Spirit of America Bookstore
author & magician
Walter B. Gibson
[1897-1985]
| short profile |  |
Walter Brown Gibson wrote 180+ books on magic, psychic phenomena, true crime, mysteries, rope knots, yoga, hypnotism, and games;
he ghost-wrote books for magicians Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston, Harry Blackstone Sr., and Joseph Dunninger; radio scripts & stories for the
long-running radio program "The Shadow" [1931-1954] were mostly written by Walter B. Gibson, using the pen name 'Maxwell Grant'; he is credited
as co-author on the movies "The Shadow" & "The Shadow Strikes" [both 1937], a 15-chapter serial [1940], and "The Shadow" [1994].
B I O
t e x t
h e r e
Walter Brown Gibson was born on September 12, 1897 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Colgate University in 1920, he found work as a newspaper reporter and then as a magazine editor. Walter had loved stage magic since childhood and collaborated with Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston, and Harry Blackstone on popular several books. During the 1930s and 1940s, Gibson wrote for magazines, some self-help books, new magic books, and two novels; he was a prolific writer, known for "The Shadow" (albeit as the pseudonym Maxwell Grant). When he met his second wife, professional magician Pearl Raymond, he launched into writing novels in a serious way. Later in life, Gibson lectured on magic and earned two awards from the Academy of Magical Arts. he died in December 1985 in Kingston, New York.
Walter B. Gibson entry at Wikipedia
browse books
xxx catalog at Amazon.com
Walter B. Gibson credits [10 entries, 1934-1994] at Internet Movie Database
Primary Works
Walter B. Gibson bibliography entry at Wikipedia
search books on keywords 'Walter+Brown+Gibson' {returns 90+ titles} at Amazon
search books on keywords 'Walter+B.+Gibson' {returns 290+ titles} at Amazon
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"Houdini's Escapes" [Harcourt, Brace 1930] by Walter Brown Gibson [1897-1985]
"Houdini's Magic" [Harcourt, Brace 1932] by Walter Brown Gibson [1897-1985]
http://www.amazon.com/Houdinis-Magic-First-Walter-Gibson/dp/B003OFIFUA/ hc
 | "Secrets of Magic: A New Book of Tricks You Can Do" [1945] by Walter B. Gibson, 'associate of Blackstone, Houdini, Thurston' 50-page Wm. C. Popper & Co. booklet [1945] long out of print/used |
 | "Houdini On Magic (Dover Magic Books)" [ages 10 & up; 1953] Edited by Walter B. Gibson & Morris N. Young 'original' Dover publication that combines "Houdini's Escapes" [Harcourt, Brace 1930] and "Houdini's Magic" [Harcourt, Brace 1932] and additional illustrations from John J. McManus Dover Publns 8x5½ pb [6/53] for $13.89 Yoakum Press 8½x5½ pb [8/2013] for $29.99 1953 edition available as free online flip-book at Internet Archive |
"Houdini's Fabulous Magic" [Chilton Books 1961] by Walter Brown Gibson [1897-1985]
http://www.amazon.com/Houdinis-fabulous-magic-Chilton-books/dp/B0007DO7CM/
 | "The Master Magicians: Their Lives and Most Famous Tricks" [1966] by Walter Gibson [1897-1985] eight chapters, covering Robert-Houdin, Prof. Anderson, Herrman The Great, Kellar, Chung Ling Soo, Howard Thurston, Houdini & Hardeen, and The Great Raymond Lyle Stuart/Citadel Press pb [10/84] out of print/used Doubleday & Company hardcover [1966] out of print/used Doubleday & Company hardcover [1966] out of print/used |
 | "Secrets of Magic: Ancient and Modern" [1967] by Walter Gibson, Illustrated by Kyuzo Tsugami '70 Amazing Feats of Magic Revealed, With Over 100 Illustrations and Diagrams' 173-page Penguin Adult pb [7/73] out of print/used 147-page Grosset & Dunlap 12x6 hardcover [1967] out of print/used 147-page Grosset & Dunlap hardcover [1967] out of print/used |
 | "Dunninger's Secrets" [1974] by Joseph Dunninger as told to Walter B. Gibson 'An exciting probe into the mystery of magic' Lyle Stuart hardcover [6/74] out of print/used Lyle Stuart hardcover [6/74] out of print/used |
 | "Secrets of The Great Magicians: Amazing & Mysterious Feats of The Past & Present Performed & Revealed" [1976] by Walter B. Gibson
HarperCollins Publrs pb [8/76] out of print/used |
"Houdini's Book of Magic Tricks, Puzzles, and Stunts" [Sept 1976] by Walter Brown Gibson
http://www.amazon.com/Houdinis-Magic-Tricks-Puzzles-Stunts/dp/0523009704/
 | "Mastering Magic: 100 Secrets of The Great Magicians Revealed!" [1977] by Walter Brown Gibson Frederick Fell pb [10/95] out of print/used Coles pb [1979] out of print/used Frederick Fell hardcover [1977] out of print/used |
'Maxwell Grant', although Gibson's original idea, became a property of magazine publisher Street & Smith, which often hired other writers
to pen "The Shadow" pulps using that name, among them Theodore A. Tinsley, Lester Dent, and Bruce Elliot.
Other Works
Gibson authored several novels in the Biff Brewster juvenile adventure and mystery series for adolescent boys in the 1960s under the pen name Andy Adams.
Gibson is credited with writing at least five of the thirteen novels in the series: "Brazilian Gold Mine Mystery", "Mystery of The Mexican Treasure",
"Mystery of The Ambush In India", "Egyptian Scarab Mystery", and "Mystery of The Alpine Pass".
 | "The Biff Brewster Mysteries" for Kindle [2016] by Andy Adams
Kindle Edition from Halcyon Classics [10/2016] 4 books for 99’ contains only four {of 13} Biff Brewster novels: "Brazilian Gold Mine Mystery" [#1 = 1960] by WBG; "Mystery of The Chinese Ring" [#2 = 1960]; "Hawaiian Sea Hunt Mystery" [#3 = 1960]; and "Mystery of The Ambush In India" [#7 = 1962] by WBG |
Gibson also ghosted the novelization of the Preston Sturges screenplay "The Sin of Harold Diddlebock" under the by-line of popular humorist Harry Hershfield; Hershfield had been commissioned to write the novel, but stalled out in the first chapter; Gibson was engaged to write it in his stead, and the resulting text is actually his, from start to finish.
Radio and Movies & TV
"The Shadow" radio program [1931 to 1954]
radio scripts & stories were mostly written by Walter B. Gibson, using the pen name 'Maxwell Grant'; credited as co-author
on movies "The Shadow" & "The Shadow Strikes" [both 1937], a 15-chapter serial [1940], and "The Shadow" [1994]
Orson Welles [1915-85] acted the part on radio from 1937-38
'The Shadow' entry at Wikipedia
more details (synopses, movies, books & ebooks, links, merchandise) on
BlackHat Mystery Bookstore's "The Shadow" Radio & Books & Movies Page
"In Search of: Houdini's Secrets" [Alan Landsburg Prodns Nov 1981]
Season 6, Episode 11 of the "In Search of ..." TV series [1976-1982]
 | Co-produced, co-written & directed by Glenn Winters; co-produced & co-written by Karen Cole Winters; narrated by Leonard Nimoy; featuring Walter B. Gibson, Sidney H. Radner, with archive footage of Harry Houdini
episode credits at IMDb
watch 9/2008 upload of episode online at YouTube: part #1 [7:14] part #2 [7:14] part #3 [7:15] "In Search of . . . The Complete Collection (146 Episodes)" [Alan Landsburg/History Channel 2012] Visual Ent. color DVD set [12/2012] 21 disks for $41.99 |
Works About Walter B. Gibson
4-page article "Walter B. Gibson: Casting A Giant Shadow - Interview by Will Murray"
in "Starlog Magazine" Issue 105 (April 1986)
available as free online flip-book at Internet Archive - on page 59 (of 76)
 |
"Walter B. Gibson and The Shadow" [2003] by Thomas J. Shimeld, Foreword by Robert W. Gibson Kindle Edition from McFarland & Co. [8/2011] for $9.99 McFarland & Co. 10x7 pb [8/2005] for $29.95 McFarland & Co. 10½x7 hardcover [3/2003] out of print/used |
 | "The War of The Worlds Murder" mystery novel [2005] by Max Allan Collins As Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater team are preparing for the big Hallowe'en 1938 radio broadcast of H.G. Wells's "War of The Worlds", one of Orson's former mistresses is found murdered; Orson is a prime suspect, and the 'broadcast must go on', while Walter Gibson, creator of "The Shadow", works behind the scenes to find out whether Orson did or did not kill the girl. Kindle Edition from Thomas & Mercer [12/2012] for $3.99 Thomas & Mercer 8¼x5½ pb [12/2012] for $11.90 Berkley mass pb [7/2005] out of print/used Thorndike Press hardcover [7/2005] out of print/used |
Image Gallery
Residences
envelope mailed to "HOUDINI, Montreal P.Q., Dominion of Canada" from "Walter B. Gibson, Concord Hall, Forty-Fifth & Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, PA" postmark is hard to decipher, but it looks to be 1929 (Houdini died in October 1926); if indeed mailed in 1929 it likely contained correspondence for Houdini's widow concerning the official seances; Concord Hall is still being rented to students of the nearby colleges |
Walter & Litzka were married in 1949, and in 1966 they moved to this 'house & barn' residence on Creeklocks Road, Eddyville, NY 12401; Walter died there in 1985 and Litzka remained there for some years; she died in 1996. |
Family & Friends
Walter Brown Gibson was born in September 1897 in Germantown, Pennsylvania; he was a prolific writer, most famous for "The Shadow";
he died in December 1985 in Kingston, New York.
first wife ???
second wife ???
son Dr. Robert Wagner Gibson [1925-2014] of Baltimore, MD
daughter-in-law Diane E. Gibson
three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (in 1985)
third wife Pearl Litzka Gonser Saunders Gibson [1901-96] - married 8/1949, widowed 1985
first career as a harpist, second career as magician with husband Maurice Franηois 'The Great Raymond' Saunders [married 1927, died 1948], then as leader
of the magic act; after marrying Walter, she co-wrote several books with him, also wrote books on her own, sometimes under the pen-name Leona Lehman
http://www.themagicdetective.com/2019/04/the-magical-musical-litzka-raymond.html
L i n k s
Walter B. Gibson entry at Wikipedia
Walter B. Gibson bibliography entry at Wikipedia
Walter B. Gibson credits [10 entries, 1934-1994] at Internet Movie Database
here on the Walter B. Gibson [1897-1985] Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
top of page short profile primary works other works works about Walter B. Gibson radio, movies & TV
stageplays, other media image gallery family & friends links
BlackHat Mystery Bookstore's "The Shadow" Radio & Books & Movies Page
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