Charles Beaumont
Charles Beaumont, born Charles Leroy Nutt on January 2, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, was a notable American writer known for his contributions to science fiction and horror. He began his career in 1945 by producing a science-fiction fanzine and soon published his first story, "The Devil, You Say," in 1951, showcasing his unique blend of horror and sci-fi. Beaumont gained prominence for his short stories, many of which appeared in popular publications like Playboy and genre magazines, as well as in various collected volumes, including *The Best of Charles Beaumont*.
His writing often featured psychological themes and included a significant body of work for television, notably eighteen episodes of *The Twilight Zone*. Beaumont also wrote or co-wrote several films, such as *The Intruder*, which was adapted into a movie starring William Shatner. In addition to his fiction, he collaborated with other writers and was involved in various artistic endeavors, including illustration and acting. Tragically, Beaumont's life was cut short by Alzheimer's disease, leading to his death in 1967 at the age of 38. His legacy endures, as his work continues to resonate, with posthumous accolades, including a Bram Stoker Award for a collection of his stories.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Charles Beaumont
Author
- Born: January 2, 1929
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: February 21, 1967
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Biography
Charles Beaumont, was born Charles Leroy Nutt on January 2, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois. His mother was abusive and often made him wear girls’ clothing and once punished him by killing a pet. Still, he grew into a spontaneous and outgoing person who would take trips out of the country. Beaumont also wrote under the names of C. B. Lovehill and, sometimes with William F. Nolan, as Michael Phillips and Frank Anmar. He did artwork under the names of E. T. Beaumont and Charles McNutt. He worked briefly as an actor at Universal Studios and in MGM’s art department.
In 1945, he began producing his own science-fiction fanzine, Utopia, and illustrations for science fiction magazines. His first story, “The Devil, You Say,” appeared in a 1951 issue of Amazing Stories magazine and foreshadowed his particular blend of horror and science fiction. His short stories appeared in genre magazines as well as publications like Playboy and were collected in a number of volumes including The Best of Charles Beaumont (1982), with an introduction by his childhood friend and fellow writer Ray Bradbury that recalls how they met as boys comparing their comic strip collections of “Terry and the Pirates” (Beaumont’s) and “Buck Rogers” (Bradbury’s). Beaumont’s stories, like Bradbury’s, are credited with bringing his style of fantasy to the attention of mainstream readers.
Beaumont’s later work focused more on horror and mystery and has overtones that are more psychological than supernatural. He mostly wrote short stories, and his only novel was The Intruder (1959). The book was made into a movie by Roger Corman in 1961, with William Shatner in the title role as a rabble-rouser protesting Southern school integration. He wrote eighteen Twilight Zone television episodes and authored or coauthored scripts for almost as many movies, including Queen of Outer Space (1958), a movie about an expedition to Venus, which is inhabited by beautiful women, including one played by Zsa Zsa Gabor. Other movie scripts include The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao (1964; based on Charles G. Finney’s The Circus of Dr. Lao); The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) for George Pal; Burn, Witch, Burn (1953; based on Fritz Leiber’s Conjure Wife); The Premature Burial (1961); The Masque of the Red Death (1964); and The Haunted Palace (1963; based on H. P. Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward). Beaumont collaborated often with other writers, such as Nolan, Chad Oliver, Richard Matheson and Ray Russell.
In addition to frequent appearances in other collections, Beaumont edited one of his own (The Fiend in You, 1962). At age thirty-four, Beaumont began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, which resulted in his death in 1967 at age 38 in Woodland Hills, California. Nearly thrity years after his death, a collection of his stories, Charles Beaumont: Selected Stories, won the 1989 Bram Stoker Award for best horror story collection of the year.