Robert M. Leeds

American Television Director While enlisted in the Army and stationed in Hollywood, during World War II, he developed film directing talents when making top-secret films for the United States Military. This talent would later become his passion and started a career in film directing and editing that would span three decades. In the early 1950s, worked as a supervising film editor for Jack Webb's Mark VII Productions on "Dragnet" and two of Webb's motion pictures, "30" and in 1955 directed "Pete Kelly's Blues," starring Lee Marvin and Jayne Mansfield. His television shows and movie credits include film editor for the television series "77 Sunset Strip" (1958); "The Third Man" (1959); "Johnny Ringo" (1960); a 1961 comedy film, "The last time I saw Archie" starring Robert Mitchum. "The Beverly Hillbillies" a situation comedy that originally ran from 1962 until 1971 and starred Buddy Ebsen and Donna Douglas; "Green Acres" (1965); "Adam-12" (1968); "Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974); "Mobile One" (1975) and Project UFO (1978); "Sam" and "Return of the Beverly Hillbillies" (1981). Though his greatest success was was being selected by producer Paul Henning as principal director for the "Beverly Hillbillies". After first meeting Donna Douglas who played Elly May Clampett, in 1962, they later married in 1971, but divorced after nine years of marriage, in 1980. He is survived by his wife, Carol Lynn Moberg who he married on 24 October 1982; a daughter, Cassie Lasazan; a stepson, Greg Zem; two stepdaughters, Cathy Bass and Laurie Winkle; and seven grandchildren. Leeds died at the age of 79, due to complications of aging.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via Donna Douglas by SmartCopy: Jan 7 2015, 18:21:35 UTC