Marshal Backlar ’57

Marshal died March 18, 2022, in Los Angeles.

He came to Princeton from St. Louis Country Day School, played on the freshman soccer team, and acted in Theatre Intime. Joining Colonial Club, he represented them on intramural football and volleyball teams. Marshal majored in philosophy, writing his thesis on the problem of the immanent and transcendent in the dichotomy between rationality and irrationality.

Following graduation, he studied philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris. Marshal then completed his military service in the Army, including service as an Army newspaper editor in Germany, attaining the rank of private first class. He then changed his career direction by becoming an agent and then a movie producer in Los Angeles. In 1966, his production of the short motion picture “Skaterdater” won first prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1972, he married Whitney Stewart. They had three children, Darcy, Thea, and Jeremy. Marshal continued with various positions in the entertainment field, including president of Cinema Entertainment Corp., director of dramatic productions for ABC, including “Dynasty,” and then became senior vice president of RMC.

He then opened Marshals, a restaurant, in Paris that he attributes as the cause of his divorce. He then married Natalie Schneider, moved to London as media director for Korn/Ferry executive recruiters, and finally returned to California as a producer for Playboy Enterprises and then president of a firm, Backlar Consultants.

He is survived by his wife, Natalie; his three children and their families; and his ex-wife, Whitney.