Fletcher Markle | |
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| Born | (1921-03-27)March 27, 1921 |
| Died | May 23, 1991(1991-05-23) (aged 70) Pasadena, California, U.S.[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Actor,screenwriter,television producer,television andfilm director |
| Spouses | |
Fletcher Markle (March 27, 1921 – May 23, 1991) was a Canadian actor,screenwriter,television producer anddirector. Markle began a radio career in Canada, then worked in radio, film and television in the United States.
Born inWinnipeg,Manitoba,[2] Markle was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Markle.[3] He graduated fromPrince of Wales Secondary School[4] in Vancouver and chose not to attend college because "there were too many things to do".[5]
Markle began his career at age 17 inVancouver, British Columbia, doingradio dramas.[3] He created the Phoenix Theater, which began with stage productions and then went on radio for a 68-week series of hour-long plays[5]
He worked with a group whose members includedJohn Drainie,Lister Sinclair, andAlan Young on such local stations asCJOR,CKWX and theCBC network.[6] During World War II, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.[2] During that service he acted in the filmJourney Together during some of his off-duty time.[5]
In 1945, Markle received a $1,500 grant fromTwentieth Century Fox to finish his partly autobiographical novelThere Was A Young Man. The award came while he was working on theRadio Folio series for theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).[2] The CBC had commissioned Markle to write that program, which consisted of self-contained complete episodes that ranged from light to serious in content. Markle had earlier written theBaker's Dozen series on CBC.[7]
The group moved toToronto, and Markle had a role as an actor inJourney Together (1946). Markle then moved to New York City, and although not listed in the credits, contributed to the screenplay forOrson Welles'sThe Lady from Shanghai (1947).[citation needed]
During his time in New York, he contributed to theCBS radio anthology,Studio One. In late 1952, he was brought in to replace Worthington Miner on the TV version of that program.[8]
He produced, co-wrote, and had a cameo role in the movieJigsaw (1949). He directedNancy Davis,Ray Milland, andJohn Hodiak inNight into Morning (1951).[9]
During the 1950s and early 1960s, he was a director, producer and host for a number of television series such asFront Row Center andBoris Karloff'sThriller,Father of the Bride, andTelescope. He directed the movieThe Incredible Journey (1963) forWalt Disney. Markle is also credited for signingLorne Greene to play Ben Cartwright inBonanza.[9]
In 1956, Markle and his wife,Mercedes McCambridge, launched a company to produce feature films and content for independent television. Cubano Productions initially gained rights to 23 stories by Burnham Carter. The stories, which had been published inThe Saturday Evening Post, centered around a young Cuban couple and their Cafe Mosca in Havana. They were to form the basis of a 30-minute TV series,Tonight in Havana. Markle and McCambridge also planned to develop the stories into feature films.[10]
Markle returned to radio in late 1978 as one of the writers forSears Radio Theater.[11]
Markle received an Academy Award nomination for the documentary filmThe V-1: Story of the Robot Bomb,[1] which he wrote and narrated.[12]
Markle married Helen Blanche Willis in Toronto in 1944, and they divorced on June 14, 1949.[13] They had a son, actor and writer Stephen Markle.[1] He later married actress Mercedes McCambridge,[14] and they divorced in 1962[15] after 12 years of marriage, during which he adopted her son.[16] Markle's third marriage was to Dorothy Conradt, from 1963 until his death in 1991.
On May 23, 1991, Markle died atHuntington Hospital inPasadena, California, ofheart failure, aged 70.[1]
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