Farewell to Sam Locke, a writer who worked in theatre, film, radio and television. He died on Sept. 18 in San Diego, according to the New York Times (Sept. 29).

Locke had great success in radio and television, but his first love was the theatre. Unfortunately, only one of his plays reached Broadway, Fair Game. The 1957 drama was set in New York's garment district and starred Sam Levene, but it did not fare well with the critics.

Locke achieved a more lasting sort of fame with 1955's The Vamp, a musical he wrote with John LaTouche and James Mundy . The production starred Carol Channing, post-Gentleman Prefer Blondes but pre- Hello, Dolly!. Channing played Flora Weems, a Pola Negri type in the early silent film industry. Again the show did not do well and closed after a couple months.

Locke also wrote for such comedians as Red Buttons and Ed Wynn. His employment was curtailed, however, by his being graylisted during the McCarthy era.

-- By Robert Simonson