Zekial Marko Explained

Zekial Marko (October 21, 1933 – May 9, 2008)[1] was an American writer[2] who specialised in crime stories, often under the pen name of John Trinian.[3] He was arrested during filming of Once a Thief and spent some time in prison.[4] [5] He died of complications related to emphysema on May 9, 2008, in Centralia, Washington.[6]

Early life

Zekial Marko was born as Marvin Leroy Schmoker on October 21, 1933, in Monterey County, California to Ruth Halverson[7] and Wallace Cyril Schmoker.[8] [9] As children, Marko and his brother, Kenn Davisl Kenn were neighbors of John Steinbeck in Salinas, California.[10]

After his parents divorced, Marko moved with his mother and brother to San Francisco. He attended grammar school there.[11] At the beginning of WWII, Marko and his brother attended a Catholic boy's boarding school in Marin County. At the end of the war, Marko and his brother moved back with their mother and step father, Henry Davis. Kenn changed his surname to his step father's name. Marko changed his name to Zekial Marko.[12]

Career

"Marko, a flamboyant actor (later, a Hollywood screenwriter) from Salinas, stage-managed Goodwin's opera."[13] [14]

"Described as a troubled soul, Marko could also be brilliant and charming, and a powerful friend."[10]

"Marko ... was an integral part of a circle of Bohemians[15] who in the mid-1960s frequented Juanita's, a saloon operated by its colorful namesake on the converted ferry, the "Charles Van Damme", docked at on the Sausalito waterfront."[16]

William Hjortsberg states that "Marko stage-managed Jack Goodwin's opera, The Pizza Pusher,[17] that was to be performed at the festival the next day" ... "According to Goodwin, Marko "horned in and coached the poets while they rehearsed." ... "Marko made suggestions about tone, volume, tempo, and gesture."[18] for the Six Gallery reading of Allen Ginsberg's Howl[19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

"During the late 1950s, he did a stretch as a bartender at a Sausalito waterhole called The Tin Angel"[24]

"Born in Salinas, in 1933, Trinian settled in the Bay area, supplementing his writing in the 1950s by working as a bartender in a Sausalito waterhole, reminiscent of a character in a Don Carpenter novel. Trinian had quite a reputation at the time, not all of it laudatory. Pulp pundit Rick Ollerman calls him “one of the most realistic of the Gold Medal writers.”"[25]

"(Marko), who was pals with Richard Brautigan, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac, (as well as most of the Beat Poets, Writers and personalities of the day), lived the lives he writes about."[26] [27] [28]

John Trinian, North Beach Girl/Scandal on the Sand. "Two California novels, both published in 1960. North Beach Girl is a twisted tale set in the world of San Francisco’s beatniks, and Scandal is the story of a dozen strangers thrown together on an isolated stretch of beach with a dying whale and a sadistic cop. The double reprint includes new introductions by Rick Ollerman, Ki Longfellow and Belle Marko."[29]

"Trinian's daughter, the artist Belle Marko,[30] and a mid-volume remembrance by the novelist Ki Longfellow who, beginning when she was still a teenager, was Trinian's "soul-mate"[24] [31] [32]

"May, 2014 : (Rick Ollerman's) In Pursuit of a Pleasant Oblivion originally appeared in North Beach Girl / Scandal on the Sand"[33] [32]

"(Belle Marko), who wrote a short essay about him that appears in a forthcoming edition[32] [34] of his books, makes it clear that having him as a father was both a fascinating and difficult experience."[35]

"Brautigan[36] shared his notes and observations with Zekial Marko (the "aspiring Hollywood scriptwriter" noted in the story), Philip Whalen, Lew Welch, and others. He incorporated several of their remarks into his final story"[37] Richard Brautigan. "The Menu/1965" Evergreen Review (42) August 1966: 30–32, 86.

Edward Gorman championed Scandal on the Sand.[35]

Cannabis charge

During the shooting of 1965's "Once A Thief", Marko asked the director to cast him as the pot smoker who shares a cell with Alain Delon. The director, knowing Marko was a pot smoker, insisted he make the early call for the scene inside L.A. County Jail. Marko didn't show, having been jailed on a cannabis charge the night before. Zekial was transferred to the cell they had lit for the scene, played his part and then returned to his cell.[38]

Personal life

He had children with Naomi Williams: Aaron David Schmoker of Porterville, Belle Marko of San Anselmo, Zefra Marko of Marin County[39] [40] [31] [41] [42] [8]

Marko was survived by his ex-wife, Sue, as well as his second ex-wife Rosalie Farre.[1]

Select credits

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Screenwriter Zekial Marko dies. Variety Staff. 23 May 2008. variety.com. 19 May 2017.
  2. Web site: John Trinian. Simon & Schuster. 19 May 2017.
  3. Book: III, Harris M. Lentz. Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2008: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. 28 April 2009. McFarland. 9780786434824. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  4. News: Nelson . Ralph . 17 October 1965 . 'Once a Thief' - Nightmare in the American Dream . q6. Los Angeles Times.
  5. Web site: Death Noted: ZEKIAL MARKO, aka JOHN TRINIAN. 21 May 2008 . Mystery File . 30 July 2016 .
  6. Web site: zekial marko passes. https://web.archive.org/web/20090719005635/http://wga.org/subpage_newsevents.aspx?id=2846. dead. 19 July 2009. 19 May 2017.
  7. Web site: Marvin Leroy Schmoker, Born 10/21/1933 in California - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. www.californiabirthindex.org. 19 May 2017.
  8. Web site: Message Boards. www.ancestry.com. 19 May 2017.
  9. Web site: Kenneth Alan Schmoker, Born 02/20/1932 in California - CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. www.californiabirthindex.org. 19 May 2017.
  10. Web site: STARK HOUSE PRESS. starkhousepress.com. 19 May 2017.
  11. Book: Private Eyes: 101 Knights : A Survey of American Detective Fiction 1922-1984 . Popular Press, 1. edition (January 1, 1985) . Robert . Baker . Michael . Nietzel . Bill . Pronzini . 1985.
  12. Book: Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan . Counterpoint, Reprint edition (February 12, 2013) . William . Hjortsberg . 2013 . 141.
  13. Book: Hjortsberg, William. Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan. 12 February 2013. Counterpoint. 9781619021051. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  14. Web site: Writers Guild Theater. www.writersguildtheater.org. 19 May 2017.
  15. Book: Briggs, Robert. Ruined Time: The 1950s and the Beat: Easyread Large Bold Edition. 24 November 2008. ReadHowYouWant.com. 9781442952034. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  16. Web site: Oakland Public Library Staff's Favorite Books of 2016. Oakland Public Library. 19 May 2017.
  17. The Pizza pusher; opera. By John (Jack) Francis Goodwin
  18. Web site: Fillmore: The Beats in the Western Addition - FoundSF. www.foundsf.org. 19 May 2017.
  19. Book: Hjortsberg, William. Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan. 12 February 2013. Counterpoint. 9781619021051. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  20. Web site: On "Howl". www.english.illinois.edu. 19 May 2017.
  21. Web site: "Howl": How the Poem Came to Be and How it Made Allen Ginsberg Famous. www.plosin.com. 19 May 2017.
  22. Web site: Inventory of the Jack Goodwin Papers, 1940-1991. www.oac.cdlib.org. 19 May 2017.
  23. Web site: Diana Goodwin Guglielmi Stine's Obituary on San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco Chronicle. 19 May 2017.
  24. Web site: Another Noir Roundup: John Trinian, James Curtis, Malcolm Mackay, Owen Martell, Robert Wilson. Woody. Haut. 8 June 2014. woodyhaut.blogspot.com. 19 May 2017.
  25. Web site: A Dirty Baker's Dozen: My 13 Favorite Crime Novels of 2014 - Los Angeles Review of Books. lareviewofbooks.org. 19 May 2017.
  26. Web site: Ed Gorman's blog: From Pulp Serenade: "North Beach Girl" (1960) and "Scandal on the Sand" (1964) by John Trinian. Ed. Gorman. 25 April 2015. newimprovedgorman.blogspot.com. 19 May 2017.
  27. Web site: "North Beach Girl" (1960) and "Scandal on the Sand" (1964) by John Trinian. https://web.archive.org/web/20140720063116/http://www.pulpserenade.com/2014/05/north-beach-girl-1960-and-scandal-on.html. usurped. July 20, 2014. www.pulpserenade.com. 19 May 2017.
  28. Book: Accardi, Catherine A.. San Francisco's North Beach and Telegraph Hill. 19 May 2017. Arcadia Publishing. 9780738581583. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  29. Web site: SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP SPRING 2014. seattlemystery.com. 19 May 2017.
  30. Web site: Belle Marko --About the Artist. bellemarko.com. 19 May 2017.
  31. Web site: Biographical Notes. www.philsp.com. 19 May 2017.
  32. Book: 9781933586557. North Beach Girl / Scandal on the Sand. Trinian. John. May 2014.
  33. Web site: Essays. Rick Ollerman. ollerman.com. 19 May 2017.
  34. Book: North Beach Girl / Scandal on the Sand. John. Trinian. Rick. Ollerman. Ki. Longfellow. Belle. Marko. 13 May 2014. Stark House Press. 978-1933586557.
  35. Web site: crimetime.co.uk - San Francisco Noir: John Trinian. www.crimetime.co.uk. 19 May 2017.
  36. Book: Hjortsberg, William. Jubilee Hitchhiker: The Life and Times of Richard Brautigan. 12 February 2013. Counterpoint. 9781619021051. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  37. Web site: Richard Brautigan: The Tokyo-Montana Express. www.brautigan.net. 19 May 2017.
  38. Web site: mess. Art Fein. 2010-07-10. www.sofein.com. 19 May 2017.
  39. Web site: Aaron David Schmoker. recorderonline.com. 19 May 2017.
  40. Web site: FORGOTTEN BOOKS #271: NORTH BEACH GIRL/SCANDAL ON THE SAND By John Trinian - GeorgeKelley.org. georgekelley.org. 19 May 2017.
  41. Web site: The FictionMags Index. philsp.com. 19 May 2017.
  42. Web site: Marin County Genealogy - 1996 Marin Marriage Announcements. SFgenealogy.org. 2022-04-20.
  43. Book: Trinian, John. Any Number Can Win. 1 July 2012. Simon and Schuster. 9781440544866. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  44. Web site: Zekial Marko. Goodreads. 19 May 2017.
  45. Web site: Bookgasm » Blog Archive » North Beach Girl / Scandal on the Sand. www.bookgasm.com. 19 May 2017.
  46. Web site: Documentarian Mary Kerr on SWINGING IN THE SHADOWS - Script Magazine. 25 May 2011. scriptmag.com. 19 May 2017.
  47. Web site: Wild History - Straight From the Source!. California Beat Era. 19 May 2017.
  48. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1802980/posts?page%20Trinian DAVE HOEKSTRA. Sputnik I begat beatniks Chicago Sun-Times March 18, 2007
  49. Web site: Biographical Notes. www.philsp.com. 19 May 2017.
  50. Book: Trinian, John. The Savage Breast. 1 July 2012. Simon and Schuster. 9781440544897. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  51. Web site: ACE Double Mystery Series - F Letter-Number Series - mystery genre writers - cover art and artists. M. Steven. Smith. people.uncw.edu. 19 May 2017.
  52. Web site: Lost Classics of Noir: Scratch a Thief by John Trinian by Brian Greene. Brian. Greene. www.criminalelement.com. 19 May 2017.
  53. Web site: Bookgasm » Blog Archive » Scratch a Thief / House of Evil. www.bookgasm.com. 19 May 2017.
  54. https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9901E5D91130E23ABC4153DFBF66838E679EDE A.H. WEILER. Movie Review - ONCE A THIEF - Melodrama Opens at Neighborhood Houses - NYTimes.com September 9, 1965
  55. Web site: Once a Thief (1965) - She Blogged By Night. 13 July 2015. shebloggedbynight.com. 19 May 2017.
  56. Web site: Movieland mystery photo (Updated). lmharnisch. 21 April 2014. ladailymirror.com. 19 May 2017.
  57. Web site: Hepcats and Hustlers: "Once a Thief". 30 January 2017. camera-roll.com. 19 May 2017.
  58. Web site: Once a Thief (1965): Late noir à la européenne - filmsnoir.net. 3 October 2013. filmsnoir.net. 19 May 2017.
  59. Web site: Casting de Les Tueurs de San Francisco. allocine.fr. 19 May 2017.
  60. Web site: Kolchak Episode – The Inspiration for Chase's Sopranos. robbinsrealm. 19 April 2017. wordpress.com. 19 May 2017.
  61. Book: Muir, John Kenneth. Terror Television: American Series, 1970–1999. 9 May 2008. McFarland. 9781476604169. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  62. Web site: It Couldn't Happen Here...: Episode 2: The Zombie. Peter. Enfantino. 6 January 2012. akolchakaday.blogspot.com. 19 May 2017.
  63. Web site: It Couldn't Happen Here...: Mark Dawidziak on The Zombie. Mark. Dawidziak. 6 January 2012. akolchakaday.blogspot.com. 19 May 2017.
  64. Web site: The Rockford Files (1975) – Say Goodbye to Jennifer & Charlie Harris at Large. T. D.. Rideout. 8 April 2014. themindreels.com. 19 May 2017.
  65. Book: Abbott, Jon. Stephen J. Cannell Television Productions: A History of All Series and Pilots. 29 May 2009. McFarland. 9780786454013. 19 May 2017. Google Books.
  66. Book: Robertson, Ed. Thirty Years Of The Rockford Files: An Inside Look At America's Greatest Detective Series. 19 May 2017. iUniverse. 9780595342440. 19 May 2017. Google Books.

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