Riff Markowitz(1938-2025)
- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Riff Markowitz was born in New York in 1938, but moved to Toronto,
Canada as a young child. He was always interested in theater and
vaudeville and he loved attending shows. He ran away from home at the
young age of 15 and became a circus clown. After one season of
"clowning around", he lied about his age (saying he was 22) and got a
radio announcer's job in the north of Canada.
His desire to keep vaudeville going was great and he knew that television was the medium through which he could do it. The next 30 years of his career were spent writing, producing and directing variety television. He worked with great talents as Crystal Gayle, George Burns, Wolfman Jack, Abba, Tom Jones, Lauren Bacall and Raquel Welch. In addition, he produced numerous specials starring comedian Red Skelton, culminating in a Royal Command Performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. In 1984, he produced an award-winning, star-studded tribute to Neil Simon, the first major variety special ever produced for HBO.
When variety television began to wane, much like Riff's beloved variety theater, his desire was to intervene. He shifted his focus to dramatic episodic television by producing and co-creating The Hitchhiker (1983), HBO's award-winning dramatic series that was ultimately syndicated worldwide. During this time, he also co-founded a Canadian pay television network, First Choice Canadian, and a cutting-edge post production facility.
He retired to Palm Springs, California while still in his mid-50s and after a year, he just couldn't stay away from theatre and the arts, so he began looking into investing in projects or starting up one of his own. He had made a new friend, (then) Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem, Tuck Broich. One day, Tuck suggested that Riff take over the historic Plaza Theatre in downtown Palm Springs. It needed restoration and a show that would honor its vaudeville past. Many famous show business greats such as Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and others had played upon the historic Plaza Theatre stage. Riff saw this as the perfect opportunity to revive his vaudeville dream and make it a reality.
Riff has one son, who works in films as a first assistant director and production manager. He has two brothers and a sister and a lovely mother.
His desire to keep vaudeville going was great and he knew that television was the medium through which he could do it. The next 30 years of his career were spent writing, producing and directing variety television. He worked with great talents as Crystal Gayle, George Burns, Wolfman Jack, Abba, Tom Jones, Lauren Bacall and Raquel Welch. In addition, he produced numerous specials starring comedian Red Skelton, culminating in a Royal Command Performance at London's Royal Albert Hall. In 1984, he produced an award-winning, star-studded tribute to Neil Simon, the first major variety special ever produced for HBO.
When variety television began to wane, much like Riff's beloved variety theater, his desire was to intervene. He shifted his focus to dramatic episodic television by producing and co-creating The Hitchhiker (1983), HBO's award-winning dramatic series that was ultimately syndicated worldwide. During this time, he also co-founded a Canadian pay television network, First Choice Canadian, and a cutting-edge post production facility.
He retired to Palm Springs, California while still in his mid-50s and after a year, he just couldn't stay away from theatre and the arts, so he began looking into investing in projects or starting up one of his own. He had made a new friend, (then) Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem, Tuck Broich. One day, Tuck suggested that Riff take over the historic Plaza Theatre in downtown Palm Springs. It needed restoration and a show that would honor its vaudeville past. Many famous show business greats such as Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and others had played upon the historic Plaza Theatre stage. Riff saw this as the perfect opportunity to revive his vaudeville dream and make it a reality.
Riff has one son, who works in films as a first assistant director and production manager. He has two brothers and a sister and a lovely mother.
