Leslie John Edgley (October 14, 1912 – August 9, 2002)"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JP5B-D6F : 9 January 2021), Leslie J Edgley, 29 Aug 2002; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). was an English-born American mystery fiction writer, radio dramatist screenwriter and playwright. Among the works for which he became known are the scripts for many episodes of Perry Mason, written as "Robert Bloomfield".

Early life and career Edgley was born in London in 1912, but emigrated with his parents to Canada in 1918; four years later, they came to the United States, finally putting down roots in East Chicago, Indiana. Edgley spent his formative years in the Marktown district, graduating from Washington High School in 1930."192 Seniors Leave School on Wednesday". The Times (Munster, Indiana). June 5, 1930. p. 16. Retrieved May 31, 2022. In 1936, one year after marrying East Chicago native Mary Anna Gustaitis;"Gustaitis-Edgley". The Hammond Times. July 11, 1935. p. 6. Retrieved May 31, 2022. Edgley attained United States citizenship."Indiana Naturalization Records and Indexes, 1848-1993," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVM8-7GMN : 8 November 2017), Leslie John Edgley, 1936; citing Naturalization, Hammond, Lake, Indiana, United States, NARA NAID 5682644, National Archives at Chicago, Illinois, n.d. In 1944, the couple relocated to California.Kott, Anthony J. (February 16, 1940). "East Chicago Is Locale of Novel's Plot; Former Harbor Youth Author of Powerful New Work of Fiction". The Hammond Times. p. 45. Retrieved May 31, 2022.

Beginning his writing career in the 1940s, Edgley published work under his own name, but also started using the name "Robert Bloomfield" as a pen name on some of his work as early as 1947.

In 1952, Edgley was named as a former member of the Communist Party USA by Roy Huggins, in testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee.Sherman, Gene (September 30, 1952). "Film Director Huggins Tells Own Red Links". Los Angeles Times. p. 1. "Huggins, a crisp, crew-cut UCLA graduate, gave a well-worded, unfaltering recitation of his Communist Party activities. He included names of 22 persons he knew when he was a member of Red organizations." Retrieved June 5, 2022. From 1956 forward, in order to work around being on the Hollywood blacklist, all of Edgley's television work was credited to his already established alias of Robert Bloomfield.

As Robert Bloomfield, Edgley had a prolific TV writing career between 1956 and 1968, writing episodes of Lassie, Climax!, Perry Mason, Bonanza, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, and many other US TV series.

Works as Leslie Edgley No Birds Sing, New York, Farrar & Rinehart, 1940, 328 pp.Clayton, Robert (March 10, 1940). "Depression and War Form Background for Novel of Today by Leslie Edgley". Chattanooga Daily Times. Fear No More, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1946, 202 pp. Reprinted by Ace, 1953, bound dos-à-dos with Hal Braham (as Mel Colton), Never Kill A Cop False Face, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1946, 202 pp. The Angry Heart, Garden City, N.Y., Published for the Crime Club by Doubleday, 1947, 190 pp. Reprinted as Tracked Down by Ace, 1954, bound tête-bêche with Martin L. Weiss, Death Hitches A Ride The Judas Goat, Garden City, N.Y., Published for the Crime Club by Doubleday, 1952, 190 pp. Reprinted by Ace, 1953, bound tête-bêche with Theodore S. Drachman, Cry Plague! as the first Ace Double The Runaway Pigeon, Garden City, N.Y., Published for the Crime Club by Doubleday, 1953, 188 pp. Also published as One Blonde Died, Lawrence E. Pivak, N.Y., 1953, Bestseller Mystery B171 Published in UK as Diamonds Spell Death, Arthur Barker, 1954, Museum Street Thriller series A Dirty Business, New York, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969, 182 pp."Last of Judge Dee Series?; Also Recommended". The Boston Globe. p. 80-B. Retrieved June 1, 2022.

as Robert Bloomfield Shadow of Guilt, New York, Doubleday, 1947 From This Day Forward, New York, Doubleday, 1952 Lust for Vengeance, New York, Doubleday, 1952, 189 pp. Russian Roulette, New York, Harcourt, 1955 When Strangers Meet, New York, Doubleday, 1956 Kill With Kindness, New York, Doubleday, 1962

as Michael Gillian Warrant for a Wanton, New York, Mill-William Morrow & Company, 1952, 246 pp.

with Mary Edgley (as Brook Hastings) The Demon Within, New York, Doubleday, 1953

Notes

References

Further reading "Son and Father Held in East Chicago Death". The Times (Munster, Indiana). April 21, 1930. p. 3. Edgley, Leslie (April 12, 1932). "An Honest Man". Shamokin News-Dispatch. p. 3 Edgley, Leslie (April 20, 1933). "Valor's a Name". Shamokin News-Dispatch. p. 6 Edgley, Leslie (January 9, 1944). "Solid Citizen". New York Daily News. p. C24 "TV Films in Production as of Friday, Aug. 29: Federal Telefilm, Inc.". Variety. September 3, 1952. p. 18

United Press (September 30, 1952). "Ex-Red Bares More Film Names". New York Daily News. p. 34

Hughes, Dorothy B. (January 30, 1953). "Report Card of Crime". The Albuquerque Tribune. p. 14 Fink, John (December 30, 1956). "In TV Dramas, The Certainty Is Uncertainty". Chicago Tribune. Pt. 3, p. 6

Hughes, Dorothy B. (March 2, 1969). "The Crime File: Suspense Novels Await Scrutiny". Los Angeles Times. Calendar, p. 38.

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