John Meredyth Lucas

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, 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.

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. 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. After his death in 2002, he was cremated and his ashes were later launched into space on a suborbital flight in 2007. They were subsequently launched on an orbital flight on August 2, 2008, however the rocket failed two minutes after launch.

Star Trek episode credits 1967 – “Obsession” – (Producer) 1967 – "The Changeling" – (writer) 1967 – "Journey to Babel" – (producer) 1968 – "The Gamesters of Triskelion" – (producer) 1968 – "A Piece of the Action" – (producer) 1968 – "Patterns of Force" – (writer) 1968 – "The Ultimate Computer" – (director) 1968 – "The Enterprise Incident" – (director) 1968 – "Return to Tomorrow" – (producer) 1968 – "Elaan of Troyius" – (writer and director) 1969 – "That Which Survives" – (teleplay)

Filmography Films Year Film Credit Notes1943The Gorilla Man Dialogue Director Murder on the Waterfront Dialogue Director This Is the Army Second Assistant DirectorUncredited 1944The Last Ride Dialogue Director 1947The Unsuspected Dialogue Director 1950Dark City Screenplay By Co-wrote screenplay with "Larry Marcus", Based on the story "No Escape" by Larry Marcus 1951Peking ExpressScreenplay By Red MountainScreenplay By 1952Captain PirateScreenplay ByCo-wrote screenplay with "Frank Burt" and "Robert Libott", Based on the novel "Captain Blood Returns" by "Rafael Sabatini" 1953TumbleweedScreenplay ByBased on the novel "Three Were Thoroughbreds" by "Kenneth Perkins" 1956The Scarlet HourScreenplay ByCo-wrote screenplay with "Alford Van Ronkel" and "Frank Tashlin", Based on the story "The Kiss Off" by Frank Tashlin 1958The Sign Of ZorroScreenplay By1960The Human VaporStory ByUncredited 1961The Last WarScreenplay By English Dub (Uncredited) 1962GorathScreenplay ByEnglish Dub 1965My Blood Runs ColdStory By 1971City Beneath The SeaScreenplay ByBased on a story by "Irwin Allen" 1974Inferno in ParadiseScreenplay By 1980Farewell to the Planet of the ApesDirected By1984YeshuaWritten By, Directed ByDocumentary, Co-Written and Co-Directed with "Ardon Albright"3 DaysDirected ByShort 1989The Magic Boy's EasterDirected ByShort, Co-Directed with "Marc Daniels"

Television Year TV Series Credit Notes 1953Mr. and Mrs. NorthWriter2 episodes1954–55The Loretta Young ShowWriter3 episodesThe Magical World of DisneyWriter2 episodesMedicWriter, director 1955Stage 7Writer1 Episode: "The Legacy"1955–56Cavalcade of AmericaWriter, directorThe Ford Television TheatreDirector6 episodes 1956Celebrity PlayhouseDirector2 episodes 1956–57Alfred Hitchcock PresentsDirector3 episodes1957Broken ArrowWriter1 Episode: "Apache Massacre"Noah's ArkWriter1 Episode: "The Intruder"DragnetWriter1 Episode: "The Big Blank"Code 3Director1 Episode: "Oil Well Incident"The George Sanders Mystery TheaterDirector1 Episode: "Love Has No Alibi"The Court of Last ResortDirector1 Episode: "The Gordon Wallace Case"The Thin ManDirector1 Episode: "Come Back Darling Asta" 1957–58ZorroWriter, director 1958FlightWriter3 episodes 1959Cimarron CityWriter, director 1959–61The Lawless YearsWriter4 episodes 1960Pony ExpressWriter2 episodes1961AcapulcoDirector1 Episode: "Bell's Half Acre"Bus StopWriter1 Episode: "The Covering Darkness"WhiplashDirector, Associate Producer1963Burke's LawWriter2 episodesLaramieWriter1 Episode: "The Sometime Gambler" 1964–66Ben CaseyWriter, director, producer 1965–80InsightWriter, director, producer, Script ConsultantMultiple Episodes 1966–67The FugitiveWriter, director, Co-Producer 1967The InvadersDirector 1 Episode: "The Betrayed" 1967–69Star Trek: The Original SeriesWriter, director, producer 1967–74MannixWriter, director 1970The Silent ForceWriter1 Episode: "Take As Directed For Death" 1970–72Night GalleryDirector4 episodes 1971Medical CenterWriter2 episodes 1971–75Police SurgeonDirectorMultiple Episodes 1973The StarlostWriter1 Episode: "The Implant People"(Uncredited) 1974Planet of the Apes Director1 Episode: "Up Above the World So High" 1975Swiss Family RobinsonWriter2 episodes 1975–76Harry OWriter5 episodes 1976–78The Six Million Dollar ManWriter, director1977KojakWriter1 Episode: "Tears for All Who Love Her"Logan's RunWriter1 Episode: "The Judas Goat"RaffertyWriter2 episodes 1978Fantasy IslandWriter1 Episode1980Beyond WestworldProducer5 episodesThis Is The LifeDirector1 Episode: "Independence and '76" 1981Nero WolfeWriter1 Episode: "To Catch a Dead Man"

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