 1 May 1920, in

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

. His real name was ''Robin Estridge'', but he mostly published

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

s under the name of Robin York and Philip Loraine. Today, he has been somewhat forgotten by many readers as well as collectors of

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

. ''Sea Change'' (1982) is one of his best-known novels. An introductory note to ''And to My Beloved Husband'' written under the pseudonym Philip Loraine (Ace Books, N.Y., year of publication missing, originally published by M.S. Mill Co, 1950) provides the following information about the author:

"Philip Loraine has published a number of top-notch suspense novels in the United States, and under his real name has written other books, as well as film and television scripts."

Loraine has also been a sailor in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

, a theatrical designer, a dishwasher in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, a

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

, and a tubercular patient. Besides five years in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, he also resided in Corsica,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label= Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavij ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and, as seldom as possible, his native

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. He liked writing, peace and quiet, sunshine, and new places. He disliked bad food, bad manners, people who think of themselves as intellectual, bigotry, politics, and politicians. Estridge died on 24 October 2002 in

Astoria, Oregon Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state and was the first permanent American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corn ...

Selected novels

*''White Lie the Dead'' (Hodder, 1950) *''Exit with Intent'' (Stoughton, 1950) *''And to my Beloved Husband'' (M&S, 1950) *''The Break in The Circle'' (H&S, 1951) (filmed as ''

Break in the Circle ''Break in the Circle'' is a 1955 British drama film directed by Val Guest and starring Forrest Tucker, Eva Bartok, Marius Goring and Guy Middleton. Doreen Carwithen composed the score for the film. Plot An adventurer is hired by a German mil ...

'' in 1955) *''The Dublin Nightmare'' (H&S, 1951) (filmed as '' Dublin Nightmare'' in 1958) *''The Angel of Death'' (H&S, 1961) *''Day of the Arrow'' (Collins, 1964) (filed as ''

Eye of the Devil ''Eye of the Devil,'' also known as ''13,'' is a 1966 British mystery horror film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Donald Pleasence, Sharon Tate and David Hemmings. The film is set in rural France and was filme ...

'' in 1966) *''W.I.L One to Curtis'' (Collins, 1967) *''The Dead Men of Sestos'' (Collins, 1968) *''A Mafia Kiss (Collins'' 1969) *''Photographs Have Been Sent to Your Wife'' (Collins, 1971) *''Voices in an Empty Room'' (Collins, 1973) *''Ask the Rattlesnake'' (Collins, 1975) *''Lions Ransom'' (Collins, 1980) *''Sea Change'' (Collins, 1982) *''Death Wishes'' (Collins, 1983) *Gold and the Dance of Death (unpublished, 1990s) *Dead Men are Dangerous (unpublished, 1990s)

Screenwriting credits

* 1975 ''

Permission to Kill ''Permission to Kill'', also known as ''The Executioner'', is a 1975 spy thriller film made by Sascha-Verleih and distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures. It was directed by Cyril Frankel and produced by Paul Mills from a screenplay by Robin E ...

'' * 1966 ''

The Boy Cried Murder ''The Boy Cried Murder'' is a 1966 British thriller film directed by George P. Breakston and starring Fraser MacIntosh, Veronica Hurst, and Phil Brown. The film is based on the novelette of the same name by Cornell Woolrich. The movie is a remake ...

'' * 1965 ''

'' * 1963 ''

Drums of Africa ''Drums of Africa'' is a 1963 American adventure film set in Africa, directed by James B. Clark. It used footage from the 1950 film of '' King Solomon's Mines''. Plot Three adventurers fight slave traders in the Congo. Cast * Frankie Avalon ...

'' * 1962 '' Escape from Zahrain'' * 1960 '' No Kidding'' * 1959 '' Northwest Frontier'' * 1957 ''

Checkpoint Checkpoint may refer to: Places * Border checkpoint, a place on the land border between two states where travellers and/or goods are inspected * Security checkpoint, erected and enforced within contiguous areas under military or paramilitary co ...

'' * 1957 ''

Campbell's Kingdom ''Campbell's Kingdom'' is a 1957 British adventure film directed by Ralph Thomas, based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Hammond Innes. The film stars Dirk Bogarde and Stanley Baker, with Michael Craig, Barbara Murray, James Robertson Jus ...

'' * 1957 ''

Dangerous Exile ''Dangerous Exile'' is a 1957 British historical drama film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Louis Jourdan, Belinda Lee, Anne Heywood and Richard O'Sullivan. It concerns the fate of Louis XVII, who died in 1795 as a boy, yet wa ...

'' * 1955 ''

Above Us the Waves ''Above Us the Waves'' is a 1955 British war film about human torpedo and midget submarine attacks in Norwegian fjords against the German battleship ''Tirpitz''. Directed by Ralph Thomas, it is based on two true-life attacks by British command ...

'' * 1955 ''

Simba Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film ''The Lion King'', Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in '' The Lion King II: ...

'' * 1954 '' The Young Lovers'' * 1953 ''

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember (often abbreviated ADTR, and previously known as End of an Era) is an American rock band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of meta ...

Sources

* Allen J. Hubin: CRIME FICTION IV. A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1749-2000, 2010 Revised Edition (Locus Press) * *Marvin Lachman: Death of a Mystery Writer, in: CADS 59, December 2010

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Estridge, Robin English male screenwriters 1920 births 2002 deaths 20th-century English screenwriters Best British Screenplay BAFTA Award winners 20th-century English male writers