20th Century Children's Authors - Knight ---------- 20th Century Children's Authors - Jere Knight - Lassie Come Home ---------- ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_01 ---------- Lassie Come Home Published by: John C. Winston Co. Year: 1940 Real Name: Eric Knight Pen Name: Eric Knight A. YOUR BACKGROUND Date of birth: April 10, 1897 Place of birth: Menston, Yorkshire, England Father's occupation: Jeweler Number of Brothers: 3 and sisters: Father's nationality: British Mother's nationality: British Kind of home during childhood (farm, small town, city apt. etc): industrial area of Yorkshire, Leads, Halifax, and surrounding countryside, knew hard- ships young in life, and began to work during school days Amount of schooling (high school, college, etc.): Sidney O. High School Economic status during childhood (poor, midle class, wealthy): Wealthy at birth poor thereafter Special interests as a child (sports, books, games, etc.): reading, drawing birds and flowers, dogs and horses, (came to U.S. when 15, at high school here interested in ice-skating, football, ice-hockey, et.) When did he begin to write?: At 15, was a copy boy on old Pilad Press, as a precocious lad was encouraged by editorial writers of that paper, and had published a series of great romances of history which were syn- dicated---those were the days of Christopher Morley on Phila. and others of note. C. H. Dickerman encouraged him most. What and when was his first recognition of success?: First published short story was a short-short in Liberty in 1930, then first novel "Invitation to Life" appeared 1934, "Song on Your Bugles" recommended by Book Society in England 1936; "Flying Yorkshireman" Book of Month, U.S. 1938 How did you happen to write for children?: LASSIE COME HOME was first pub- lished as a short story (long) in the Saturday Evening Post, and editor friend suggested it would make a wonderful book for children, EK added all the passages he had cut to make it a short story and lo, it was a book! Anything else about his background which has a bearing on his writing.: E.K. read everything and anything he could lay his hands on when young. He chanced into newspaper work, when 15 and continued in it thereafter, when after World War I he found that his eyes had been gassed and he was color-blind so could not be an artist (he had won medals for drawing in Boston and N.Y.), returned to Philadelphia and columns of dramatic criticism for which he got nation-wide acclaim. After first novel appeared was offered job in Hollywood, but did not like it there, and started writing as full time career in 1934. Before that he had only worked at his stories and novels at nights and odd moments. His writing all stemmed from his childnood years in Yorkshire... ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_02 ---------- B. THE WRITING OF THE BOOK Where did he get the idea for the book?: From our own collies, we had a come-home collie, originally named Lassie but better known to us as Toots When? (Season as well as year): 1930s... Were the characters real people, or based on real people?: Yes and no Where was he living at the time?: Springhouse Farm, Pleasant Valley, Pa. What was his major occupation?: Writing Names (also nicknames) and identities of members of his household at the time. (If children, give ages.): Wife: Jere; Daughter: Bettty; Dogs: Toots, Herrie, etc.---all collies... Did he talk the book idea over with any of them?: Read over each night what he has written each day Did he discuss it with an editor?: Jack Fraser of J. C. Winston (now dead) had idea of making the S.E.P. story into a book. Where and how did he get the material? (library research, travel, person- al experience, etc.): personal experience and creative genius. When did he begin to write the book?: About 1938...Published Dec. 17, 1938 in the Sat. Eve. Post. Where?: In the country, U.S.A. How much had he had published when he began it? (Give names of books) 3 novels (adult) miscellaneous short stories, including THE FLYING YORK- SHIRE MAN, a novella, which with others was title story for BOM volume What was his purpose in writing this book?: Making LASSIE into a book from the short story was no trouble at all, as he had cut it greatly to make is short story in length, and had been begged by his family to make it longer How did he write? (typewriter, long-hand, dictate): typewriter Where? (study, office, etc.): anywhere indoors or outdoors, the most unlikely places... Did he keep regular office hours?: Yes. If so, what were they?: more or less mostly he wrote full mornings Did he revise much?: Yes Write easily or laboriously?: easily and then edited laboriously Did he let his family or friends read his work, or try it out on children?: yes, both ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_03 ---------- Who made his final copies? (himself, private secretary, public typist, etc.): Wife Did he make an outline before writing the book?: seldom, not for LASSIE Did he decide on the title first or last?: it decided itself How long did it take him to write the book?: Between the original story, revisions, the book version and further revisions about 1 year Did he work on it steadily?: no Did it go fairly smoothly or did he hit rough spots?: smoothly Was the book accepted immediately by a publisher?: see above Was it immediately popular on publication?: yes Anything else about his writing that might be of interest, especially any- thing that concerns this book: Dedicated to Dr. Henry Jarrett, an English- man who was a great dog expert in this country, and a sort of foster-father to E.K., Dr. Jarrett imported some of the finest collies ever seen in this country---the Wellesbourne strain, he was a veterinary doctor, and a great dog fancier---judged many of the outstanding shows in this country and Canada, including the Madison Square Garden National show several times. E.K. was very fond of Dr. J. who, at 80, is still alive. C. ILLUSTRATIONS How much did he have to do with the illustrations of his book?: He originally did a set of illustrations of his own in black and white, as well as a color jacket for book, but Winston decided on Kirmse. If he did them himself, which came first, the pictures or the text? He was in touch with Kirmse when she was doing the illustrations, and answered all questions she had put to him on type of dog, etc. ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_04 ---------- D. WHAT SORT OF PERSON HE WAS What did you look like when you wrote this book? Dark or Fair? Very British Tall or short?: Tall Thin or plump?: Thin Color of eyes?: Hazel Wore glasses?: No, exceptionally good sight Color of hair?: Auburn, bushy Kind of hair--long or short?: longish and un- controlable, but not affectedly so Curly or straight?: light wave How did he wear it?: parted ont he right Any special features of his appearance (square jaw, dimples, stoop, etc.) Fine shaped head, good hair line with shock of hair undisciplined, clean nape, prominent cheek bones, moustache, typical Yorkshire aquiline nose, eyes and forehead all lined with smile lines, Was he quiet or talkative?: latter Friendly or reserved?: both Did he laugh a great deal or was he usually grave?: Contagious laughter, hearty could also be deadly serious and eloquently so. What sort of clothes did he wear most when writing? (sports, suits, slacks, sports clothes, mostly farming clothes--lue jeams and wool shirts. Favorite occupations and hobbies?: Farming, wood-carving, dogs, horses, ice- skating, making furniture, playing piano or piano accordian, singing, etc... What was his normal speech like?: (Meticulously correct, colloquial, slangy, abrupt, rambling, etc.) to Americans he sounded British, with the soft Yorkshire burr, to British he seemed Americanized; voice deep and resonant What were some of his pet expressions and exclamations?: Too varied to note, depended on mood, sometimes Yorkshire dialect, sometimes American slang Are other details about himm no matter how tricial, which might help me to picture him in my own mind: Healthy, ruddy complextion, not large in frame, a mixture of robustness and sensi- tivity, he was perfectly framed in the outdoors, but equally at home in a drawing room; incredibly versatile, outgoing yet deeply humble, his physical presence would dominate a room and he loved to entertain with story or music or showing off his animals; moslty he loved his fellow man and wanted to ask the questions which would bring remedies for the world's worst ills... Can you direct me to any articles or books which have been written about him?: Whit Burnett in various end papers of STORY magazine...Biographical notes in various magazines which published his stories (Esquire, Sat. Eve. Post, etc.) H.C. Wilson Directory of Authors and Library Reference Biographies, Who's Who, etc... ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_05 ---------- 3209 Alki Avenue Seattle 6, Washington February 26, 1948 Mrs. Jere Knight Springhouse Farm Pleasant Valley Bucks Co., Pa. Dear Mrs. Knight: Thanks so much for filling out my question- naire about the writing of Lassie Come-home. I thought you gave me all the information I needed, but when I began to write the chapter I find I have a couple more questions. About your collie Lassie--known as Toots: She got lost from us chasing a rabbit in the woods a good distance from home How did you find out she was a come-home dog? Had you sold her, given her away, or let her somewhere at some time? If there was some incident which revealed her as a come-home dog, and which later served as the inspiration for Lassie, that is the incident I will highlight Another thing, how old was Betty at that time? about 18 And did Eric Knight send the story cold to the Post, or was it after his Flying Yorkshireman story? That ran in the Post, didn't it? Through his agent, Curtis Brown Ltd. of N.Y.C. Sorry to bother you again, but I do want to do the best I can with this chapter. Sincerely, Elizabeth Rider Montgomery *And later on, once when we had left her in our packed car at the inter section of a busy city street and were unfortunately gone longer than we intended, she managed miraculously to crawl out the partly closed window and get out to relieve herself. But when we returned she was sitting by the car, and a man was standing by watching her who told us he had tried for a half an hour to coax her away from the car... There were other similar incidents in our joint lives (she was almost 12 when she died of grieving for Eric and me). Forgive the scribble /over ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_06 ---------- And if you need more I'll try to manage if you ask me. You see, I have remarried and have just become a proud mother (at the age of 40, can you imagine!) Jere Knight Lindtner ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_07 ---------- November 19, 1947 Mrs. Elizabeth Rider Montgomery 3209 Alki Avenue Seattle 6, Washington Dear Mrs. Montgomery: I thought it advisable, after looking over the questionnaire, to send it directly to Mrs. Ruth Ferguson at 400 East 49th Street, New York, New York, and I have asked her to forward the material to you when she has filled in the information. Where I was able to supply the information, I did so, but anything connected personally with Mr. O'Brien I felt she would be much more competent to handle. It was my privilege to have met bith Mr. and Mrs. Knight a number of times, and in fact while we were working on LASSIE COME- HOME, Eric Knight came into the office to discuss matters with us. He was a very colorful person with black hair and a sort of reddish moustache and a very ruddy complexion. He had rather much of an English accent, although not an unpleasant one, and was addicted to wearing coats and veste that did not match! He was a very jolly man and had only one real hatred that I knew of and that was the way they did business in Hollywood. Of course you may not want to use this, because it might not be advantageous, but it took him a long time to decide whether he wanted LASSIE filmed by M-G-M. Then after everything was settled, he was very cooperative, but I believe was killed before the picture had its premiere. In fact I am quite sure of that, since Mrs. Knight had already gone into the WACS and we were unable to contact her for the preview in Philadelphia. I am quite sure that Mrs. Knight, who is now Mrs. Frederick Lindtner, will be very helpful. She is a perfectly charming woman, and was before her marriage fencing champion in her class at the University ---------- 20thCCA_Knight_08 ---------- November 19, 1947 Mrs. Elizabeth Rider Montgomery of Pennsylvania. She has been in here to see me since her remarriage, and I understand she is still trying to straighten out the late Major Knight's notes on prospective books. Sincerely yours, Elizabeth Morton, Editor Trade Department