Arthur Hailey

Arthur Frederick Hailey, AE (5 April 1920 – 24 November 2004) was a British-Canadian novelist whose plot-driven storylines were set against the backdrops of various industries. His books, which include such best sellers as Hotel, Airport (1968), Wheels (1971), The Moneychangers (1975), and Overload (1979), have sold 170 million copies in 38 languages.

Early life Arthur Frederick Hailey was born on 5 April 1920, in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, the only child of George Wellington Hailey, a factory worker, and Elsie Wright Hailey. An avid reader, Hailey began to write poems, plays and stories at a young age.

At fourteen, Hailey failed to win a scholarship which would have enabled him to continue his schooling. From 1934 to 1939 he was an office boy and clerk in London. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1939, and served as a pilot during World War II, eventually rising to the rank of flight lieutenant. Settling in Toronto, This story of a plane flight in jeopardy after its crew is incapacitated was "the smash hit of the season," won enormous acclaim, and was broadcast internationally. It was adapted as a novel by "John Castle" (a pseudonym for Ronald Payne and John Garrod), with Hailey credited as co-author; it was published by Britain's Souvenir Press in 1958 under its original title, but renamed Runway Zero-Eight (Doubleday) for its 1959 American publication. The story was filmed in 1957 as Zero Hour! (Paramount), and for television in 1971 as Terror in the Sky.

With the success of Flight into Danger, Hailey was in demand as a television writer, and wrote for such shows as Studio One, Kraft Television Theatre, Playhouse 90, and Suspense. In 1959, he adapted his teleplay No Deadly Medicine (for which he received an Emmy nomination) into his first novel The Final Diagnosis. Published by Doubleday, it is the story of the chief pathologist at a Burlington, Pennsylvania, hospital. The book received good reviews, and was a selection of the Literary Guild of America.

Hailey's commercial breakthrough came in 1965 with publication of Hotel (Doubleday), which followed five days in the lives of employees and residents of New Orleans' luxurious St. Gregory Hotel. The book spent 48 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, peaking at No. 3, and became the eighth highest-selling novel of the year. It established the template for Hailey's future works: ordinary people involved in extraordinary situations in a business or industry which is described in meticulous detail. with his fourth novel, Airport (Doubleday), the story of one eventful night at a midwestern international airport. The novel was No. 1 in the New York Times for 30 weeks, and became the top-selling novel of the year. The film adaptation, released in 1970, was the second-highest-grossing film of the year (second only to Love Story) and received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. The success of the film, together with that of 1972's The Poseidon Adventure, led to the proliferation of "disaster films" during the 1970s, which included three additional films in what became the Airport franchise.

After the financial success of Airport, on the advice of his tax attorney, Hailey moved as a tax exile to the Bahamas settling in Lyford Cay on New Providence Island. He had intended to stay for just two years, but liked it so much and the highest-selling novel of its year. Hailey followed it with two additional no. 1 sellers: The Moneychangers (Doubleday, 1975), about the banking industry; and Overload (Doubleday, 1979), about an electric utility company.

In 1979, following publication of Overload, Hailey announced his retirement. After undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery, however, he felt rejuvenated, and returned to work. His novel Strong Medicine (Doubleday), about the pharmaceutical industry, was published in 1984 and was another major best seller; it became the thirteenth highest-selling novel of the year. His commercial success had declined somewhat by 1990 with publication of The Evening News (Doubleday), and with his final novel, Detective (Crown), which appeared in 1997. Hailey continued to write, but—except for the slim The Lyford Legacy: A Brief History of Lyford Cay from 1788 (Lyford Cay Foundation, 2000), —he now wrote only as a hobby.

Writing method and critical reception

Hailey would usually spend three years on each book. First, he would dedicate a year to research, then six months reviewing his notes, and finally 18 months writing. Martha Gellhorn, reviewing The Evening News for The Daily Telegraph wrote, "This is not a book you cannot put down; it is a book you can hardly hold up. It will sell in millions and be translated into 34 languages. Possibly it is more readable in Icelandic or Urdu."

But Hailey's ability to tell a story was recognised by some critics. In the New York Times, John Reed conceded, in a review of Wheels, that "Mr. Hailey is nothing if not a competent craftsman." Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, in his New York Times review of The Moneychangers wrote, "What I had in mind was diversion, and, to tell the shameful truth, I found it." Reviewing Detective, Publishers Weekly wrote, "Old pro Hailey... remains adept at hooking readers with his propulsive brand of storytelling."

Personal life Hailey was married twice. In 1944 he married Joan Fishwick (1918–2004), with whom he had three children before divorcing in 1950. In 1951 he married Sheila Dunlop (1927–2017), with whom he also had three children.

Novels Flight Into Danger (1958), with John Castle The Final Diagnosis (1959) In High Places (1962) Hotel (1965) Airport (1968) Wheels (1971) The Moneychangers (1975) Overload (1979) Strong Medicine (1984) The Evening News (1990) Detective (1997)

Selected screen adaptations Zero Hour! (Paramount Pictures, 1957) Based on Flight into Danger Directed by Hall Bartlett; written by Hailey, Bartlett, John ChampionStarring Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden The Young Doctors (United Artists, 1961) Based on The Final Diagnosis Directed by Phil Karlson; written by Joseph HayesStarring Fredric March, Ben Gazzara, Dick Clark Hotel (Warner Bros., 1967) Directed by Richard Quine; written by Wendell MayesStarring Rod Taylor, Catherine Spaak, Karl Malden Airport (Universal Studios, 1970) Directed and written by George SeatonStarring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jean SebergNominated for ten Academy Awards, including best picture; won Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Helen Hayes) Wheels (NBC TV Miniseries, 1978) Directed by Jerry London; written by Robert Hamilton, Millard Lampell, Nancy Lynn Schwartz, Hank SearlsStarring Rock Hudson, Lee Remick, Blair BrownNominated for two Emmys, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special (Lee Remick) Arthur Hailey's Hotel (ABC TV Series, 1983–1988) Starring James Brolin, Connie Sellecca, Anne Baxter Strong Medicine (Syndicated TV Miniseries, 1987) Directed by Guy Green; written by Rita LakinStarring Pamela Sue Martin, Patrick Duffy, Dick Van Dyke Detective (Hallmark TV Miniseries, 2005) Directed by David S. Cass Sr.; written by Philip RosenbergStarring Tom Berenger, Annabeth Gish, Rick Gomez