James Blyth Macalester Clark, Jr.
Journalist, Author
Born August 26, 1883, Liverpool, England
Died February 5, 1959, Rainhill Hospital, Liverpool, England
James Blyth Macalester Clark, Jr., was born on August 26, 1883, in Liverpool, England. His parents were James Blyth Macalester Clark (1847-1935), a Scottish-born optician and a man in business, and Esther Allan Nichol (1848-1885). Clark, Senior, was married twice, first to Esther Allan Nichol, on May 12, 1879, in Dumfermline, Fife, Scotland; next to Eliza Jane Dobbie (1850-1900), on June 2, 1889, in Toxteth, St. Philemon, Lancashire, England. In 1881, the Clark family was in Toxteth Park in Lancashire. In 1891, they were in Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
A James Blyth Macalester Clark was admitted to Gartnavel Royal Asylum, an insane asylum, in 1909. Whether that was the father or the son, I can't say. But in 1911, Clark, Junior, crossed over to Quebec, Canada. His father followed in 1915 and lived in Montreal until the summer of 1935, when he returned to England. James B.M. Clark, Sr., died on July 26, 1935, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. His children were Esther Marie (Clark) Mitchell, Elizabeth Grieg (Clark) Sawer, J.B.M. Clark, Jr., and Alexander D. Clark.
J.B.M. Clark, Jr., of Montreal visited in Burlington, Vermont, in 1918. His story "The Ape Man" is set in Burlington and in neighboring Winooski. (By looking for Clark in Vermont, I discovered his full name and the facts needed for this biographical sketch.) In 1921, Clark moved to Los Angeles, California. I don't know how long he stayed there. In 1935 when his father died, he was back in Montreal. Like his father before him, he returned to England. Clark died on February 5, 1959, at Rainhill Hospital, Liverpool, England. He was seventy-five years old. His wife may have been A.D. Clark (?-1964).
James B.M. Clark, Jr., wrote nonfiction and fiction. "The Ape-Man," from Weird Tales, March 1923, was his first story listed in The FictionMags Index. That list includes stories from 1923 to 1932. Clark also had brief stories syndicated in American newspapers during the 1920s and '30s. Clark's stories were in Cabaret Stories, Clues, Detective Fiction Weekly, Real Detective Tales and Mystery Stories, and a number of boys' magazines. His nonfiction seems to have been exclusively in British magazines.
J.B.M. Clarke, Jr.'s Stories in Weird Tales
"The Ape-Man" (Mar. 1923)
"Windows of Destiny" (Apr. 1927)
Further Reading
None known except for his stories.
J.B.M. Clarke, Jr.'s Story:
"The Ape-Man" is a long short story in six chapters. It takes place in Burlington and Winooski, Vermont, an unusual setting for a story in the first issue of Weird Tales. The author Clark is known to have visited in Burlington. I didn't realize until looking at a map just how close Burlington is to Clark's hometown of Montreal.
There are three main characters in "The Ape-Man," human characters, that is. There are also two simian characters. One of the men, Needham, seems to be halfway between one and the other. Another of the men, Norton, calls him "a throwback--an atavistic specimen." Needham lives a slovenly existence in a closed-up house in Burlington. His companion is a little monkey named Fifi, who wears clothing like a person. Needham has been to Africa and has observed baboons in the wild. From his observations, he has learned something about how baboons communicate. He seems to have formed a bond with one of them, a dominant male.
One night, Norton has a frightening experience while walking through Ethan Allen Park, which is close to Needham's house on North Avenue. He sees Needham gamboling in the park, more like an ape than a man. Needham follows him. He's in a tree and reaches down to grasp Norton by the throat, chuckling, "Aha! You would give me away, would you!" Fortunately Norton escapes.
There is a circus in town. Norton and his friend Meldrum go there. Naturally there are baboons among the circus animals. Needham shows up and gives his curious cry. The smaller baboons are cowed by it. The dominant one is not. Could this be the same animal with whom Needham communicated in Africa?
Norton agrees to go to Needham's house the next day. Call it an idiot-plot device. Meldrum goes later. Instinct tells him to take his pistol. From outside the door, he witnesses a strange tableau: Needham and the baboon are sitting at a table and drinking whiskey. Norton is already unconscious. It looks as though Needham commands the baboon to kill Norton. Meldrum intervenes. Shots are fired. The lights go out. (That little Fifi!) Help comes along, and Norton is saved.
"The Ape-Man" is unusual in its setting. It's also unusual in its diction. It's no surprise to learn that the author was born in England and lived in Canada. Clark's story is well developed. However, the ending isn't very satisfying. It may be that Clark didn't quite know how to bring his story to a close after having set it up pretty well. In any case, we have the last story and the last author in the first issue of Weird Tales.
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| Ethan Allen Park Tower, a feature mentioned in "The Ape-Man" by J.B.M Clark, Jr. |
Text copyright 2023 Terence E. Hanley
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