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The Palm Beach Post (07/Jun/1964) - Hitchcock Hideaway

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Hitchcock Hideaway

The hideaway where Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine is put together every month has never been visited by the old master himself

Most Manhattan editors only dream of publishing a successful magazine on a tropic island, but Richard E. Decker has done it — with his Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine located in comparative seclusion on Palm Beach Shores.

Decker is not anxious for the general public to know the exact location of his island hideaway — he doesn't even have the name on the door of his office.

To some onlookers, the image of a suspense thriller set against the backdrop of swaying palms and sunshine may seem as enigmatic as the stories Hitchcock has popularized. Not so to editor-publisher Decker, who has woven these incongruous elements — in typical Hitchcock style — to come up with a best-selling monthly.

"The surroundings are perfect for our publication," says Decker, who established the periodical in New York in 1956 and brought it to Florida’s Gold Coast in 1959. "We first based the office in North Palm Beach and later moved it to the island. Our whole Southern re-location just seemed natural since my family and I had been vacationing in the Palm Beaches for a number of years. We decided to try this sunshine full-time and here we are."

The editor explains that unlike most mass circulation magazines, his is not bound to the nucleus of the publishing world — New York.

"Our printing, which is done in Concord, N.H., is the only thing we left up North," says Decker. "All editorial work is centered here. We handle stories, writers, literary agents and subscriptions through the mails." The fact that the publication runs no advertising gives it even greater freedom from New York, where magazines usually most do business with clients' agencies.

"We have numerous advantages here, says Decker "We can work in peace and quiet, and it is almost impossible to do this in a big city, where writers, visitors and others form a constant parade through your offices. No such problem here. Must local people don't even know where we are. Interruptions are few."

There are many other features to the magazines Florida locale, says the editor. Sunshine, the ease of travel and the Atlantic — which the staff can view between mysteries — are at the top of the list

Having worked in the East and been victims of bitter winters and agonizing commuting, the staff members especially value these offerings but say that Decker gets the prize in the appreciation department. He often walks to and from work, taking in sun and surf in route.

Florida life must agree with the magazine, which continues to attract not only a national audience but an international following as well. Appearing in almost every major country in the world, the magazine is translated into languages ranging from Japanese to Swedish. Decker explains that he does not publish abroad but sells the magazine’s rights to foreign companies.

The growth of the publication, Decker says, has been sparked, of course, by the Hitchcock television program, which is shown in many distant lands.

Surprisingly, the master of suspense has little to do with the magazine. "His name is certainly one of our big attractions," says Decker, but he has no direct connection with the actual production of the publication."

Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell, is the only liaison between her father’s Hollywood offices and the magazine, which has titled her associate editor.

The Hitchcock representatives, who see first proofs of the magazine, have first rights to any of the short stories for use on TV. Stories that are selected for TV presentation are usually given to Joan Harrison, a producer of the TV series, and are then adapted to video.

It is reported that Hitchcock supervises scripts, reads them and offers suggestions. Aside from these activities and filming his renowned introductions to the show, his work with the nine-year-old series is limited.

Regardless of Hitchcock's apparent aloofness from the TV spine-tingler and from the magazine, it is certain that his image has built both. They follow the classic Hitchcock pattern of unusual suspense, which he has used since his movie-making days in the late twenties.

Hitchcock's conception of suspense — that the audience must be outwitted and that there must be an unexpected twist at the end of each tale — is echoed in almost every production that carries his monicker.

Decker says that most of the stories accepted for print by his editors are clearly geared to the Hitchcock tempo. They are told with finesse, are resolved with a surprise twist, and fit neatly into the mystery-crime fiction category.

In his standard message to would-be contributors to the magazine, the editor says, "Stories that lean heavily for dramatic effect on bloody violence, racial prejudice, profanity, perversion, sex, drugs, cheap sensationalism, or actual crimes, we cannot use."

Decker makes clear that he and his staff strive to offer a solid mystery magazine, one that can be enjoyed by everyone from grandma to junior, Each month the staff is deluged with what they term "slush," or unsolicited, material sent in by novice writers. Some of these have possibilities and others are just too far out, explains Decker, but everything is read.

"Most of the stories we publish are sent to us by agents, and only a few of the unsolicited pieces ever reach print. We average 25 stories a week from agents, and we use only 15 a month from all sources — including those sent in by unknown authors."

The staff's diverse individual backgrounds — within the bounds of journalism — have obviously aided the magazine's success. Decker's experiences generally have been in the circulation and business departments of mass circulation publications.

Mrs. Decker, who was introduced to the publishing business by her husband on their magazine, is a student of the classics with a major in English.

The staff is always on the lookout for fresh, exciting talent and has, in some cases, been responsible for giving big name writers their first break.

Kevin Hunter, who later wrote "Blackboard Jungle," started his career through the pages of the mystery magazine. So did Henry Slesar, a fulltime advertising executive who is well known for his TV scripts.

"The trouble is TV always seems to steal our good writers," says Decker, "so we're always searching for a new crop."

To help him find those new talents, Decker has a staff of four at his Palm Beach Shores office. The unusual pops up again. The staff is a husband-and-wife arrangement.

Joining Decker is his wife, who is managing editor; Ned Benham and his wife, Victoria, associate editors. Marguerite Blair Deacon, art director, who illustrates the magazine completely, does her work at her Lantana home.

The story of the Deckers' and Benhams' union is quite a twister in itself. Mr. Decker and the Benhams, all veterans in the publishing business, were employed by Macfadden publishing company, and Liberty Magazine at the same time, frequented the same offices but did not discover one another until they came South.

"We may have established a precedent in magazine publishing by locating here," says Decker.

One thing is certain — even Hitchcock would have a hard time concocting anything more unusual and more unexpected amid swaying palms and sunshine.

One of two husband-wife teams on the small editorial staff, Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Decker look over possible cover art. Decker is editor and his wife managing editor.

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