Charles Marquis Warren

After early success as a contributor to pulp magazines, Charles Marquis Warren went on to a prolific career as a writer, producer, and director for film and television, best remembered for Westerns such as "Gunsmoke" and "Rawhide." Born and raised in Baltimore, he took an early interest in writing and shortly after graduating from Baltimore City College began publishing stories in The Saturday Evening Post. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Warren became a best-selling novelist when stories of his were republished, including "Only the Valiant," which was later adapted into a feature film. His first big screen writing credit was for the courtroom drama "Beyond Glory," though he earned greater attention for the detail and style he brought to Westerns such as 1951's "Little Big Horn," his directorial debut. Lured to the small screen by a hefty financial offer, he wrote and directed the pilot and much of the first season of the popular series "Gunsmoke" and continued producing the show into the second season. Afterward, Marquis returned to feature films with offerings in the horror and war genres, in addition to several more Westerns. He then had another television hit when he directed, wrote, and produced for the early seasons of "Rawhide." Continuing in the genre, he produced "The Virginian" and "The Iron Horse" before earning his final credits as writer, director, and producer on the Elvis Presley Western "Charro!"