John Meredyth Lucas

{{short description|American television writer, director and producer}}

{{Infobox person

| name = John Meredyth Lucas

| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|05|01}}

| birth_place = Southern California, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|10|19|1919|05|01}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, U.S.

| occupation = Television writer, director and producer

| spouse = {{marriage|Joan Winfield|1951|1978|end=died}}

| children = 3

| father = Wilfred Lucas

| mother = Bess Meredyth

}}

John Meredyth Lucas (May 1, 1919 – October 19, 2002) was an American writer, director and producer, primarily for television.

Career

Son of screenwriter Bess Meredyth and writer/director Wilfred Lucas, and the adopted son of director Michael Curtiz,{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-HnGCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA185 |title=Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2002: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture |first=Harris M. |last=Lentz III |publisher=McFarland Publishing |date=April 9, 2013 |page=185 |isbn=9780786414642}} Lucas grew up in Southern California, where he attended a number of schools, including Urban Military Academy, Pacific Military Academy, and Beverly Hills High School. After a failed attempt at college, he began his Hollywood career with a job as an apprentice script clerk at Warner Brothers.{{cite book |first=John Meredyth |last=Lucas |title=Eighty Odd Years in Hollywood |publisher=McFarland Publishing |date=20 April 2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SiQ8BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA93 |isbn=0-7864-1838-9 |page=93}}

He is best remembered for the work he did on Star Trek: The Original Series as a writer, producer and director. He wrote four of the episodes broadcast from 1967 to 1969: "The Changeling", "Patterns of Force", "Elaan of Troyius", and "That Which Survives". He also directed three of the episodes broadcast in 1968: "The Ultimate Computer", "The Enterprise Incident" and "Elaan of Troyius". The latter was the only episode in the original series to be directed by its writer. Lucas was credited as producer for the latter part of the second season (1967–1968).

He also wrote for Mannix, The Fugitive, The Silent Force, Harry O (David Janssen's 1970s series),The Six Million Dollar Man, and the television adaptations of Planet of the Apes and Logan's Run. Dark City (1950) and Peking Express (1951) were among his feature film writing credits.{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/126137.html |title=Writer/Director John Meredyth Lucas Remembered |date=October 29, 2002 |work=StarTrek.com |access-date=April 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040813190359/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/126137.html |archive-date=August 13, 2004 |publisher=Paramount Pictures}} During 1959–1960 he worked in Australia on the TV series Whiplash, directing numerous episodes of the series (several of which were written by later Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry).

In 1951 he married Australian born actress Joan Winfield. Together they raised three children. After her death in 1978, he remarried. He died in Los Angeles on 19 October 2002 from leukemia.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-29-me-lucas29-story.html |title=John Lucas, 83; Writer, Director for 1950s-'70s TV Shows |date=29 October 2002 |access-date=29 April 2019 |first=Myrna |last=Oliver |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421122939/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/oct/29/local/me-lucas29 |archive-date=21 April 2016 |url-status=live |newspaper=LA Times}}{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2002/scene/people-news/john-meredyth-lucas-1117875585/ |title=John Meredyth Lucas |first=Denise |last=Martin |date=6 November 2002 |access-date=29 April 2019 |magazine=Variety.com |publisher=Penske Business Media, LLC.}} After his death in 2002, he was cremated and his ashes were later launched into space on a suborbital flight in 2007.{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/54835.html |title=Doohan Memorial Spaceflight: A Full Report |work=StarTrek.com |date=May 14, 2007 |access-date=29 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930192437/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/54835.html |archive-date=30 September 2007 |publisher=CBS Studios Inc.}} They were subsequently launched on an orbital flight on August 2, 2008, however the rocket failed two minutes after launch.{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Bergin |date=August 2, 2008 |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/08/spacex-falcon-i-fails-during-first-stage-flight/ |work=NASASpaceflight.com |title=SpaceX Falcon I fails during first stage flight |access-date=29 April 2019}}

Filmography

=Films=

class="wikitable"
Year	Film	Credit	Notes
rowspan="3"\|1943 \|The Gorilla Man \|Dialogue Director \|
Murder on the Waterfront \|Dialogue Director \|
This Is the Army \|Second Assistant Director \|Uncredited
1944 \|The Last Ride \|Dialogue Director \|
1947 \|The Unsuspected \|Dialogue Director \|
1950 \|Dark City \|Screenplay By \|Co-wrote screenplay with "Larry Marcus", Based on the story "No Escape" by Larry Marcus
rowspan=2\|1951 \|Peking Express \|Screenplay By \|
Red Mountain \|Screenplay By \|
1952 \|Captain Pirate \|Screenplay By \|Co-wrote screenplay with "Frank Burt" and "Robert Libott", Based on the novel "Captain Blood Returns" by "Rafael Sabatini"
1953 \|Tumbleweed \|Screenplay By \|Based on the novel "Three Were Thoroughbreds" by "Kenneth Perkins"
1956 \|The Scarlet Hour \|Screenplay By \|Co-wrote screenplay with "Alford Van Ronkel" and "Frank Tashlin", Based on the story "The Kiss Off" by Frank Tashlin
1958 \|The Sign Of Zorro \|Screenplay By \|
1961 \|The Last War \|Screenplay By \| English Dub (Uncredited)
1962 \|Gorath \|Screenplay By \|English Dub
1965 \|My Blood Runs Cold \|Story By \|
1971 \|City Beneath The Sea \|Screenplay By \|Based on a story by "Irwin Allen"
1974 \|Inferno in Paradise \|Screenplay By \|
1980 \|Farewell to the Planet of the Apes \|Directed By \|
rowspan=2\|1984 \|Yeshua \|Written By, Directed By \|Documentary, Co-Written and Co-Directed with "Ardon Albright"
3 Days \|Directed By \|Short
1989 \|The Magic Boy's Easter \|Directed By \|Short, Co-Directed with "Marc Daniels"

class="wikitable"

Year

Film

Credit

Notes

rowspan="3"|1943

|The Gorilla Man

|Dialogue Director

Murder on the Waterfront

|Dialogue Director

This Is the Army

|Second Assistant Director

|Uncredited

1944

|The Last Ride

|Dialogue Director

1947

|The Unsuspected

|Dialogue Director

1950

|Dark City

|Screenplay By

|Co-wrote screenplay with "Larry Marcus", Based on the story "No Escape" by Larry Marcus

rowspan=2|1951

|Peking Express

|Screenplay By

Red Mountain

|Screenplay By

1952

|Captain Pirate

|Screenplay By

|Co-wrote screenplay with "Frank Burt" and "Robert Libott", Based on the novel "Captain Blood Returns" by "Rafael Sabatini"

1953

|Tumbleweed

|Screenplay By

|Based on the novel "Three Were Thoroughbreds" by "Kenneth Perkins"

1956

|The Scarlet Hour

|Screenplay By

|Co-wrote screenplay with "Alford Van Ronkel" and "Frank Tashlin", Based on the story "The Kiss Off" by Frank Tashlin

1958

|The Sign Of Zorro

|Screenplay By

1961

|The Last War

|Screenplay By

| English Dub (Uncredited)

1962

|Gorath

|Screenplay By

|English Dub

1965

|My Blood Runs Cold

|Story By

1971

|City Beneath The Sea

|Screenplay By

|Based on a story by "Irwin Allen"

1974

|Inferno in Paradise

|Screenplay By

1980

|Farewell to the Planet of the Apes

|Directed By

rowspan=2|1984

|Yeshua

|Written By, Directed By

|Documentary, Co-Written and Co-Directed with "Ardon Albright"

3 Days

|Directed By

|Short

1989

|The Magic Boy's Easter

|Directed By

|Short, Co-Directed with "Marc Daniels"

=Television=

class="wikitable"
Year	TV Series	Credit	Notes
1953 \|Mr. and Mrs. North \|Writer \|2 episodes
rowspan=3\|1954–55 \|The Loretta Young Show \|Writer \|3 episodes
The Magical World of Disney \|Writer \|2 episodes
Medic \|Writer, director \|
1955 \|Stage 7 \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Legacy"
rowspan=2\|1955–56 \|Cavalcade of America \|Writer, director \|
The Ford Television Theatre \|Director \|6 episodes
1956 \|Celebrity Playhouse \|Director \|2 episodes
1956–57 \|Alfred Hitchcock Presents \|Director \|3 episodes
rowspan=7\|1957 \|Broken Arrow \|Writer \|1 Episode: "Apache Massacre"
Noah's Ark \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Intruder"
Dragnet \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Big Blank"
Code 3 \|Director \|1 Episode: "Oil Well Incident"
The George Sanders Mystery Theater \|Director \|1 Episode: "Love Has No Alibi"
The Court of Last Resort \|Director \|1 Episode: "The Gordon Wallace Case"
The Thin Man \|Director \|1 Episode: "Come Back Darling Asta"
1957–58 \|Zorro \|Writer, director \|
1958 \|Flight \|Writer \|3 episodes
1959 \|Cimarron City \|Writer, director \|
1959–61 \|The Lawless Years \|Writer \|4 episodes
1960 \|Pony Express \|Writer \|2 episodes
rowspan=3\|1961 \|Acapulco \|Director \|1 Episode: "Bell's Half Acre"
Bus Stop \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Covering Darkness"
Whiplash \|Director, Associate Producer \|
rowspan=2\|1963 \|Burke's Law \|Writer \|2 episodes
Laramie \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Sometime Gambler"
1964–66 \|Ben Casey \|Writer, director, producer \|
1965–80 \|Insight \|Writer, director, producer, Script Consultant \|Multiple Episodes
1966–67 \|The Fugitive \|Writer, director, Co-Producer \|
1967 \|The Invaders \|Director \|1 Episode: "The Betrayed"
1967–69 \|Star Trek: The Original Series \|Writer, director, producer \|
1967–74 \|Mannix \|Writer, director \|
1970 \|The Silent Force \|Writer \|1 Episode: "Take As Directed For Death"
1970–72 \|Night Gallery \|Director \|4 episodes
1971 \|Medical Center \|Writer \|2 episodes
1971–75 \|Police Surgeon \|Director \|Multiple Episodes
1973 \|The Starlost \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Implant People"(Uncredited)
1974 \|Planet of the Apes \|Director \|1 Episode: "Up Above the World So High"
1975 \|Swiss Family Robinson \|Writer \|2 episodes
1975–76 \|Harry O \|Writer \|5 episodes
1976–78 \|The Six Million Dollar Man \|Writer, director \|
rowspan=3\|1977 \|Kojak \|Writer \|1 Episode: "Tears for All Who Love Her"
Logan's Run \|Writer \|1 Episode: "The Judas Goat"
Rafferty \|Writer \|2 episodes
1978 \|Fantasy Island \|Writer \|1 Episode
rowspan=2\|1980 \|Beyond Westworld \|Producer \|5 episodes
This Is The Life \|Director \|1 Episode: "Independence and '76"
1981 \|Nero Wolfe \|Writer \|1 Episode: "To Catch a Dead Man"

class="wikitable"

Year

TV Series

Credit

Notes

1953

|Mr. and Mrs. North

|Writer

|2 episodes

rowspan=3|1954–55

|The Loretta Young Show

|Writer