Jack Laird
Encyclopedia
Jack Laird was an American
television producer, writer, director and actor who received three Emmy
nominations for writing and/or producing the TV series Ben Casey
, Night Gallery
and Kojak
.
Born in the India
n metropolis of Bombay (renamed Mumbai in 1995), Jack Laird entered the entertainment industry at a young age. One of his first appearances as a child actor was in an unbilled bit part in the 1934 film The Circus Clown
. He continued to appear in unbilled bits into his late twenties, but eventually moved into writing and producing.
One of Laird's favorite actors was Leslie Nielsen
with whom he made several made-for-TV movies, including 1964's See How They Run, the first feature in that genre, Code Name: Heraclitus
, Dark Intruder
, The Return of Charlie Chan
and numerous TV episodes. Nielsen also starred in a series created by Laird, The Bold Ones: The Protectors
.
Jack Laird died of cancer
in Los Angeles
at the age of 68. His final resting place in Hollywood Forever Cemetery
is in the "Garden of Legends" (formerly Section 8), Lot 266.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television producer, writer, director and actor who received three Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations for writing and/or producing the TV series Ben Casey
Ben Casey
Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
, Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
and Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
.
Born in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n metropolis of Bombay (renamed Mumbai in 1995), Jack Laird entered the entertainment industry at a young age. One of his first appearances as a child actor was in an unbilled bit part in the 1934 film The Circus Clown
The Circus Clown
The Circus Clown is a 1934 comedy film about a man who wants to join the circus against the wishes of his ex-circus clown father. It starred Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis....
. He continued to appear in unbilled bits into his late twenties, but eventually moved into writing and producing.
One of Laird's favorite actors was Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
with whom he made several made-for-TV movies, including 1964's See How They Run, the first feature in that genre, Code Name: Heraclitus
Code Name: Heraclitus
Code Name: Heraclitus is a 1967 American thriller film starring Stanley Baker and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:Stanley Baker stars as a British spy who investigates the past of Lydia Constantine , the widow of secret agent Constantine . Lydia is suspected of selling cold war secrets to the Communists...
, Dark Intruder
Dark Intruder
Dark Intruder is a 1965 television movie that was released theatrically. It is a horror film starring Leslie Nielsen, Mark Richman and Judi Meredith set in San Francisco in 1890 concerning playboy sleuth Brett Kingsford...
, The Return of Charlie Chan
The Return of Charlie Chan
The Return Of Charlie Chan is a 1973 American film. It stars Ross Martin.-Summary:Charlie Chan investigates a murder case aboard the yacht of a wealthy Greek shipping tycoon....
and numerous TV episodes. Nielsen also starred in a series created by Laird, The Bold Ones: The Protectors
The Bold Ones: The Protectors
The Bold Ones: The Protectors is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970; it lasted for seven episodes ....
.
Jack Laird died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 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...
at the age of 68. His final resting place in Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
is in the "Garden of Legends" (formerly Section 8), Lot 266.
Unused Projects
A number of Jack Laird's projects were never produced or broadcast:- At the time of his death, Laird was working on a television series based on stories by thriller writer Robert LudlumRobert LudlumRobert Ludlum was an American author of 23 thriller novels. The number of his books in print is estimated between 290–500 million copies. They have been published in 33 languages and 40 countries. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.-Life and...
- In 1967, he created an unsold comedy pilot about two elderly, retired superheroes who must once again don their leotards to do battle with a super-villain who has been set free and has vowed to destroy the world.
- In 1972, he worked as producer on one of the pilot episodes produced for Biography, an unsold TV series. Four pilots were completed and eventually appeared as TV movies, but Laird's episode about HoudiniHarry HoudiniHarry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
was never filmed.