Hidden History of Cornell Woolrich

The pulp fiction era surely had its own share of heroes, with many not being known until the cheap magazines and novels stopped appearing at newsstands and book stores. One writer of this literary period that became famous during his own lifetime was Cornell Woolrich, who also published under the names of George Hopley and William Irish. Despite going to the prestigious Columbia University, Woolrich abandoned his studies after learning that Cover Charge, the author's first novel would be published. This first work launched Cornell Woolrich into the popular pulp novel and magazine format that emerging.

With many of his short stories being popular among readers and editors, it comes as no surpise that they would be adapted into movie screenplays and subsequently turned into feature films. It is thought that Cornell Woolrich has had more movies written from his short stories and pulp novels than any other writer in the genre. In addition to The Bride Wore Black, a story that was filmed by Francois Truffaut, Woolrich also penned the story, It Had to Be Murder. This story was written under the William Irish pseudonym and would be the basis for the Alfred Hitchcock hit movie, Rear Window.

The style of the Cornell Woolrich pulp novel publishings fit decidedly within the crime and noir genres. Although some of his early works were obviously influenced by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Woolrich was able to develop his own voice. Most of the Woolrich books in the pulp fiction canon are out of print, but there are still some that can be found. Although the writer lived a reclusive life, this voice continues to impress readers. With the over 30 movies that were developed into films from the origin of his short stories and pulp novels, it is still quite easy to observe the masterful touches of Cornell Woolrich's pulp fiction.