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Last edited by Tom Morris
September 11, 2023 | History

James Atlee Phillips

James Atlee Phillips was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to a wealthy family which later fell on hard times. He attended Texas University, Texas Christian University, and the University of Missouri. He began his writing career writing stories for magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's and Story. His first novel, The Outsiders, an exposé about the Dallas country club set, was published in the mid-1930s. He worked as a publicist in New York and wrote a detective novel in 1939. Among his early novels were The Shivering Chorus Girl (1942) and Suitable for Framing (1949). After Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the U.S. Marine and served as operations manager for China National Airlines in Rangoon, Burma. After the war, he was a senior staffer for Leatherneck Magazine, then spent some time in intelligence work. His brother, David Phillips, joined the CIA in 1950, and this influenced Phillips' life and writing. From 1947-1954 he ran Amphibian Airways in Burma. His first Joe Gall novel, Pagoda, was mostly autobiographical and based on these experiences, and was published in the 1950s. He was perhaps best known for his "Contract" series, written under the pseudonym Philip Atlee. He also wrote two screenplays, Big Jim McLain (1952), which was John Wayne's first independent production, and Thunder Road (1958), which starred Robert Mitchum. His novel "The White Wolverine Contract" won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1970. In all, he published 29 novels. At the time of his death he was working on his memoirs.

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Born 1915
Died 26 May 1991

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  • Cover of: The Irish beauty contract

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  • Cover of: The kiwi contract
    Cover of edition kiwicontract00atle First published in 1972 5 editions

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  • Cover of: The death bird contract

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  • Cover of: The green wound contract

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  • Cover of: Pagoda
    First published in 1951 3 editions

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  • Cover of: Silken Baroness Contract

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  • Cover of: Judah Lion Contract
    First published in 1972 3 editions

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  • Cover of: The fer-de-lance contract

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  • Cover of: White Wolverine Contract

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  • Cover of: Shankill Road Contract
    First published in 1973 2 editions

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  • Cover of: Joe Gall: The Last Domino Contract

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  • Cover of: The Rockabye Contract
    First published in 1968 1 edition

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  • Cover of: Suitable for framing.
    First published in 1949 1 edition

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  • Cover of: The case of the shivering chorus girls

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  • Cover of: Deadly Mermaid
    First published in 1954 1 edition

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  • Cover of: Kowloon Contract
    First published in 2021 1 edition

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  • Cover of: Rockabye Contract
    First published in 2021 1 edition

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  • Cover of: Spice Route Contract
    First published in 2021 1 edition

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  • Cover of: Makassar Strait Contract

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  • Cover of: Trembling Earth Contract

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We need a photo of James Atlee Phillips

Born 1915
Died 26 May 1991

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September 11, 2023 Edited by Tom Morris merge authors
January 21, 2009 Edited by Sarah Breau Added pseudonym, added death date, added bio
September 13, 2008 Edited by RenameBot fix author name
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user initial import