Eugene Levitt was an American television writer, producer and director.

Levitt's parents were Charles and Teresa Levitt. He had an older sister, Betty Ruth. His mother died when Gene was about 12 years old. His father subsequently married Ida. Gene's first great adventure was traveling to the West to attend the University of Wyoming

University of Wyoming

The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...

. Following graduation he moved to Chicago where he worked as a newspaper reporter until enlisting in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

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Levitt was a writer for many television series in the 1950s and 1960s, including Highway Patrol

Highway Patrol (TV series)

Highway Patrol is a syndicated action crime drama series produced 1955-1959.-Overview:Highway Patrol stars Broderick Crawford as Dan Mathews, the gruff and dedicated head of a police force in an unidentified Western state...

, Maverick

Maverick (TV series)

Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...

, Adventures in Paradise

Adventures in Paradise

Adventures in Paradise is an American television series which ran on ABC from 1959 until 1962. It starred Gardner McKay as Adam Troy, the captain of the schooner Tiki III which sailed the South Pacific looking for passengers and adventure. The show was created by James Michener...

 and Combat!. He moved to directing in the 1970s, working on series such as Alias Smith and Jones

Alias Smith and Jones

Alias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...

 and McCloud. His most significant achievement was the creation of the television series Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...

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