Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH KBE (14 May 1853 â€" 31 August 1931),
usually known as Hall Caine, was a British novelist, dramatist, short
story writer, poet and critic of the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century. Caine's popularity during his lifetime was
unprecedented. He wrote fifteen novels on subjects of adultery,
divorce, domestic violence, illegitimacy, infanticide, religious
bigotry and women's rights, became an international literary
celebrity, and sold a total of ten million books. Caine was the most
highly paid novelist of his day. The Eternal City is the first novel
to have sold over a million copies worldwide. In addition to his
books, Caine is the author of more than a dozen plays and was one of
the most commercially successful dramatists of his time; many were
West End and Broadway productions. Caine adapted seven of his novels
for the stage. He collaborated with leading actors and managers,
including Wilson Barrett, Viola Allen, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Louis
Napoleon Parker, Mrs Patrick Campbell, George Alexander, and Arthur
Collins. Most of Caine's novels were adapted into silent black and
white films. A. E. Coleby's 1923 18,454 feet, nineteen-reel film The
Prodigal Son became the longest commercially made British film. Alfred
Hitchcock's 1929 film The Manxman, is Hitchcock's last silent
film.Born in Runcorn to a Manx father and Cumbrian mother, Caine was
raised in Liverpool. After spending four years in school, Caine was
trained as an architectural draughtsman. While growing up he spent
childhood holidays with relatives in the Isle of Man. At seventeen he
spent a year there as schoolmaster in Maughold. Afterwards he returned
to Liverpool and began a career in journalism, becoming a
leader-writer on the Liverpool Mercury. As a lecturer and theatre
critic he developed a circle of eminent literary friends by whom he
was influenced. Caine moved to London at Dante Gabriel Rossetti's
suggestion and lived with the poet, acting as secretary and companion
during the last years of Rossetti's life. Following the publication of
his Recollections of Rossetti in 1882 Caine began his career as a
writer spanning four decades.Caine established his residency in the
Isle of Man in 1895, where he sat from 1901 to 1908 in the Manx House
of Keys, the lower house of its legislature. Caine was elected
President of the Manx National Reform League in 1903 and chair of the
Keys' Committee that prepared the 1907 petition for constitutional
reform. In 1929 Caine was granted the Freedom of the Borough of
Douglas, Isle of Man. Caine visited Russia in 1892 on behalf of the
persecuted Jews. In 1895 Caine travelled in the United States and
Canada, where he represented the Society of Authors conducting
successful negotiations and obtaining important international
copyright concessions from the Dominion Parliament.
usually known as Hall Caine, was a British novelist, dramatist, short
story writer, poet and critic of the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century. Caine's popularity during his lifetime was
unprecedented. He wrote fifteen novels on subjects of adultery,
divorce, domestic violence, illegitimacy, infanticide, religious
bigotry and women's rights, became an international literary
celebrity, and sold a total of ten million books. Caine was the most
highly paid novelist of his day. The Eternal City is the first novel
to have sold over a million copies worldwide. In addition to his
books, Caine is the author of more than a dozen plays and was one of
the most commercially successful dramatists of his time; many were
West End and Broadway productions. Caine adapted seven of his novels
for the stage. He collaborated with leading actors and managers,
including Wilson Barrett, Viola Allen, Herbert Beerbohm Tree, Louis
Napoleon Parker, Mrs Patrick Campbell, George Alexander, and Arthur
Collins. Most of Caine's novels were adapted into silent black and
white films. A. E. Coleby's 1923 18,454 feet, nineteen-reel film The
Prodigal Son became the longest commercially made British film. Alfred
Hitchcock's 1929 film The Manxman, is Hitchcock's last silent
film.Born in Runcorn to a Manx father and Cumbrian mother, Caine was
raised in Liverpool. After spending four years in school, Caine was
trained as an architectural draughtsman. While growing up he spent
childhood holidays with relatives in the Isle of Man. At seventeen he
spent a year there as schoolmaster in Maughold. Afterwards he returned
to Liverpool and began a career in journalism, becoming a
leader-writer on the Liverpool Mercury. As a lecturer and theatre
critic he developed a circle of eminent literary friends by whom he
was influenced. Caine moved to London at Dante Gabriel Rossetti's
suggestion and lived with the poet, acting as secretary and companion
during the last years of Rossetti's life. Following the publication of
his Recollections of Rossetti in 1882 Caine began his career as a
writer spanning four decades.Caine established his residency in the
Isle of Man in 1895, where he sat from 1901 to 1908 in the Manx House
of Keys, the lower house of its legislature. Caine was elected
President of the Manx National Reform League in 1903 and chair of the
Keys' Committee that prepared the 1907 petition for constitutional
reform. In 1929 Caine was granted the Freedom of the Borough of
Douglas, Isle of Man. Caine visited Russia in 1892 on behalf of the
persecuted Jews. In 1895 Caine travelled in the United States and
Canada, where he represented the Society of Authors conducting
successful negotiations and obtaining important international
copyright concessions from the Dominion Parliament.
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