Franklin M. Heller; TV Game Show Director

Franklin M. Heller, 85, director of the popular quiz show “What’s My Line,” and other television and musical productions. Heller began his career as an actor while studying at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He appeared in a number of roles at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego before moving to New York in the 1930s and launching a career as a stage manager. During World War II, Heller was an executive producer for USO shows, which provided entertainment for soldiers overseas. He joined CBS in 1949 and supervised “What’s My Line” and the game shows “Beat the Clock” and “I’ve Got a Secret.” On Thursday in North Branford, Conn.