McIntyre, John Thomas, 1871-1951

Colorful Philadelphia author John T. McIntyre was orphaned as a youth, and raised by an aunt; he left school by his early teens to earn a living at hard labor. Inspired by pulp adventure tales, he began to publish stories in Philadelphia papers in the 1890s; he also wrote plays for the South Street Standard Theatre and, later, novels. He eked out a living as a writer, but success eluded him until 1936, when the eerie minor classic Steps Going Down made him an overnight sensation at the age of sixty five. He could not repeat the success however, as his fatal fondness for melodrama and contrivance diminished his literary efforts, and he returned to obscurity and penury.

John McIntyre was born in Philadelphia and his entree into publishing.

Came with some stories published in the PHILADELPHIA TIMES and with his first novel, "The Ragged Edge," in 1902. McIntyre focused on the genre of social realism and the detective story, although he also wrote dramafor the stage and film. His most well known play, "A Young Man's Fancy," was produced by George C. Tyler in 1919. In 1932 McIntyre published an historical novel, "Drums in the Dawn," followed by his prize-winning "Steps Going Down." McIntyre was also known as an authority on the history of the dime novel.