Robert Arthur
Robert Arthur was an American author and editor born on November 10, 1909, in the Philippines. He grew up in a military family, attending schools in multiple states before graduating from Hampton High School in Virginia. Initially accepted into West Point, Arthur chose to pursue a degree in English from the University of Michigan, where he later completed a master's in journalism. His career began in New York City, where he sold stories to pulp magazines and became an influential figure in the genre, known for creating the Pocket Detective magazine. Arthur also made significant contributions to radio, writing over five hundred scripts, including his own series, "Mysterious Traveler."
In Hollywood, he wrote scripts for iconic shows such as "The Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," which led to his editing of anthologies associated with Hitchcock. He is perhaps best known for the young-adult series "The Three Investigators," initially titled "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators," having authored ten books in the series before his passing on May 2, 1969. Arthur's legacy continued through other writers who expanded the series, contributing to its popularity until it was ultimately discontinued in the early 1990s.
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Robert Arthur
Writer
- Born: November 10, 1909
- Birthplace: Fort Mills, Corregidor Island, the Philippines
- Died: May 2, 1969
- Place of death: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biography
Robert Arthur was born on November 10, 1909, to Robert Arthur, Sr., and Sarah Fee Arthur at Fort Mills, on Corregidor Island in the Philippines. Robert Arthur, Sr., was a lieutenant in the United States Army and the family moved frequently as he was stationed in various locations. Arthur and his younger brother John, born in 1914, attended primary school in four different states. Arthur graduated from Hampton High School in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he was president of the senior class.
Arthur was accepted at West Point, but in 1926, he enrolled at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia, rather than pursue a military career. After two years, he transferred to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he graduated in 1930 with a bachelor of arts in English. Two years later, he obtained a master of arts in journalism from the same university. He married radiosoap opera actress Susan Smith Cleveland in February, 1938. The couple divorced in 1940. That same year, he met his second wife, Joan Vaczek, though they would not marry until 1946. They had two children, Robert Andrew Arthur, born in 1948, and Elizabeth Ann Arthur, born in 1953. They were divorced in 1959.
Following his graduation, Arthur moved to New York City, where he began selling stories to the genre or “pulp” magazines. His first publication was “Terror from the Sea,” which appeared in Wonder Stories in July, 1930. He worked as an editor for a variety of genre magazines published by Dell and was also an associate editor for Photostory. Arthur is credited with creating and editing the Pocket Detective magazine, the first pocket-sized fiction magazine. In addition, Arthur also wrote more than five hundred scripts for radio programs, including his own series, Mysterious Traveler, which aired from 1944 to 1953.
Arthur moved from New York to Hollywood in 1959, where he wrote scripts for The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Three years later, he moved back to the East Coast, where he would remain for the rest of his life. His work on the Alfred Hitchcock program led to an offer from Random House to edit a series of anthologies based on the series. Arthur edited ten collections under Hitchcock’s name and three under his own name. In addition, two collections of his short stories were also published during the mid-1960’s.
Arthur may be best known for his young-adult series “the Three Investigators,” which was originally titled “Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators.” Arthur wrote ten books in the series before his death on May 2, 1969. Other writers continued the series, and more than forty titles were added before it was cancelled in the early 1990’s.