Calvin Alden
Calvin Alden (b. December 21, 1895) is the American author of the popular Harry Love series of occult mysteries.
Biography
Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Alden is a former war correspondent and the author of a popular series of mystery novels. He studied literature and philosophy at Miskatonic University, graduating in 1916. Alden began his writing career as a reporter during the Great War. After repeated attempts to join the RAF in 1918, a British Army general offered Alden the chance to travel with him throughout the European theater as an American observer. While touring Europe and witnessing the war firsthand, Alden wrote a series of letters which were published in his hometown newspaper, the Santa Fe Reporter. The letters were later collected and published as a book, Behind the Front (1920).
After the war Alden purchased property in the hills above Los Angeles. He worked under contract with several studios, but only one film was produced from his numerous scripts. Dark Gods is a suspense thriller set in an unknown Polynesian island, where the passengers and crew of a shipwrecked pleasure cruise discover a tribe who worship terrible creatures that live beneath the ocean. The film is notable for a number of unique elements: a protagonist who is inept and fails to save the day, characters who are petty and who doom themselves with their selfishness, and an unethical scientist who attempts to save himself at the expense of the others. Dark Gods is most known for its unhappy ending – none of the central characters survive, the hero is beheaded and eaten by cannibals, and the heroine – a gorgeous redhead Hollywood actress named Emily Redmond – is in the end sacrificed to the titular gods.
In 1921 Alden received some attention during a scandal involving a Hollywood starlet and a secret sex cult. He was arrested and charged with manufacturing alcohol, but the charges were dropped before trial. Later that year Alden began publishing a series of mystery novels featuring a protagonist named Harry Love. The detective investigates cases which have a definite occult flavor, often involving devil-worshipers and evil sorcerers. The first two volumes of the series contained no supernatural elements and merely used the occult milieu as atmospheric background.
In the fourth volume, Harry Love and the Beast of Bunker Hill (1925), Alden introduced a telepathic character known only as "Parker." A psychologist and occult expert, Parker had the ability to touch objects and see their past and future. This volume became the best-selling of the series and was the first to go into repeat printings. Alden has indicated that Parker will appear in future Harry Love novels as the detective's partner.
Personal Life
In 1925, Alden married Georgia Roderick. They currently reside in Hollywood, California, in a Mayan Revival Style mansion designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Alden spends most of his time at his Hollywood home, often entertaining guests at dinner and parties. Among his friends are Hollywood director Thomas Ince and the actor Charles Chaplin. He is a generous donor to the arts and is often seen at public events.
Books by Calvin Alden
| 1920 | Behind the Front |
| 1921 | Harry Love and the Tomb of Despair |
| 1922 | Harry Love and the Cult of the Serpent |
| 1923 | Harry Love and the Temple of Darkness |
| 1925 | Harry Love and the Beast of Bunker Hill |