Harold Robbins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harold Robbins
Harold Robbins (1979)
Born	Harold Rubin (1916-05-21)May 21, 1916 New York, New York, U.S.
Died	October 14, 1997(1997-10-14) (aged 81) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Cemetery, Cathedral City, California
Nationality	American
Occupation	Author
Spouse(s)	Lillian Machnivitz (1937–1962; divorced) Grace Palermo (1965–1992; divorced) Jann Stapp (1992–1997, his death)

Harold Robbins (born May 21, 1916 – died October 14, 1997) was a very popular American author. He wrote many exciting novels. He was one of the best-selling writers ever. He wrote over 25 books that became best-sellers. More than 750 million copies of his books were sold. They were translated into 32 different languages.

Early Life

Harold Robbins was born Harold Rubin in New York City in 1916. His parents were Frances "Fannie" Smith and Charles Rubin. They were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire. His father was a pharmacist. Harold was raised by his father and his stepmother, Blanche, in Brooklyn.

Harold Robbins left high school in the late 1920s. He worked many different jobs. He was an errand boy and an inventory clerk in a grocery store. From 1940 to 1957, he worked for Universal Pictures. He started as a clerk and worked his way up to an executive position.

His Books and Stories

Harold Robbins wrote his first book, Never Love a Stranger, in 1948. His next book, The Dream Merchants (1949), was about the American film industry. It told the story of movies from the beginning to when sound was added. Robbins mixed his own life experiences with history and exciting stories.

In 1952, he wrote A Stone for Danny Fisher. This book was made into a movie in 1958 called King Creole. The famous singer and actor Elvis Presley starred in it.

Famous Novels

One of his most famous books is The Carpetbaggers. The main character in this book was inspired by several famous people. These included Howard Hughes, who was a wealthy businessman. The Carpetbaggers takes readers on a journey from New York to California. It shows the exciting world of airplanes and the glamour of Hollywood. A sequel to this book, The Raiders, came out in 1995.

After The Carpetbaggers and Where Love Has Gone (1962), he wrote The Adventurers (1966). This book was based on Robbins's own time living in South America. He even spent three months with a group of bandits in the mountains of Colombia. The Adventurers was also made into a film in 1970.

Harold Robbins also helped create a TV show for ABC. It was called The Survivors and aired from 1969 to 1970.

Books After His Death

After Harold Robbins passed away, several new books were published. These books were written by other writers, called ghostwriters. They used Robbins's notes and unfinished stories to complete the books.

Personal Life

Harold Robbins was married three times. His first wife was his high school girlfriend, Lillian Machnivitz. In 1965, he married Grace Palermo. She later wrote a book about her life with Robbins. They divorced in the early 1990s. In 1992, Robbins married Jann Stapp. They were together until he died.

He spent a lot of time in the French Riviera and at Monte Carlo. Harold Robbins passed away in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 81. He died from respiratory heart failure. His ashes are buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City. Harold Robbins has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 6743 Hollywood Boulevard.

List of Novels

Books Published After His Death

Some books were published after Harold Robbins died. These books still carried his name. Some were based on his notes or unfinished stories. Other writers, like Junius Podrug, helped complete or write these books in Robbins's style.

See also

In Spanish: Harold Robbins para niños