Universal Weekly (1933-1935)

UNIVERSAL WEEKLY Nov. 30, 1935 Frank merriwell was designed by his creator to be the idol and objective of American boyhood. Gilbert Patten, who wrote under the name of Burt L. Standish, conceived him as the type of boy that every genuine, full blooded ambitious American boy would like to be. It was this conception of youth, not preachy, not priggish, not too-good-to-be-true, that Universal chose as the subject of this serial, "The Adventures of Frank Merriwell." FRANK MERRIWELL is a pretty good name. It must have been a good name to live for forty years and to inspire two generations of young men to go and do likewise. For that reason, if for no other, it is interesting to know how the name arose. Here is the explanation of the author, Gilbert Patten, who wrote the stories under the name of Burt L. Standish, and who is still trying to prevent others using this pen name. Mr. Patten says: Don Briggs "For my hero I took the given name of Frank and to express one of his characteristics — open, on Jean Rogers. the |eve| above-board, frank. Merriwell was formed by a combination of two words, Merry — expressive of a jolly highspirited lad — and well, suggesting abounding physical health. I've never heard of a person, living or dead, whose family name was Merriwell." So it is plain that it isn't the resounding name of Merriwell which has made the Frank Merriwell stories last until this present time. It seems a poetic justice that the one thing which actually killed Frank Merriwell as a literary feature is reviving him now in another medium of expression. It was a case of dog eat dog in survival of the fittest. The Frank Frank Merriwell settles an Merriwell and other sto argument in his own master ries of the period SUC ful w ay. Five of the Juniors watch a scrap. They are Wally Reid. Jr., Jean Hersholt, Jr., Bryant Washburn, Jr., House Peters, Jr., and Hershell Mayall, Jr. FRANK MERRIV