Nationality American | Name Edward Lakso Years active 1959–1986 | |
Full Name Edward Joseph Shea III Born September 20, 1932 ( 1932-09-20 ) Auburn, California Died May 23, 2009, Beverly Hills, California, United States Education University of California, Los Angeles Spouse Ruth Louise Laird (m. 1953), Diane Hagin Movies The Immoral Mr Teas, Gentle Giant, The Broken Land, Operation Dames, Roadracers Similar People Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, Russ Meyer, Walt Morey, Roger Corman | ||
Edward Joseph Lakso (September 20, 1932 – May 23, 2009), usually known as Edward J. Lakso and sometimes mis-credited as Edward J. Lasko, was an American screenwriter, producer, and composer, known for his work on series such as Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Charlie's Angels and Combat!.
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Life and career
Lakso was born on September 20, 1932 in San Francisco. Lakso graduated from UCLA with a degree in music. While there he was recruited to write his first screenplay, "Operation Dames" a Korean War drama about a USO troop trapped behind enemy lines shot in Topanga Canyon, California. On the first day of shooting an actor was a no-show so the director put Lakso in the role. Subsequently he wrote two songs that were incorporated into the movie. Lakso co-wrote and scored The Immoral Mr. Teas, an early film by Russ Meyer, and scripted several other films, including The Broken Land the screen debut for Jack Nicholson, (1962), Gentle Giant (1967), and the blaxploitation film Brother on the Run (1973), which he co-directed with Herbert Stock.
Lakso is best known for his television work, writing "Combat!",Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Charlie's Angels, ' The Rockford Files, "Name of the Game",'Starsky and Hutch, Airwolf, The Fall Guy, and Hawaii Five-O. He also composed music for Charlie's Angels and Dr. Kildare.
Lakso also wrote, produced and/or directed several musicals. "Tom Piper", for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics was produced at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, "Watergate, the Musical" written and produced with Tommy Oliver at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta Georgia; and "Vincent, the Musical" staged at the Las Palmas theater in Hollywood.
Family
Lakso divorced his first wife, Ruth Louise (Laird) Lakso, in 1961. They had a daughter Shawna Laskso and one other child. In 1985, Lakso married writer-actress-producer Lee Travis. They had no children. She remained with him until his death.
Lakso died from complications of Parkinson's disease on May 23, 2009 at home in Beverly Hills with his wife, Lee Lakso, at his bedside.