Howard Rodman; ‘Naked City’ Dramatist : Script Writer’s TV Work Dated Back 30 Years to ‘Playhouse 90’

Howard Rodman, a television writer with hundreds of scripts to his credit and the literary talent behind “The Naked City” dramas more than 20 years ago, died Wednesday after heart surgery at UCLA Medical Center.

Rodman was 65 and had been active in TV since the days of “Playhouse 90,” for which he wrote nearly 30 years ago. He also was responsible for two other dramas, “Harry O” and “The Six Million Dollar Man.”

“Naked City,” based on the Mark Hellinger story and film, had been on the air only a few months when Rodman was brought in as story editor. He contributed dozens of scripts to the show, which ran from 1958 to 1963.

In 1974 he adapted the novel “Cyborg” for television and from it sprang the humanoid with spare parts played by Lee Majors in “The Six Million Dollar Man.” That same year his pilot for “Harry-O” starring David Janssen was accepted by ABC and that laid-back private detective survived two years on the network.

A longtime unionist, Rodman was active in the Author’s League, the Radio Writers Guild and the Writers Guild of America, which awarded him its prestigious Laurel Award for lifetime achievement in 1980.

Rodman is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter. A memorial service has been scheduled at noon Monday at the Writers Guild Theatre, 135 S. Doheny Drive., Beverly Hills. Contributions in his name are being asked for the Writers Guild Foundation.