Hubbry Logo
Fletcher MarkleFletcher MarkleMain
Open search
Fletcher Markle
Community hub
Fletcher Markle
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Fletcher Markle
Fletcher Markle
Fletcher Markle
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Fletcher Markle (March 27, 1921 – May 23, 1991) was a Canadian actor, screenwriter, television producer and director. Markle began a radio career in Canada, then worked in radio, film and television in the United States.

Key Information

Early years

[edit]
Fletcher Markle and Madeleine Carroll at a rehearsal of "A Farewell to Arms" for Studio One (1948)

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,[2] Markle was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Markle.[3] He graduated from Prince of Wales Secondary School[4] in Vancouver and chose not to attend college because "there were too many things to do".[5]

Films and television

[edit]

Markle began his career at age 17 in Vancouver, British Columbia, doing radio 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 included John Drainie, Lister Sinclair, and Alan Young on such local stations as CJOR, CKWX and the CBC network.[6] During World War II, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.[2] During that service he acted in the film Journey Together during some of his off-duty time.[5]

In 1945, Markle received a $1,500 grant from Twentieth Century Fox to finish his partly autobiographical novel There Was A Young Man. The award came while he was working on the Radio Folio series for the Canadian 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 the Baker's Dozen series on CBC.[7]

The group moved to Toronto, and Markle had a role as an actor in Journey Together (1946). Markle then moved to New York City, and although not listed in the credits, contributed to the screenplay for Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai (1947).[citation needed]

During his time in New York, he contributed to the CBS 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 movie Jigsaw (1949). He directed Nancy Davis, Ray Milland, and John Hodiak in Night into Morning (1951).[9]

During the 1950s and early 1960s, he was a director, producer and host for a number of television series such as Front Row Center and Boris Karloff's Thriller, Father of the Bride, and Telescope. He directed the movie The Incredible Journey (1963) for Walt Disney. Markle is also credited for signing Lorne Greene to play Ben Cartwright in Bonanza.[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 in The 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 for Sears Radio Theater.[11]

Markle received an Academy Award nomination for the documentary film The V-1: Story of the Robot Bomb,[1] which he wrote and narrated.[12]

Personal life

[edit]

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.

Death

[edit]

On May 23, 1991, Markle died at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, of heart failure, aged 70.[1]

Filmography

[edit]

Producer

[edit]

Director

[edit]

Writer

[edit]
  • The Lady from Shanghai (Uncredited, 1947)
  • Jigsaw (1949)
  • The Wednesday Play (1 episode, 1964)

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Fletcher Markle

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Fletcher Markle (March 27, 1921 – May 23, 1991) was a Canadian , director, , and occasional renowned for his contributions to radio and , particularly as the creator and of the acclaimed Studio One. Born in , , and raised in , , after graduating from high school at age 18, Markle began writing scripts for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942 to 1945, during which he continued writing and directing radio productions, including the script for the documentary short "The V-1: Story of the Robot Bomb" (1944). After the war, he worked briefly in England and debuted in film with a role in Journey Together (1945), before relocating to the to collaborate with on the Mercury Summer Theatre in 1946. He was often dubbed the "Canadian Orson Welles" for his innovative approach to . Markle's breakthrough came with the launch of Studio One on CBS radio in 1947, where he produced the first hour-long dramatic program on April 29 of that year, emphasizing faithful adaptations of literature over star-driven casting, which earned a Peabody Award for the network. He transitioned the series to television in 1948, directing and producing episodes alongside other anthology shows like Ford Theatre (1948–1949), Front Row Center (1955), and Life with Father (1953–1955). In film, he directed notable features including Jigsaw (1949), The Man with a Cloak (1951), Night into Morning (1951), and the family adventure The Incredible Journey (1963), while also contributing uncredited work to Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai (1947). Later in his career, Markle directed episodes of television series such as Thriller (1960) and M Squad (1957–1960), and revived radio drama in the late 1970s with Sears Radio Theater (1979) and Mutual Radio Theater (1980). He died of heart failure in Pasadena, California, following a long battle with diabetes, survived by his third wife, Dorothy, and son Stephen, also an actor.

Early life

Birth and upbringing

Fletcher Markle was born on March 27, 1921, in , , , the son of George Wilson Markle, a 40-year-old resident of the city, and Meta Gertrude Clarke, aged 34 at the time. His family background was rooted in early 20th-century Canadian life, with his parents providing a stable environment amid the post-World War I era in the prairie province. During his childhood, Markle's family relocated to , , where he spent much of his formative years and grew up immersed in the city's vibrant West Coast culture. By 1931, census records show the family residing in Vancouver South, reflecting their establishment in the growing urban center known for its natural beauty and emerging entertainment scene. In , Markle encountered early influences from the local theater and media landscape, particularly the burgeoning radio industry, which sparked his interest in performance and storytelling. He became part of a cohort of young talents honing their skills in Vancouver's radio circles during the late 1930s and early 1940s, including initial involvement in radio work as a teenager.

Education and early career entry

Markle attended the University of for two years before leaving in 1939 at the age of 18 to write radio scripts for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). His decision to drop out reflected a growing passion for theater and radio, influenced by his upbringing where he had developed an early interest in performance. At age 17, Markle began taking on early acting roles in local theater productions and radio dramas, marking his entry into the . These initial experiences in the late allowed him to hone his dramatic skills through on-air performances and script involvement at local stations. In 1939, Markle formed the Phoenix Theater, a repertory company modeled after Orson Welles's , which started with stage productions of works like Julius Caesar and Doctor Faustus. Concurrently, he produced the dramatic radio series Imagine Please for CKWX in , serving as both actor and emerging writer during its run from 1940 to 1941. This marked his first paid radio work, where he developed key skills in dramatic writing and production within the local scene.

Professional career

Radio work

Markle began his radio career in in the late 1930s, where he formed the Phoenix Theater repertory company and produced the dramatic series Imagine Please for station CKWX. By his late teens, he had transitioned to writing and performing for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), contributing over 250 scripts to various programs and establishing himself as a prolific dramatist. In the early 1940s, Markle wrote and performed in CBC anthology series such as Baker's Dozen, a collection of original suspense and dramatic narratives broadcast from in 1941 and 1942, which showcased his emerging storytelling style through taut, character-driven plots. He also served as writer and host for Radio Folio, an experimental CBC program originating from that featured innovative audio formats, including the 1945 episode "," where he explored ensemble dynamics in live broadcasts. These roles highlighted his versatility, blending acting with scriptwriting to create immersive radio experiences focused on psychological tension and moral dilemmas. Following service in the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he continued scripting radio content, Markle relocated to around 1946, drawn by opportunities with Orson Welles's . There, he shifted toward production roles, creating and directing the anthology Studio One in 1947, a weekly series that adapted literary works into hour-long dramas emphasizing suspenseful pacing and atmospheric . Notable episodes under his direction included the debut adaptation of Malcolm Lowry's , which delved into themes of and , as well as condensed versions of P.G. Wodehouse's Topaze and Sherwood Anderson's , demonstrating his ability to condense complex narratives for radio's auditory medium. This period marked his evolution from performer to , influencing American through original scripts that prioritized emotional depth over visual spectacle.

Film contributions

Markle's entry into film began during with his work on the British-produced documentary short The V-1: Story of the Robot Bomb (1944), which he wrote and narrated; the film, detailing the German V-1 flying bomb's development and impact, received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. Following the war, Markle contributed uncredited to the screenplay of Orson Welles's (1947), assisting in adapting Sherwood King's novel If I Die Before I Wake into a complex film noir narrative involving betrayal and murder. In 1949, Markle made his feature film directorial debut with Jigsaw, which he also wrote; this low-budget film noir centers on a New York assistant investigating a series of murders tied to a neo-fascist promoting racial , blending suspense with . Markle directed (1951) for , a poignant drama scripted by Karl Tunberg and Leonard Spigelgass, following a university professor's descent into and isolation after losing his wife and son in a house fire. His most notable Hollywood production came in 1963 with for Productions, where he served as both and director; adapted from Sheila Burnford's novel, the film portrays the real-life-inspired odyssey of two dogs and a traversing over 200 miles of Canadian to return to their family, emphasizing themes of and .

Television productions

Fletcher Markle transitioned his radio expertise to television in the late 1940s, becoming a prominent and director during the of live , where he emphasized innovative adaptations and high-stakes storytelling under tight production constraints. His work focused on that brought literary and original narratives to a visual audience, often live-broadcast to capture immediacy and tension. Markle's contributions helped elevate episodic television as a medium for serious , blending , character depth, and technical ambition. Markle originated the anthology series Studio One as a CBS radio program in 1947, producing its adaptation to live television beginning in 1948, where it ran until 1958. The TV version frequently adapted radio scripts into hour-long episodes, transforming audio dramas into visual spectacles with emerging stars like and sets that pushed live production boundaries. In 1952, as producer, Markle revitalized the series after a change, debuting experimental adaptations such as Claude Houghton's I Am Jonathan Scrivener, which featured innovative narrative techniques like an unseen described by others, though critics noted occasional overproduction that prioritized style over substance. This approach solidified Studio One as a pinnacle of drama, fostering conceptual depth in weekly formats. In 1960, Markle produced the anthology Thriller, which aired from 1960 to 1962 and marked a shift to filmed production while retaining anthology roots. Hosted by , the series specialized in horror and themes, presenting 67 episodes of mystery dramas where ordinary individuals encountered fueled by greed, emotion, or circumstance. As for Hubbell Robinson Productions, Markle oversaw the curation of 26 initial properties—blending classics and originals—filmed at Studios in Hollywood and on international locations to enhance atmospheric tension. Episodes like the premiere "The Twisted Image" exemplified the show's focus on psychological dread, directed by talents such as and featuring stars including . Markle directed multiple episodes of the Father of the Bride during its 1961–1962 run, adapting the 1950 film into a half-hour comedy series starring and . His episodes, including "Buckley's Parents" and "The Guest List," highlighted domestic humor amid wedding preparations, contributing to the show's lighthearted episodic structure over 34 installments. Markle played a key role in the early development of , the landmark western that premiered in 1959, by recommending and facilitating the casting of as patriarch Ben Cartwright. Having worked with Greene on Studio One, Markle connected him to producer during a 1953 New York encounter, recognizing Greene's authoritative voice and presence as ideal for the role, which anchored the series' 14-season success. Through these productions, Markle influenced the evolution of television drama from live radio-style anthologies to more cinematic formats, prioritizing thematic richness and performer-driven narratives that resonated in the competitive – landscape. His oversight of tight production cycles in Thriller and Studio One underscored the era's emphasis on creative risk-taking, leaving a lasting mark on episodic television's conceptual foundations.

Personal life

Marriages and relationships

Fletcher Markle's first marriage was to Helen Blanche Willis in 1944 in , ; the union ended in divorce in 1949. In 1950, he married actress , an Academy Award winner for her supporting role in (1949) and a prominent voice in radio dramas, reflecting their overlapping careers in and film; the couple divorced in 1962. Markle wed Dorothy Conradt in 1963, a that lasted nearly three decades until his death.

Family and residences

Fletcher Markle's first to Helen Blanche Willis produced one son, Stephen Fletcher Markle (1945–2018), born in , , who pursued a career as an and . His second marriage to included the adoption of her son from a previous relationship, John Lawrence Markle (1941–1987). In the mid-1940s, following his marriage, he relocated with his wife and young son from to to advance his radio career, working on programs for and Orson Welles's Mercury Summer Theater. This move marked a significant family transition as Markle shifted from Canadian broadcasting to the competitive New York radio scene, balancing professional demands with domestic responsibilities during the postwar period. In the later stages of his career, Markle settled in , near Hollywood, where he focused on television production and feature films, establishing a stable home base for his family in the 1960s onward.

Death and legacy

Final years and health

After the height of his television productions in the and , Fletcher Markle's professional output diminished in subsequent decades, with more intermittent involvement in the industry. Diagnosed with in 1963, which limited his directing and acting roles, he returned to that year and contributed to by hosting and producing the documentary series from 1963 to 1969, writing and producing episodes of the anthology program through 1976, and serving as executive producer of The Play’s the Thing in 1974. In 1970, he assumed the role of head of television drama at the CBC, overseeing the introduction of popular series such as and Jalna. Markle later returned to the and focused on radio revival efforts in the late 1970s. He co-produced and directed Sears Radio Theater in 1979 alongside Elliott Lewis, featuring original dramas sponsored by and broadcast on . The program transitioned to the in 1980 as Mutual Radio Theater, continuing with new episodes for a short season. In his final years, Markle resided in , where complications from his long battle with affected his health. He died of there on May 23, 1991.

Posthumous recognition

Fletcher Markle's legacy in Canadian broadcasting history is acknowledged through archival references that position him as a key figure in the early development of . As one of the prominent Canadian radio actors who honed their skills in during the late 1930s and early 1940s at stations like CKWX and CJOR, Markle contributed to the CBC's postwar drama initiatives, including writing for Andrew Allan's Stage series and wartime productions such as Comrades in Arms. His role in this era is documented in historical texts like The Birth of Radio in Canada by Bill McNeil and Morris Wolfe, as well as Cue The Elephant by Knowlton Nash, which highlight his influence on the evolution of Canadian audio storytelling. In the realm of U.S. television anthologies, Markle's work as a producer and director endures as a foundational element of early suspense and drama programming. His oversight of series like Studio One and Thriller (1960–1962) is credited with advancing atmospheric tension and genre experimentation, blending mystery, fantasy, and horror in ways that informed subsequent anthology formats. Notably, Thriller has received high praise from horror author Stephen King, who in Danse Macabre (1981) described it as "the best horror series ever put on TV" for its sophisticated restraint and intellectual depth, an assessment that has sustained the show's cultural impact in retrospective analyses of 1960s television. While formal posthumous honors such as inductions or dedicated awards remain scarce, Markle's influence persists through preserved works and scholarly mentions in broadcasting histories, underscoring his pioneering status in suspense genres across radio and television. Episodes from his CBC series Telescope (1963–1969), for instance, continue to be archived and accessed, reflecting ongoing interest in his documentary-style contributions to Canadian media identity.

Filmography

Feature films

Markle's first credited contribution to cinema was as writer and narrator of the documentary short The V-1: Story of the Robot Bomb (1944), which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject. He provided uncredited writing assistance for the film noir classic (1947), directed by . Markle wrote and directed the film noir thriller Jigsaw (1949), starring and . As director, he helmed the drama (1951), featuring and in an early role. Markle directed the adventure film (1951), a period mystery with and . His final feature film credit came as producer and director of the family adventure (1963), a Walt Disney production based on Sheila Burnford's novel, following the odyssey of two dogs and a .

Television episodes and series

Fletcher Markle's television career began with the creation of the Studio One in 1947, which transitioned to television and ran from 1948 to 1958 on , encompassing 467 episodes in total. As creator, writer, and director, he contributed to numerous early installments, including producing the inaugural hour-long drama broadcast on April 29, 1947, and directing adaptations that showcased live dramatic performances during television's . He produced and directed episodes of the anthology series Ford Theatre (1948–1949) on . Markle produced the comedy series (1953–1955) on , based on the Clarence Day stories. As producer, he oversaw Front Row Center (1955), an anthology series on featuring adaptations of Broadway plays. Markle directed episodes of the crime drama (1957–1960) on , starring as a police lieutenant. Markle served as producer for the entire run of the suspense anthology series Thriller (also known as ), which aired on from 1960 to 1962 and consisted of 67 episodes. Under his production, the series initially emphasized crime and suspense stories before shifting toward gothic horror, featuring hosted introductions by and adaptations of works by authors like . He also directed eight episodes. From 1961 to 1962, Markle directed 20 episodes of the sitcom Father of the Bride, based on the 1950 film and starring as Stanley Banks. His episodes, such as "The Guest List," "Mr. Massoula," "The Shower," and "Buckley's Parents," captured the comedic family dynamics central to the series' 34-episode run.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/25/arts/fletcher-markle-is-dead-at-70-wrote-tv-and-radio-dramas.html
  2. https://store.radiospirits.com/blog/happy-birthday-fletcher-markle/
  3. https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/studio-one/
  4. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0548529/
  5. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LTX4-Z2L/fletcher-markle-1921-1991
  6. http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/markle_f.shtml
  7. https://broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/markle-fletcher/
  8. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/fletcher-markle
  9. https://books.google.com/books/about/Imagine_Please.html?id=vq1eaf5UZCsC
  10. https://time.com/archive/6784562/radio-another-wonder-boy/
  11. https://www.sffaudio.com/cbc-radio-drama-in-vancouver-during-wwii-photo/
  12. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/CANADA/CBC-Times/1963/CBC-Times-1963-02-23.pdf
  13. https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/actors/fletcher-markle
  14. https://www.wellesnet.com/shanghai.htm
  15. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/25976
  16. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50224
  17. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/22410
  18. https://www.nytimes.com/1952/12/05/archives/radio-and-television-fletcher-markle-puts-new-life-in-tv-studio-one.html
  19. https://archive.org/download/nbctraderelease1960nati_0/nbctraderelease1960nati_0.pdf
  20. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/fletcher-markle/credits/3030023264/
  21. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-09-12-me-1780-story.html
  22. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0548529/bio/
  23. https://www.gatheringus.com/memorial/stephen-fletcher-markle/387?c=973
  24. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0548534/
  25. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0548529/trivia/
  26. https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Sears_Radio_Theater_Singles
  27. https://www.cbr.com/stephen-king-thriller-best-horror-series/
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040525/fullcredits/
  29. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040051/
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053546/fullcredits/
  31. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/89685-fletcher-markle?language=en-US
  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0578527/
  33. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1858646/
  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1858053/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.