Norman Thaddeus Vane

Norman Thaddeus Vane was born Norman Theodore Vein on July 7, 1928 in Brookhaven, New York. Vane grew up in Patchogue, New York. Norman was a Merchant Marine for one year and served for two years in the Air Force, where he was stationed at the Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. Following his stint in the military, Vane studied playwriting at Columbia University. Norman wrote his first play "The Penguin" in 1952; it starred Martin Landau and opened Off-Broadway to favorable reviews. His debut Broadway play "Harbor Lights" ran for only four performances. Vane spent the bulk of the 1960's and early 1970's living in London, England, where he not only wrote and directed his first two films, but also ran three nightclubs and was a contributing writer to Penthouse magazine. Norman eventually moved to California in 1974 and went on to write, direct, and/or produce several low-budget movies. He died of heart failure at age 86 on May 2, 2015 at his home in Hollywood, California.