MacGrath, Harold, 1871-1932

Author.

Harold MacGrath (1871-1932) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Born in Syracuse, New York, he worked on the Syracuse Herald newspaper until the late 1890s, when he published his first novel, Arms and the Woman . His second book, Puppet Crown, spent a year on the best-seller list in 1907; by the end of his career he had written more than forty novels, sometimes more than one in a single year. His stories were immensely popular, featuring love, adventure, mystery, spies, and other thrilling elements.

MacGrath was one of the first nationally-known authors to write directly for the movies when the American Film Company hired him in 1912 to do the screenplay for a short Western. Eventually, eighteen of his novels and three short stories were made into films (three more were made into Broadway plays).

Throughout his career MacGrath contonued to write short stories for major American magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, and Red Book magazine.

Although MacGrath's income from writing allowed him to travel extensively, Syracuse remained his home. When he married in 1905 he brought his wife there, and eventually built a large English-style mansion (1618 James St.) known for its landscaped gardens.