In Memoriam: ROBERT L. SCHLITT (1933-2008)

We lose yet another member of The Monkees television series’ celebrated staff. Courtesy of Monkeeland.com: 

Robert Schlitt dies at 75

Writer-producer worked on ‘Matlock,’ ‘Five-0’

By VARIETY STAFF

Veteran television writer-producer Robert Schlitt died in Encino. Calif. on Nov. 25. He was 75.

 

Schlitt served as producer and writer on “Matlock“ and supervising producer of “Father Dowling Mysteries“ and wrote episodes of shows including “The Mod Squad,” “Hawaii Five-O” and “The Streets of San Francisco.”

 

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Schlitt served in the U.S. Army in Frankfurt and Paris, playing in a Special Services Jazz Band.

 

In 1957 he graduated from Columbia U., then traveled to Paris where he worked as an actor and musician for two years, along with assisting French filmmaker Jacques Tati in film post-production.

 

Schlitt’s translation of Felicien Marceau‘s “The Egg“ opened at Broadway’s Court Theater in 1960, where it was included on best- of-season lists.

 

He also co-created and performed in a satirical radio sketch program on WBAI, “It’s Your World And You Can Have It.”

 

This work landed him a trip to Hollywood to write the premiere episode ofThe Monkees with his then partner, Peter Meyerson.

 

He continued to work in television for the next 35 years, with episodic writing credits that included “The Nurses,” “NYPD,” “Adam-12,” “Kung Fu” and“Lou Grant.”

Writer-producer credits include “The Blue Knight,” “Hill Street Blues,”“Q.E.D.,” “Chicago Story,” “The Lazarus Syndrome,” “Jake and The Fat Man” and the Perry Mason TV movies.

 

He also wrote two films, The Pyx and Been Down So Long It Looks Up To Me.

 

He is survived by his two sons, two daughters and four grandchildren.

 

Donations may be made to the LUNGevity Foundation’s Robert L. Schlitt Memorial Fund, www.lungevity.org/RobertSchlitt or at 312 464-0716.

With Peter Meyersen, Schlitt’s written contributions to The Monkees were its series premiere, “The Royal Flush,” and Episode No. 7, “The Monkees In A Ghost Town,” the original story of No. 23, “Captain Crocodile” (its teleplay they wrote with Gardner and Caruso), and No. 27, “Monkee Mother”.

 

To absent friends…