The Manxman is an 1896 novel by the British writer Hall Caine

Hall Caine

Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE , usually known as Hall Caine, was a Manx author. He is best known as a novelist and playwright of the late Victorian and the Edwardian eras. In his time he was exceedingly popular, and at the peak of his success his novels outsold those of his...

. It was a major success and sold half a million copies by 1913 and was translated into twelve languages. The Prime Minister Lord Rosebery observed "It will rank with the great works of English literature". It helped to establish the Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

 as one of the literary landscapes of Britain.

Adaptations

The novel was adapted twice for silent films. In 1917 George Loane Tucker

George Loane Tucker

George Loane Tucker was an American film director and screenwriter. He directed 61 films between 1911 and 1921. Tucker had been an actor before moving to directing. In 1913 he directed Traffic in Souls, which concerned the topic of white slavery. The film, over 70 years later, remains an early...

 directed The Manxman

The Manxman (1917 film)

The Manxman is a 1917 British drama film directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Henry Ainley, Adeline Hayden Coffin and Will Corrie. It is based on the novel The Manxman by Hall Caine which was later made into a film The Manxman in 1929 by Alfred Hitchcock.-Cast:* Henry Ainley - Philip...

and in 1929 Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...

 made The Manxman

The Manxman

The Manxman is a silent film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Based on an 1896 romantic novel The Manxman by Hall Caine, the director began work on the film just two weeks after the birth of his daughter, Patricia Hitchcock...

which was his last silent film.