Malcolm Marmorstein
SCREENWRITER AND DIRECTOR
Malcolm Marmorstein is a noted screenwriter and director. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey on January 1, 1929 he moved to Nutley in 1953. He resided at 443 Prospect Street in Nutley for thirteen years before moving to Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California in 1967. Marmorstein is recognized for the writing of iconic movie screenplays and television scripts including Return from Witch Mountain, Pete’s Dragon and Dark Shadows.
As a child, Marmorstein always knew he wanted to be a writer after reading Robert Lewis Stevenson novels. He said he would write from early morning to dark, seven days a week. ‘I l have to write every day. If I don’t write, I feel guilty,” he said. “l try to combine action and mystery with comedy and humor.”
Prior to becoming a writer and director, Marmorstein worked in the theatre as a stage manager and worked on Broadway shows including Damn Yankees and A Thurber Carnival. He cites James Thurber as an influence in becoming a noted screenwriter and developed a relationship with the American author while working as a stage manager. “Thurber was blind. He gave me important tips and stressed the ideas of rewriting—sometimes seventy-five percent or ninety percent of the job. You have to give yourself a fresh look.”
In 1963, Marmorstein became the head writer for all television episodes of the daytime soap opera The Doctors in New York. When that show ended in 1966, he moved to the staff of Dark Shadows, another daytime soap opera at ABC Studios in Hollywood. He wrote eighty-two episodes and was the creative mind behind the supernatural storyline and the creation of unforgettable characters such as Laura Collin’s Phoenix, a character that was reborn every one-hundred years. Most notably however was his creation of the immortal vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid. With the introduction of these characters, the weekly series became an instant success that drew in new viewers and was extended for thirteen weeks. The show ran through 1971.
Marmorstein also wrote a comedic play about a reluctant vampire titled Love Bites. In 1993, the play was adapted into a movie and was directed by Marmorstein himself. English musician and actor Adam Ant starred as the vampire, who wears an inverness cape and exhibits a hairstyle similar to the iconic (Barnabus Collins’ bangs.
Besides his work on Dark Shadows and Love Bites, Marmorstein is also known for his screenplays for S*P*Y*S and Disney’s Pete’s Dragon and Return From Witch Mountain. His television work includes writing for Rod Sterling’s Night Gallery, ABC’s Weekend Special, CBS’s Storybreak and Peyton Place.
Though Marmorstein lives in Los Angeles, California, near his daughter Darragh Marmorstein, a Hollywood costume designer and wardrobe stylist, he says he has not forgotten his Nutley roots. He told the Nutley Sun in a 2012 interview, “Nutley was an important place for me because everything pulled together while I was living and working in Nutley.”