Although he was caught and returned to school, he later served with the Marines in the South Pacific. After completing his tour of duty, Ludlum enrolled at Wesleyan University, where he continued to act and met his wife-to-be, actress Mary Ryducha. The two were married the year he graduated; both embarked on acting careers.
After performing in New England repertory theaters, landing some small parts on Broadway and appearing in several 1950s television dramas, Ludlum made the switch from actor to producer. His most notable production, Bill Manhoff's The Owl and the Pussycat, featured then unknown actor Alan Alda, who later gained fame for his role in the television series, M*A*S*H. The play was performed at Playhouse-on-the-Mall in Paramus, New Jersey, the country's first theater in a shopping center, which Ludlum opened in 1960. After serving as producer at the Playhouse for ten years, Ludlum found himself bored and frustrated with the pressures of theater work. Finally, he gave in to his wife's admonition to give writing a try and fulfilled yet another of his life's ambitions.
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