Leslie John Edgley (October 14, 1912 – August 9, 2002) 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. In 1936, one year after marrying East Chicago native Mary Anna Gustaitis; Edgley attained United States citizenship. In 1944, the couple relocated to California. 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. 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

as Robert Bloomfield

as Michael Gillian

with Mary Edgley (as Brook Hastings)