- Born in the Philippines (1909) … died in the US (1990)
- Married three times; three children from his first marriage
- 27 books published, including three memoirs
- Many of White’s books achieved prominence as big sellers in Scholastic’s book fair programs from the 1950’s through the 1960’s
- Deathwatch won literary prizes, including an Edgar Award, and recognition as an “Outstanding Book of the Year” by the New York Times and as “Best of the Best Books for Young Adults”
by the American Library Association
- 2 feature film adaptations: OUR VIRGIN ISLAND (1958) starring Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes, UP PERISCOPE (1959) starring James Garner
- Deathwatch was adapted into a television movie called SAVAGES, starring Andy Griffith, in 1974
- White became a prominent Hollywood scriptwriter, teaming up with independent producer/director William Castle on a slate of five horror films: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THIRTEEN GHOSTS, HOMICIDAL, MACABRE and THE TINGLER from 1958 to 1961, two of which starred Vincent Price
– These films achieved commercial prominence because of their clever marketing gimmicks: For MACABRE a $1,000 life insurance policy from Lloyd’s of London was offered to each viewer in case of death by fright during the film; for THE TINGLER theater seats were equipped with “joy buzzers” activated at particularly tense moments of the film
– Two of these White/Castle horror films have been remade by Joel Silver’s Dark Castle Productions: THIR13EN GHOSTS and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.
- White also wrote numerous articles for the Saturday Evening Post, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire and Reader’s Digest as well as television scripts for PERRY MASON
- White has a devoted following among baby-boomers, many of whom were introduced to him through inexpensive paperbacks available in American schools in the mid-20th century.
– The Lion’s Paw has been ranked in the Top 10 Most Sought After Out-of-Print Books by Bookfinder.com for years
– The Miami Herald recently profiled the journey of a Florida family that attempted to retrace the path of The Lion’s Paw that Robb White created 52 years ago
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