Frederic Wakeman, Sr.

Last updated
Frederic Wakeman
Frederick Wakeman Narva 1933.jpg
Wakeman in college yearbook in 1933
Born(1909-12-26)December 26, 1909
Kansas
DiedOctober 26, 1998(1998-10-26) (aged 88)
OccupationNovelist
Notable worksShore Leave (1944), The Hucksters (1946)

Frederic Wakeman (December 26, 1909-October 26, 1998) was an American novelist, best known for his best-selling 1946 novel The Hucksters, which was made into the 1947 film of the same name. [1] He was also the father of East Asian history scholar Frederic Evans Wakeman Jr..

Contents

Writing

Wakeman worked in the advertising industry until leaving to serve in the United States Navy in the Pacific from 1942 to 1943. [2] Recovering in a naval hospital, he wrote his first novel, Shore Leave (1944), basing the character of Andy Crewson on an actual decorated naval aviator, [3] [4] It was adapted into the 1945 Broadway play Kiss Them for Me and 1957 film Kiss Them for Me .

His next novel, for which he became best known, The Hucksters (1946), about the radio advertising industry, spent 35 weeks in the top stratum of The New York Times Fiction bestseller list - including 19 weeks at #1, [5] [6] aided perhaps by its raunchy and racy content for its time. Life magazine called the book "last year's best-selling travesty" [7] and even Clark Gable, who would eventually star in its film adaptation, said "It's filthy and it isn't entertainment." [8] Life's and Gable's literary sensibilities to the contrary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer paid $200,000 for the motion picture rights before the novel was even published. [8]

His third novel, The Saxon Charm (1947), was adapted to a film of the same name in 1948. The Wastrel (1949) was adapted to film in 1961, which starred his second wife, Greek actress Ellie Lambeti. [1] He also wrote and directed the 1968 Italian film Mia mera, o pateras mou (One Day, My Daddy) starring Lambeti. [9]

Personal life

Wakeman was born in of Scranton, Kansas, and attended Park College in Parkville, Missouri, where he graduated from in 1933. He then worked on the Kansas City Journal Post before moving into advertising. [10] [11]

After the success of Shore Leave and The Hucksters, Wakeman became quite wealthy, and instead of continuing to shuttle between Kansas City and Manhattan, he moved his family to multiple places, including Mexico, Cuba, Bermuda, France, and Spain. His son Frederic Wakeman, Jr. would cite these experiences as very influential on him. [12] [13]

Judy Holliday starred in the play version of Shore Leave (Kiss Them for Me), and the two started an affair during its run. According to Holliday's 1982 biography by William Holtzman, the dedication in The Hucksters to "J.H.", (which Wakeman ascribed to theatrical producer Jed Harris, who he later based his novel The Saxon Charm on), was actually a dedication to Holliday, and claims she came up with the novel's title. [14]

Wakeman had three children by his first marriage to Margaret (Keys) Hayes (d. 1994). [15] [16] [17] Wakeman's second wife was Greek actress Ellie Lambeti, from 1959 to 1976. [18] [19] [20] Their marriage was estranged in its later years, and was strained by their adoption of a daughter who later had to be returned to her birth parents after a court fight. [21] The 2006-07 Greek television series I teleftaia parastasi portrayed Lambeti's life, in which Wakeman is portrayed by actor Aris Lempesopoulos.

Wakeman lived in Greece for 20 years. [22] He died in Stuart, Florida in 1998 at the age of 88. [1] His ashes were scattered at sea. Before his death, he wrote a fictionalized account of his life called Reminiscent Bells, which has never been published. [22] Dying 50 years after his greatest writing success, his death did not gain much notice outside his local Florida newspaper, The Stuart News. James Twitchell, an English professor at the University of Florida noted at his death that The Hucksters was "really influential because it started this whole movement of seeing advertisers as devious, deceptive, diabolical and as encouraging a kind of duplicity that straightforward American culture should abhor." [22] In that same reporting, his daughter described him as not caring about fame, and being "more of a loner", "He just liked to travel and write." [22]

Bibliography

References

  1. 1 2 3 (October 29, 1998). Frederic Wakeman, The Stuart News
  2. p.170 Newman, Kathleen M. Radio Active: Advertising and Consumer Activism, 1935-1947 University of California Press, 17 May 2004
  3. Jensen Lieutenant Oliver, USNR Admiral Mitscher’s Task Force 58 in the 1st Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 1944 SaltOfAmerica.com
  4. p.68 Kiss Them for MeLIFE 23 Apr 1945
  5. John Bear, The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times bestsellers since the first list, 50 years ago, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1992. pp. 21-27
  6. (29 July 1947). Wakeman Likes Admen, but hates 'Tyranny', Advertising Age
  7. "Greenstreet Plays the Great Huckster," Life, March 31, 1947, p. 51
  8. 1 2 Capua, p. 41
  9. Natsios, Vasilis (3 September 2018). One day my father: The unknown film with Elli Lambeti, cosmopoliti (in Greek)
  10. The Huckters (intro) (1946)
  11. Meyer, Ruth (9 October 1955). Jayhawker Degrades Kansas With His Novel of Vulgarity, The Wichita Eagle
  12. In Memoriam-Frederic Wakeman, UC Berkeley, Retrieved 29 September 2025
  13. Tombrink, Ethel (13 July 1952). Wakeman Children Learning Languages Right At The Sources, The Miami Herald
  14. Holtzman, William. Judy Holliday, pp. 106-110 (1982)
  15. Hayes (Obituary), South Florida Sun Sentinel (reporting death of Margaret K. Hayes on November 18, 1994, first husband Frederic E. Wakeman Sr., married Herbert H. Hayes, a yacht broker, in 1965)
  16. (16 Decembrer 1986). H.E. Hayes, businessman, Fort Lauderdale News (reporting death of Margaret (Keys) second husband)
  17. (16 April 1981). The voice behind the social register, Fort Lauderdale News and Sun Sentinel
  18. (19 June 1966). About the authors: Frederic Wakeman, The Grand Rapids Press
  19. (13 April 2021). Looking back at the life of Greek actress, Ellie Lambeti, The Greek Herald
  20. 1 2 (27 June 1965). 'Hucksters' Author Take a Look at Love and Marriage, The Plain Dealer
  21. (3 September 2023). Elli Lampeti: The rejection by Horn, the crazy love with Alexandrakis and the drama of adoption, To Pontiki (in Greek)
  22. 1 2 3 4 Conte, Andrew (29 October 1998). Writer Who criticized advertising industry dies, The Stuart News (and part 2 of article)
  23. (12 March 1944). 'Shore Leave,' and Other Recent Fiction Entries, The New York Times
  24. (1 October 1947). The Saxon Charm (review), Kirkus Reviews (notes novel release date of October 9, 1947)
  25. Weiler, A.H. (15 December 1957). The Local Movie Scene, The New York Times
  26. Sylvester, Harry (4 October 1953). That Talent for Deceit (book review), The New York Times
  27. Paulus, John D. (25 September 1955). Small Town Inertia (book review of The Fabulous Train), The New York Times
  28. Walker, Gerald (2 April 1961). How to End a Marriage (review of The Fault of the Apple, The New York Times
  29. Kelly, James (14 April 1963). Cloak and Dagger:Human (review of A Free Agent), The New York Times
  30. (29 May 1966). Reader's Report, The New York Times