Bruce Marshall

Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Cunningham Bruce Marshall (24 June 1899 – 18 June 1987) was a prolific Scottish writer who wrote fiction and non-fiction books on a wide range of topics and genres. His first book, A Thief in the Night came out in 1918, possibly self-published. His last, An Account of Capers was published posthumously in 1988, a span of 70 years. During his life, he was already translated to nine languages, with several works adapted for theatre and film. His injuries resulted in the amputation of one leg. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1919 and invalided out in 1920.

After the war he completed his education in Scotland, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Edinburgh in 1925 before becoming an auditor, and moved to France where he worked in the Paris branch of Peat Marwick Mitchell.

In 1928 he married Mary Pearson Clark (1908–1987). He transferred to the General List in 1945, and left the Army as a lieutenant-colonel in 1946.

After the war Marshall returned to France, moving to the Côte d'Azur and living there for the remainder of his life. He died in Biot, France, six days before his 88th birthday.

Writing career A Roman Catholic convert, Marshall wrote stories that are usually humorous, paradoxical and mildly satiric and typically have religious overtones. His first novel, This Sorry Scheme was published in 1924. A stream of novels soon followed, but none of the fiction he wrote before the Second World War gained as much notoriety or staying power as Father Malachy's Miracle (1931).

After the Second World War Marshall became a writer full-time, giving up his work as an accountant.

Among his better known works after the Second World War is The White Rabbit (1953), a biography of Wing Commander F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, describing his exploits and sufferings as a Special Operations Executive military adviser assigned to the French resistance during World War II.

In 1959 he was awarded the Włodzimierz Pietrzak prize.

The theme of much of Marshall's works is religion, with a focus on Roman Catholicism. His first great success, Father Malachy's Miracle, is about an innocent Scottish priest whose encounter with sinful behaviour causes him to become involved in a miracle. The novel was adapted for presentation on The Ford Theatre Hour, an American TV show, in 1950. In 1961, the novel was the basis for the German film Das Wunder des Malachias directed by Bernhard Wicki and starring Horst Bollmann, Richard Münch and Christiane Nielsen.

His 1947 novel Vespers in Vienna, a highly critical depiction of the British military role in Operation Keelhaul, was the basis of the 1949 film The Red Danube starring Walter Pidgeon, Ethel Barrymore, Peter Lawford, Angela Lansbury and Janet Leigh. George Sidney directed. After the movie's release the novel was re-issued under the title The Red Danube.

His 1953 novel The Fair Bride was the basis of the 1960 film The Angel Wore Red starring Ava Gardner, Dirk Bogarde, Joseph Cotten and Vittorio De Sica. It was the last film directed by Nunnally Johnson.

His 1952 book, The White Rabbit, recounting the World War II exploits of Special Operations Executive agent F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, was made into a TV mini-series in 1967.

His 1963 novel The Month of the Falling Leaves was the basis of the 1968 German TV show Der Monat der fallenden Blätter. Marshall co-wrote the screenplay with . It was directed by Dietrich Haugk.