Raymond Chandler was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 23, 1888, but spent most of his boyhood and youth in England, where he attended Dulwich College. In 1919 he returned to the United States, settling in California, where he eventually became director of a number of independent oil companies. The Depression put an end to his business career, and in 1933, at the age of forty-five, he turned to writing, publishing his first stories in Black Mask. By the time he published his first novel, The Big Sleep (1939), featuring the iconic private eye Philip Marlowe, it was clear that he had not only mastered a genre but had set a standard to which others could only aspire. Chandler died in 1959.
Full biography at Wikipedia
Radio Adaptations[]
The first radio adaptaions of Raymond Chandler's novels was in 1945 on the American Lux Radio Theatre with Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe in Murder My Sweet (based on Farewell My lovely). In 1947 NBC produced 13 30mins episodes adapted from Chandler's short stories. Van Hefflin featured as Marlowe. CBS's The Adventures of Philip Marlowe ran from 1948 to 1951, 119 30mins episodes were broadcast starring Gerald Mohr. This series was "based" on the character created by Chandler and had at least four writers.
In Britain the BBC broadcast six full-length adaptations with Ed Bishop as Marlowe, adapted by Bill Morrison and directed by John Tydeman these powerful dramatizations became, for many people, the definitive versions. Hoping to rival these earlier productions are adaptations by Stephen Wyatt and Robin Brooks in the BBC's 2011 Classic Chandler season of 8 plays which includes Chandler's unfinished Poodle Springs
External Links.[]
http://www.freeotrshows.com/otr/a/Adventures_Of_Philip_Marlowe.html
References[]
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/marlow2.html#anchor2141388
http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Philip-Marlowe.html