Background
Pittman was born in Louisiana and reared in Arkansas.
Pittman was born in Louisiana and reared in Arkansas.
He left home and joined a carnival as a snake oil salesman. He made his way to New York, hoping for at least a small Broadway role. There he met actor Steve Cochran, who hired him as caretaker of his Los Angeles home around 1950.
In Los Angeles he tried to break into acting, but soon turned from acting to screenwriting.
He wrote for such television series as American Broadcasting Company/Warner Brothers" 77 Sunset Strip, Sugarfoot, Maverick, Cheyenne, Surfside 6, and Colt.45 and also for National Broadcasting Company"s The Deputy, and Columbia Broadcasting System"s The Twilight Zone. Efrem Zimbalist, Junior., lead star of 77 Sunset Strip, a detective series which aired from 1958 to 1964, recalls that his friend Pittman at forty-five became ill with "a tumor on the side of his neck that grew rapidly to grapefruit-size.
He had it excised, but it left a gaping hole, which he covered with a kerchief". The tumor was treated as cancer but did not go into remission, and Pittman soon died.
Zimbalist delivered a eulogy at Pittman"s funeral.
Pittman is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.