Sumner Locke Elliott

Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 1917 - 24 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist.

Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Helena Sumner Locke (1881-1917) and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclampsia one day after his birth. [ [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100117b.htm ADB: Sumner Locke] ] Elliott was raised by his aunts, who had a fierce custody battle over him, fictionalized in Elliott's autobiographical novel, "Careful, He Might Hear You".

WWII

Elliott became an actor and writer with the Independent Theatre. He was drafted into the Australian Army in 1942, but instead of being posted overseas, he worked as a clerk in Australia. He used these experiences as the inspiration for his controversial play, "Rusty Bugles". The play toured extensively throughout Australia and achieved the notoriety of being closed down by the Chief Secretary's Office for obscenity.

However "Rusty Bugles" place in the history of Australian theatre rests on more than notoriety. Mac is a memorable character in the play and in the first production Frank O'Donnell transformed audiences' understanding of the typical Australian 'bludger' or 'scrounger'. To the men in his unit he appeared a winner even when he was losing, but with the discovery of his wife's infidelity his fragility becomes apparent. [http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/elliottsl/elliottsl.html Sumner Locke Elliott] ]

Television

Elliot moved to the United States in 1948 where he ranked in the pantheon of leading playwrights during the Golden Age of live television dramas, writing more than 30 original plays and numerous adaptations for such shows as "Kraft Television Theatre", "Studio One" and "Playhouse 90".

In 1955, he obtained his United States citizenship and did not return to Australia until 1974.

Books

Elliott's best known novel, "Careful, He Might Hear You", won the 1963 Miles Franklin Award and was turned into a film in 1983.

As a gay man during a time when this was socially problematic, Elliott was uncomfortable with his sexuality. He kept it secret until nearly the end of his life before coming out in his book "Fairyland". Because of these fears, Elliott had affairs but never had any stable relationships. [ [http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bioe1/elli03.html Matt & Andrej Koymasky - Famous GLTB - Sumner Locke Elliott ] ]

Bibliography

Novels
*"Careful, He Might Hear You" 1963
*"Some Doves and Pythons" 1966
*"Edens Lost" 1969
*"The Man Who Got Away" 1972
*"Going" 1975
*"Water Under the Bridge" 1977
*"Rusty Bugles" 1980
*"Signs of Life" 1981
*"About Tilly Beamis" 1985
*"Waiting for Childhood" 1987
*"Fairyland" 1990

Short Stories
*"Radio Days" 1993

Drama
*"Interval" 1939
*"The Cow Jumped Over the Moon" 1939
*"The Little Sheep Run Fast" 1940
*"Goodbye to the Music" 1942
*"Your Obedient Servant" 1943
*"The Invisible Circus" 1946
*"Rusty Bugles" 1948
*"Buy Me Blue Ribbons" 1951
*"John Murray Anderson's Almanac" 1953

References

External links

* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5D71130F935A15755C0A967958260 Obituary, "The New York Times", June 26, 1991]