Editing Earl Derr Biggers (section)

==Biography==
The son of Robert J. and Emma E. (Derr) Biggers, Earl Derr Biggers was born in [[Warren, Ohio]], and graduated from [[Harvard University]] in 1907, where he was a member of [[The Harvard Lampoon|''The Lampoon'']]. He worked briefly as a journalist for ''[[The Plain Dealer]]'' in 1907,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IJtVP9WnXEC&q=Morrow+Ohio&pg=PA258 | title=This Day in Ohio History | publisher=Emmis Books | year=2005 | access-date=21 November 2013 | author=Goodman, Rebecca | pages=258| isbn=9781578601912 }}</ref> and then for the ''[[Boston Traveller]]'' until 1912, before turning to fiction. Many of his plays and novels were made into movies.

His first novel, [[Seven Keys to Baldpate (novel)|''Seven Keys to Baldpate'']], was published in 1913, and [[George M. Cohan]] quickly adapted the novel as a hit Broadway [[Seven Keys to Baldpate (play)|stage play of the same name]]. Cohan starred in the [[Seven Keys to Baldpate (1917 film)|1917 film version]], one of seven film versions of the play, and a 1935 revival.<ref name=2nd>Warburton, Eileen. [http://2ndstorytheatre.com/keeper-of-the-keys-to-old-broadwaygeroge-m-cohans-seven-keys-to-baldpate-1913/ "Keeper of the Keys to Old Broadway: Geroge (sic) M. Cohan's ''Seven Keys to Baldpate'' (1913)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019183546/http://2ndstorytheatre.com/keeper-of-the-keys-to-old-broadwaygeroge-m-cohans-seven-keys-to-baldpate-1913/ |date=2014-10-19 }}, 2nd Story Theatre, January 32, 2014, accessed October 14, 2014. See also [http://2ndstorytheatre.com/tag/seven-keys-to-baldpate/ "Play Reviews for ''Seven Keys to Baldpate''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019183653/http://2ndstorytheatre.com/tag/seven-keys-to-baldpate/ |date=2014-10-19 }}, 2nd Story Theatre, accessed October 14, 2014</ref> The novel was also adapted into two films with different titles, ''[[House of the Long Shadows]]'' and ''[[Haunted Honeymoon]]'', but they had essentially equivalent plots.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023|reason=Judging by their WP articles, HLS seems sound, but while HH mentions several inspirations, 7 Keys is not among them.}}

On the day that his first novel was accepted for publication, Biggers proposed to Eleanor Ladd, his girlfriend and fellow writer at the [[Boston Traveller]], and they married in 1914; one year later, his son Robert was born.<ref>Ohio Reading Road Trip, https://www.orrt.org/biggers/</ref>

A decade later, Biggers had even greater success with his series of [[Charlie Chan]] detective novels. The popularity of Charlie Chan extended even to China, where audiences in Shanghai appreciated the Hollywood films. Chinese companies made films starring this fictional character.<ref>[http://www.chinesemirror.com/index/2008/05/charlie-chan-in.html "Charlie Chan in China"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708145436/http://www.chinesemirror.com/index/2008/05/charlie-chan-in.html |date=2011-07-08 }} ''The Chinese Mirror'' [n.d.].</ref> Derr Biggers publicly acknowledged the real-life detective [[Chang Apana]] as the inspiration for the character of Charlie Chan in his letter to the ''[[Honolulu Advertiser]]'' of June 28, 1932.<ref>"The Real Charlie Chan", featurette on: ''Charlie Chan in Egypt'' (DVD), 20th Century Fox, 2006.</ref> (The letter was published in the 11 September 1932 issue of the ''Advertiser.'') [https://www.newspapers.com/image/258659553/?match=1&clipping_id=153512495]

Biggers lived in [[San Marino, California]], and died in a [[Pasadena, California]] hospital after suffering a heart attack in [[Palm Springs, California]]. He was 48.<ref>{{cite book|author=J.K. Van Dover|title=Making the Detective Story American: Biggers, Van Dine and Hammett and the Turning Point of the Genre, 1925-1930|publisher=McFarland, Incorporated|year=2010|isbn=9780786456895|page=163}}</ref>