Robert Bloch Biography (1917-1994)



Born April 5, 1917, in Chicago, IL; died of cancer, September 23, 1994, in Los Angeles, CA. Writer. Bloch, a prolific spinner of horror, mystery, and fantasy tales, is the author of the 1959 novel Psycho, which filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock adapted into the suspense movie of the same name. Based on Bloch's research into the life of an actual Wisconsin serial killer, Psycho became the work the author has been most closely associated with; later in his career, however, Bloch expressed concern about the graphic violence routinely depictedin modern film and television productions that Psycho had helped spawn. Blochbegan writing in the 1930s, creating lurid stories for such pulp magazines as Weird Tales. He also wrote under a variety of pseudonyms penning hundreds of short stories, among them the tale of the Victorian-era English murderer Jack the Ripper that was produced on radio and television numerous times. For awhile Bloch worked as a copywriter in advertising, but moved to California in the 1950s to work in the film and television industry. Bloch's television writing credits include episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Star Trek, andNight Gallery; his screenwriting work was seen in the films Strait- Jacket, The Psychopath, The House That Dripped Blood, and Twilight Zone--The Movie. Hewas also the author of over twenty novels, such as The Scarf (1947), Firebug(1961), It's All in Your Mind (1971), American Gothic (1974), and Strange Eons (1979); his later books include Midnight Pleasures (1987), Fear and Trembling (1989), Psycho House (1990), and The Jekyll Legacy (1990). Bloch was honored in 1991 with the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers of America.

Gender
Male
Occupation
writer
Birth Details
April 5, 1917
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Death Details
September 23, 1994
Los Angeles, California, United States

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