Bob Leach
Encyclopedia
Robert Warnes Leach was an American
journalist and Hollywood screenwriter
who became a leading figure in California's victims' rights movement after the death of his stepdaughter, Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas in 1983.
He was the husband of victims’ rights advocate Marcella Nicholas Leach
and the stepfather of technology entrepreneur
and philanthropist
Henry Nicholas
, co-founder and former co-chairman, president and chief executive officer of Broadcom
Corp.
Leach was born December 16, 1914, in Dupree, South Dakota
to businessman Robert Henry Leach and his wife, the former Edna Warnes.
as a teenager to see the 1932 Summer Olympics, moving there shortly thereafter to live with his sister, and graduating in 1933 from Los Angeles High School.
In 1938, after earning a bachelor's degree and a 2nd Lieutenant's commission from the ROTC Field Artillery
Reserves at the University of Missouri
, he began working for United Press International
and eventually became an assistant editor in Los Angeles; he married his first wife, LaVerne Barrick in 1941.
During World War II
, he served in the U.S. Navy, mainly in the South Pacific
, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander by the time he was released from active duty in 1946. When he returned to Los Angeles
, he met a young sailor who asked if he knew any war stories that might make good screenplays. The sailor turned out to be agent Ray Stark, who then helped Leach get a job as junior writer at 20th Century Fox
. Leach spent the next 17 years in Hollywood, first as a production assistant at MGM and later as a TV story editor and screenwriter. At MGM, he worked as an assistant to producer Lawrence Weingarten; where he was involved with films including Pat and Mike, Adam's Rib and Rhapsody before moving to CBS, where he helped develop story ideas into scripts for TV producer Jack Chertok and wrote freelance teleplays. His TV writing credits include The Adventures of Jim Bowie
, Perry Mason
, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Ripcord, Everglades and The Littlest Hobo
. In 1958, Leach wrote the feature film “Tarzan and the Trappers
,” starring Gordon Scott
. In 1959 and 1960, he also worked as a story editor
and writer for the series Men Into Space
.
During the 1960s, he switched to teaching, becoming an instructor in screenwriting
and journalism
at Cal State Northridge, Santa Monica College
and UCLA. In 1967, three years after the end of his first marriage, he married Marcella M. Nicholas, a divorced mother of two small children who was working on a journalism degree at UCLA. The family settled in Malibu, where Marcella Leach still maintains a home. Leach died March 30, 2008, at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach from complications related to respiratory and kidney ailments. He was 93.
Among those who comforted them was Ellen Griffin Dunne, the mother of the murdered actress Dominique Dunne
, who had been strangled by an ex-boyfriend. The following year, the Leaches helped Dunne found Justice for Homicide Victims, a non-profit organization
dedicated to the support of crime victims and victims' rights
.
Bob Leach served for many years as the president of the organization, and both he and Marcella Leach, who remains JHV's executive director, were among the founding board members. His stepson Henry Nicholas also played a crucial role in helping to build JHV.
In 2008, California
voters passed Marsy’s Law, the nation’s most comprehensive victims’ bill of rights, named for Marsy Nicholas.
In addition to numerous awards by three governors, the L.A. DA’s office and the L.A. Sheriff
’s Department, Leach and his wife Marcella have been honored by the National office of Victims of Crime and two presidents. In 2005, the Los Angeles County Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys gave Leach its first Robert Leach Award, which recognizes leadership in victims' rights.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist and Hollywood screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
who became a leading figure in California's victims' rights movement after the death of his stepdaughter, Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas in 1983.
He was the husband of victims’ rights advocate Marcella Nicholas Leach
Marcella Leach
Marcella Nicholas Leach is an American victims' rights advocate based in Southern California and the mother of technology entrepreneur and victims’ rights leader Henry Nicholas. After the murder of her daughter, Marsalee Nicholas in 1983, she helped build Justice for Homicide Victims, one of...
and the stepfather of technology entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Henry Nicholas
Henry Nicholas
Henry Thompson “Nick” Nicholas, III , is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and leader of the victims’ rights movement. He is the co-founder, and former Co-Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcom Corporation, a Fortune 500 company.Nicholas served Broadcom in...
, co-founder and former co-chairman, president and chief executive officer of Broadcom
Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a fabless semiconductor company in the wireless and broadband communication business. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California, USA. Broadcom was founded by a professor-student pair Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III from the University of California, Los...
Corp.
Leach was born December 16, 1914, in Dupree, South Dakota
Dupree, South Dakota
Dupree is a city in Ziebach County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 525 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ziebach County.-Geography:Dupree is located at ....
to businessman Robert Henry Leach and his wife, the former Edna Warnes.
Early life and career
He came to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as a teenager to see the 1932 Summer Olympics, moving there shortly thereafter to live with his sister, and graduating in 1933 from Los Angeles High School.
In 1938, after earning a bachelor's degree and a 2nd Lieutenant's commission from the ROTC Field Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Reserves at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, he began working for United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
and eventually became an assistant editor in Los Angeles; he married his first wife, LaVerne Barrick in 1941.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the U.S. Navy, mainly in the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander by the time he was released from active duty in 1946. When he returned to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he met a young sailor who asked if he knew any war stories that might make good screenplays. The sailor turned out to be agent Ray Stark, who then helped Leach get a job as junior writer at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. Leach spent the next 17 years in Hollywood, first as a production assistant at MGM and later as a TV story editor and screenwriter. At MGM, he worked as an assistant to producer Lawrence Weingarten; where he was involved with films including Pat and Mike, Adam's Rib and Rhapsody before moving to CBS, where he helped develop story ideas into scripts for TV producer Jack Chertok and wrote freelance teleplays. His TV writing credits include The Adventures of Jim Bowie
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
In September of 1956 a TV series named "The Adventures of Jim Bowie" was aired on ABC. The show was only on the air for two years from 1956 to 1958. The series' music was unique in that is was primarily vocal, provided by Ken Darby and The King's Men .-Synopsis:The series stars Scott Forbes as the...
, Perry Mason
Perry Mason
Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense attorney who was the main character in works of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which had a plot involving his client's murder trial...
, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Ripcord, Everglades and The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo
The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on CTV from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985.All three productions...
. In 1958, Leach wrote the feature film “Tarzan and the Trappers
Tarzan and the Trappers
Tarzan and the Trappers is an action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Eve Brent, Rickie Sorensen and Lesley Bradley...
,” starring Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films of the Tarzan film series from 1955 to 1960.-Early life, education and military service:He was born Gordon Merrill Werschkul in Portland,...
. In 1959 and 1960, he also worked as a story editor
Story editor
Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". A story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits stories for screenplays....
and writer for the series Men Into Space
Men Into Space
Men Into Space is an American sci-fi television series broadcast from September 30, 1959 to September 7, 1960 by CBS which depicted future efforts by the United States Air Force to explore and develop outer space. The black-and-white filmed show starred William Lundigan as Col...
.
During the 1960s, he switched to teaching, becoming an instructor in screenwriting
Screenwriting
Screenwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is a freelance profession....
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at Cal State Northridge, Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
and UCLA. In 1967, three years after the end of his first marriage, he married Marcella M. Nicholas, a divorced mother of two small children who was working on a journalism degree at UCLA. The family settled in Malibu, where Marcella Leach still maintains a home. Leach died March 30, 2008, at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach from complications related to respiratory and kidney ailments. He was 93.
Victims' rights
In 1983, Leach's stepdaughter Marsy Nicholas, then a 21-year-old senior at UC Santa Barbara, was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend. When the killer was released on bail pending trial and Marcella Leach encountered him two weeks after her daughter's funeral at a local market, Leach and his wife were outraged.Among those who comforted them was Ellen Griffin Dunne, the mother of the murdered actress Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...
, who had been strangled by an ex-boyfriend. The following year, the Leaches helped Dunne found Justice for Homicide Victims, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
dedicated to the support of crime victims and victims' rights
Victims' rights group
A victims' rights group is a type of advocacy group which advocates or lobbies for legal, social or political change on behalf of victims of serious crime or injustice. Members of such groups often include family members or friends of such victims....
.
Bob Leach served for many years as the president of the organization, and both he and Marcella Leach, who remains JHV's executive director, were among the founding board members. His stepson Henry Nicholas also played a crucial role in helping to build JHV.
In 2008, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
voters passed Marsy’s Law, the nation’s most comprehensive victims’ bill of rights, named for Marsy Nicholas.
In addition to numerous awards by three governors, the L.A. DA’s office and the L.A. Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
’s Department, Leach and his wife Marcella have been honored by the National office of Victims of Crime and two presidents. In 2005, the Los Angeles County Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys gave Leach its first Robert Leach Award, which recognizes leadership in victims' rights.
External links
- http://www.justiceforhomicidevictims.net - Justice for Homicide Victims website
- http://www.marsyslawforall.org/ - Marsy's Law for All website