In Remembrance: Evan Hunter

     Evan Hunter, the novelist who wrote under the pen name Ed McBain and who authored screenplays for director Alfred Hitchcock, has passed away July 6, 2005 in Weston, Connecticut. He was 78.

     Born Salvatore Albert Lombino on October 15, 1926 in New York City, Hunter legally changed his name in 1952 after selling his first novel Find The Feathered Serpent. Although he had studied art at the Art Students League of New York and the Cooper Union Art School, he began writing mystery and science-fiction short stories while serving in the Navy between 1944 and 1946. Although he never sold a single story during this time – his shipmates reportedly kept a pool on when his next rejection slip would arrive – he continued writing. After his service, he returned to school, graduating Phi Betta Kappa from New York’s Hunter College. After various odd jobs including working as a substitute teacher and a literary agent, Hunter finally began to sell enough of his work to become a full time writer.

     Hunter’s first successful novel was The Blackboard Jungle, published in 1954. Based on Hunter’s time spent teaching English in two New York vocational high schools, the book told the story of a teacher in an urban high school attempting to deal with its delinquent students. The novel was a commercial and critical success. A film adaptation of the book starring Glenn Ford was released to similar acclaim in 1955. In addition to being the first film appearance of actors Vic Morrow and Jamie Farr, who was billed under his real name Jameel Farah, Blackboard Jungle also marked the first time rock and roll music – specifically the use of Bill Halley and the Comets’ “Rock Around The Clock” – appeared on a motion picture soundtrack.

     The success of The Blackboard Jungle lead to Hunter’s most lasting literary creation, the 87^th Precinct series of police procedurals. The series, launched in 1956 was the book Cop Hater, was centered on the detective squad of an unnamed big city and ran for 53 installments. Hunter chose to write the series under the pen name Ed McBain, as he felt the more graphic content might alienate readers of his mainstream novels. The series' 54^th and final volume, Fiddlers, is scheduled for a September 2005 publication. With its gritty writing and ensemble cast of characters the book series has often been seen as the prototype for such television series as Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.

     In 1958, two adaptations of 87^th Precinct novels hit the screen. The first, Cop Hater, featured a young Robert Loggia in the lead, while James Franciscus starred in The Mugger. Neither met with much critical notice. A third 87^th Precinct adaptation, 1960’s The Pusher, fared better. Other films based on Hunter novels include Tengoku To Jigoku, a 1963 Japanese adaptation of the 87^th Precinct novel King’s Ransom, the drama Mister Buddwing (1966) with James Garner, Last Summer (1969), the mystery Sans Mobile Apparent, a 1971 Italian adaptation of Without Apparent Motive, and the comedy Every Little Nook And Cranny (1972). Although Hunter had nothing to do with any of these films, he would write the screenplay adapting his novels Strangers When We Met, a potboiler about suburban infidelity starring Kirk Douglas and Kim Novak and 1972’s Fuzz, starring Burt Reynolds.

     After contributing a script to the anthology television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hunter was approached by Hitchcock to script the film The Birds (1963). Hunter also worked on the first draft to Hitchcock’s next film Marnie (1964), though the screenplay credit ultimately went to Jay Presson Allen. Hunter wrote about working for Hitchcock in his memoir Me And Hitch, published in 1997.

     In 1986, the mystery writers of America awarded Hunter a Grand Master Award. In 1998 he received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers Association, the only American to have done so.

     Hunter’s final film work was the script for the 1979 gang drama Walk Proud, starring Robby Benson.