Eugene Levitt (May 28, 1920 – November 15, 1999) was an American television writer, producer and director.
Life and career Levitt was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Charles and Teresa Levitt. He had an older sister, Betty Ruth. His mother died when Gene was about 12 years old. Levitt attended the University of Wyoming. Following graduation he moved to Chicago where he worked as a newspaper reporter until enlisting in the United States Marine Corps.
In the 1940s, Levitt wrote for radio programs, including The Adventures of Philip Marlowe.Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. . p. 13.
Levitt was a writer for many television series in the 1950s and 1960s, including Highway Patrol, Maverick ("Trail West to Fury"), Adventures in Paradise and Combat!. He moved to directing in the 1970s, working on series such as Alias Smith and Jones and McCloud. His most significant achievement was the creation of the television series Fantasy Island, starring Ricardo Montalbán and Herve Villechaize. The show ran for over six years.
In addition to Fantasy Island, Levitt assisted in the writing, production, and directing of Hawaii-Five-O, and Alias Smith and Jones.
He died of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California.
Filmography
Films Year Film Credit Notes1956Foreign IntrigueStory ByBeyond MombasaWritten ByCo-Wrote screenplay with "Richard English" 1957The Night RunnerScreenplay By 1958Underwater Warrior 1964The YellowbirdScreenplay By, Produced By 1968Daring GameProduced By1969Any Second NowDirected By, Produced By, Written ByRun a Crooked MileDirectorAnatomy of a CrimeProduced By 1970The Forty-Eight Hour MileDirected By 1974The Phantom of HollywoodDirected By, Produced By1978Magee and The LadyDirected ByBarnaby and MeProduced By
Television Year TV Series Credit Notes 1951–52Front Page DetectiveWriter6 Episodes1953-54I Led 3 Lives7 EpisodesYour Favorite Story6 Episodes 1953–56The Loretta Young Show13 Episodes 1954Mr. District Attorney1 Episode 1954–55Foreign Intrigue9 Episodes1955Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion5 EpisodesHighway Patrol2 EpisodesScience Fiction Theatre1 Episode 1955–56The Ford Television Theater2 Episodes1956Celebrity Playhouse1 EpisodeClimax!Schlitz Playhouse of Stars2 EpisodesThe Man Called X1 EpisodeTV Reader's Digest 1957The Californians3 Episodes1957-58Men of Annapolis5 EpisodesTombstone Territory3 Episodes1957-59Maverick5 EpisodesRichard Diamond, Private Detective3 Episodes1958Colt .451 EpisodeSea Hunt2 Episodes1958-60Bat Masterson8 Episodes77 Sunset Strip2 Episodes1959The Man and The Challenge3 EpisodesThe David Niven Show1 EpisodeThis Man Dawson 1959–62Adventures In ParadiseWriter, ProducerMultiple Episodes 1960The Four Just MenWriter1 Episode 1961The Aquanauts 1962–66Combat!Writer, Producer88 Episodes 1968–69The OutsiderWriter, DirectorMultiple Episodes1970The Name Of The GameDirector2 EpisodesThe Bold Ones: The Lawyers1 Episode1971Alias Smith and Jones2 EpisodesNight Gallery1 Episode 1972Cool MillionWriter, Director, Producer2 Episodes 1973Barnaby JonesProducer12 Episodes 1974McCloudDirector1 Episode1975Get Christie Love!WriterKolchak: The Night StalkerDirectorS.W.A.T.Director, ProducerMultiple Episodes 1977–84Fantasy IslandWriter, Creator 1978–79Project U.F.O.Supervising Producer8 Episodes 1979–80Hawaii Five-OProducer, Supervising Producer16 Episodes 1981The Misadventures of Sheriff LoboDirector1 Episode 1983Trauma Center
See also
References
External links