James M. Cain (1892–1977)
Author of The Postman Always Rings Twice
About the Author
Mystery writer James Mallahan Cain was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1892. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Washington College, and served in the military as editor-in-chief of the official newspaper of the 79th Division, American Expeditionary Forces. Cain worked as a staff reporter for the show more Baltimore Sun; he became a professor of journalism in the 1920s; he worked as a Hollywood screenwriter in the 1930s and 40s. Many of his stories, including Double Indemnity (1943), have been made into successful films. Joan Crawford won an Academy Award in 1945 for her portrayal of Cain's Mildred Pierce (1941). Cain's first novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934), was said to have inspired Albert Camus' The Stranger, but offended sensibilities in the U.S. and was even tried for obscenity in Boston. The novel was eventually made into a movie in 1946, starring Lana Turner and again in 1981, with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. In all, Cain authored eighteen books. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Reproduction Number LC-USZ62-86201
Series
Works by James M. Cain
The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and Selected Stories (2003) 330 copies
The Five Great Novels of James M. Cain [The Postman Always Rings Twice / The Butterfly / Serenade / Mildred Pierce /… (1985) 77 copies
Three Novels By James m Cain: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Serenade, and Mildred Pierce (1943) 6 copies
Best-in-Books: Grand Hotel / Voice of Bugle Ann / Life with Father / Mutiny on the Bounty / Postman Always Rings Twice (1962) — Contributor — 3 copies
The Postman Always Rings Twice 2 copies
Cigarette Girl [Short story] 2 copies
Pastorale 2 copies
Tredje gången gillt 2 copies
PAGOS A DOBRAR (PE2L45) 1 copy
Manhunt Magazine: March 1954 1 copy
Carrera en Do mayor 1 copy
The Crystal Battery 1 copy
Cain James 1 copy
Cuentos de la Serie Negra 1 copy
La moglie comprata: romanzo 1 copy
Der Defraudant 1 copy
When Tomorrow Comes,film 1 copy
Paradise 1 copy
Murder & Mayhem: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and Selected Stories; The Big Sleep;… (2010) 1 copy
No title 1 copy
Black Lizard 1 copy
Sommerfuglen ; Underslaget 1 copy
The Robbery 1 copy
Brush Fire [Short story] 1 copy
Associated Works
Antología del relato policial, aula de literatura, Bachillerato. Material auxiliar (1992) — Contributor — 36 copies
The Graphic Canon of Crime & Mystery, Vol. 1: From Sherlock Holmes to A Clockwork Orange to Jo Nesbø (2017) — Contributor — 35 copies
To the Queen's Taste: The First Supplement to 101 Years' Entertainment; Consisting of the Best Stories Published in the… (1946) — Contributor — 24 copies
Exciting Short Stories ; The Unstoppable Man ; The Most Dangerous Game ; The Homesick Buick ; Leiningen Versus the Ants… (1960) — Contributor — 4 copies
Classic Crime Stories: 13 Tales from Edgar Allan Poe to Lawrence Block (2007) — Contributor — 2 copies
Appendici in giallo 1 (racconti) — Contributor — 1 copy
Gypsy Wildcat [1944 film] 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Cain, James Mallahan
- Other names
- Cain, James M.
- Birthdate
- 1892-07-01
- Date of death
- 1977-10-27
- Burial location
- Donated to Medical Science
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Annapolis, Maryland, USA
- Place of death
- University Park, Maryland, USA
- Cause of death
- heart attack
- Places of residence
- Annapolis, Maryland, USA (birth)
University Park, Maryland, USA (death) - Education
- Washington College (AB|1910|MA)
- Occupations
- novelist
reporter
teacher (journalism) - Organizations
- St. John's College (Annapolis)
United States Army (WWI) - Awards and honors
- MWA Grand Master (1970)
Members
Reviews
Lists
First Novels (1)
Read These Too (1)
Folio Society (1)
Page Turners (1)
Read This Next (1)
My TBR (1)
1940s (1)
Read (3)
Short and Sweet (2)
1930s (2)
A Novel Cure (2)
Allie's Wishlist (2)
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 98
- Also by
- 44
- Members
- 10,215
- Popularity
- #2,326
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 315
- ISBNs
- 423
- Languages
- 19
- Favorited
- 25
In a manner of natural borne killers these two will fall in love, wildly, wildly passionate love that wont bring out the best in them but only the worse. Reason is very simple - they just do not know anything better, they are like adolescents, not thinking, just living on impulse, kicking everything around and only stopping to think when damage is already done.
So it is not strange that their passion gives birth to something dark and terrible, something that will ultimately destroy them both.
Short read but very interesting one. Quite a page turner.
Highly recommended to all fans of crime and noir novels.… (more)