John Monk Saunders was born in Hinckley, Minnesota. His family was prosperous and his father served as U.S. District Attorney to the city of Seattle. Saunders attended the University of Washington, where he was described as "a brilliant student and a champion swimmer." He was awarded a Rhodes scholarship and received his master's degree from Oxford in 1923. Saunders served in the U.S. Flying Corps during World War I and, because of his flying skills, was made an instructor. Tall, lean, and good-looking, Saunders probably had everything a young man might want: excitement, glamour, wealth, and celebrity status. In 1928, after a divorce from his first wife, he married the young screen star Fay Wray, who received screen immortality with her role in King Kong (1933).

After graduation from Oxford, Saunders worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and occasionally wrote editorials. With a letter of recommendation...