Fletcher Markle did a bit of acting, but since he made such vast contributions behind the scenes, I thought I'd put him here.
1921-1991
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Markle began his career in the early 1940s in Vancouver, British Columbia doing radio dramas with a group whose members included John Drainie, Lister Sinclair, Bernie Braden, and Alan Young on such local stations as CJOR and the CBC network. During World War II, 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, wrote for Orson Welles' The Lady from Shanghai. During his time in New York, he contributed to the CBS radio anthology, Studio One, which he later brought to television. He produced, wrote for and played a cameo role in the movie Jigsaw (1949). For Night into Morning (1951), he directed Nancy Davis, Ray Milland, and John Hodiak.
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 up Lorne Greene to play Ben Cartwright in Bonanza.
Markle's first marriage to Helen Blanche Willis ended in 1949. While working for Orson Welles, he met and later married second wife Mercedes McCambridge. The couple later divorced in 1962.
On May 23, 1991, Markle died at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California of heart failure.
Markle's Contributions To Canadian Entertainment
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