Paul Gallico American writer Date of Birth: 26.07.1897 Country: USA

1. Biography of Paul Gallico
2. Early Career
3. Writing Career and Success
4. Animal Lover and Adaptations
5. Inspiration for Music

Biography of Paul Gallico

Paul Gallico was an American writer born in New York City in 1897 to Italian and Austrian immigrant parents. He graduated from Columbia University in 1921 and initially worked as a film critic for the New York Daily News. However, he was not successful in this role and was transferred to the sports department.

Early Career

In order to write an article about the famous boxer Jack Dempsey, Gallico requested to have a match with him. He wanted to experience what it was like to be knocked down by the heavyweight champion. He lasted two minutes in the ring, wrote a brilliant article, and gained fame across America. In 1923, he became the editor of the sports department and one of the best sports journalists in the United States. Despite his success in journalism, Gallico had always dreamed of becoming a writer. In addition to sports articles, he submitted stories to magazines such as Vanity Fair and Saturday Evening Post.

Writing Career and Success

In 1936, Gallico moved to Europe and dedicated himself to writing. In the early 1940s, he gained sudden fame with the release of his touching and captivating book "The Snow Goose." Since then, all of his books have become bestsellers. Some of his most famous works include "Jennie" (1950), "The Small Miracle" (1952), "Love of Seven Dolls" (1954), "Thomasina" (1957), "Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris" and "Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York" (1960). He also wrote a book about Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Animal Lover and Adaptations

Gallico was a kind patron of animals, and he had a large dog and twenty-three cats living in his house. His book "Love of Seven Dolls" was adapted into the film "Lili." The novella "Thomasina" was made into a movie by Walt Disney, with a real cat playing the role of Thomasina. In 1991, director Leonid Nechayev made the film "Mad Lori" based on Gallico's novella "Thomasina" at the M. Gorky Film Studio. Gallico's "adult" books were also adapted, including "The Poseidon Adventure" in 1972 and 2006, and its sequel "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure" in 1979. The Hallmark Channel also made its own adaptation of "The Poseidon Adventure," with some changes to the plot, directed by John Patch.

Inspiration for Music

The English progressive rock band Camel recorded one of their most successful albums, "The Snow Goose" (1974), based on Gallico's "The Snow Goose." The band even approached Gallico to write lyrics for the album, but the writer, who associated the name Camel primarily with a brand of cigarettes, declined. In fact, he even sued the band to prohibit the use of the book's title as the album title. However, he was unsuccessful, and as a result, the album cover featured the inscription "music inspired by" the book.