A. W. Hackel, born Aaron William Hackel (December 18, 1882 – October 22, 1959) was an American film producer who founded

Supreme Pictures Supreme Pictures Corporation was a film production company in the United States. It produced dozens of Western genre films. It was run by Sam Katzman and A. W. Hackel. It made Westerns starring Johnny Mack Brown as well as Bob Steele. The compa ...

in 1934.

Biography

He was born in

Ulanów Ulanów is a town in Nisko County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,491 inhabitants (02.06.2009). It has grammar schools and high schools along with 2 churches. One of the churches was set on fire in 2004, and was closed for repairs. A ...

Nisko County __NOTOC__ Nisko County ( pl, powiat niżański) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local governm ...

Podkarpackie Voivodeship Subcarpathian Voivodeship or Subcarpathia Province (in pl, Województwo podkarpackie ) is a voivodeship, or province, in the southeastern corner of Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów. Along with the Marshall, it is ...

, Poland In 1934 Hackel formed Supreme Pictures where he contracted Bob Steele for 32 of his westerns, for example ''

Alias John Law ''Alias John Law'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring Bob Steele. It was produced by Supreme Pictures and released by William Steiner Productions on a states-rights basis. It was remade in 1950 as '' W ...

'' in 1935. Hackel also produced 16 Westerns with

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western (genre), Western films. Early lif ...

. In 1936

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

needed more

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

and made a deal with Hackel, who released his films through Republic.Bob Steele
/ref> After the demise of Supreme Pictures in 1942, Hackel released through

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

. All of his pictures were westerns until ''

Am I Guilty? ''Am I Guilty?'' Is an American film released in 1940 directed by Samuel Neufeld for the Supreme Pictures Corporation. A. W. Hackel was the film's producer.; his Supreme Pictures, which had produced dozens of Western films, planned a series of fi ...

'' (1940), a

race film The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race films were produce ...

. He followed it with numerous crime dramas including ''

The Flaming Urge ''The Flaming Urge'' (1953) is an American crime film directed by Harold Ericson. Plot A young man arrives in the small town of Monroe, Michigan where he finds a job in a department store. However he has an apparently irresistible urge to follow ...

'' (1953), a crime film.

Partial filmography

*''

The Brand of Hate ''The Brand of Hate'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Bob Steele, Lucile Browne and William Farnum. Cast * Bob Steele as Rod Camp *Lucile Browne as Margie Larkins *William Farnum as Joe Larkins *Mi ...

'' (1934) *''

'' (1935) *''

Trail of Terror ''Trail of Terror'' is a 1943 American Western film written and directed by Oliver Drake. The film stars Dave O'Brien, James Newill, Guy Wilkerson, Patricia Knox, Jack Ingram and I. Stanford Jolley. The film was released on September 7, 194 ...

'' (1935) *'' Between Men'' (1935) *''

The Courageous Avenger ''The Courageous Avenger'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury. Cast * Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as ...

'' (1935) *''

Branded a Coward ''Branded a Coward'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield. it was the first of Johnny Mack Brown's Westerns made for producer A.W. Hackel's Supreme Picetures. Cast * Johnny Mack Brown as Johnny Hume * Billie Seward as E ...

'' (1935) *''

The Kid Ranger ''The Kid Ranger'' is a 1936 American Western film starring Bob Steele. It was done for Supreme Pictures and was produced by A. W. Hackel. Cast * Bob Steele as Ray Burton * William Farnum as Bill Mason * Joan Barclay as Mary Brokaw * Earl Dw ...

'' (1936) * '' Everyman's Law'' (1936) *''

Rogue of the Range ''Rogue of the Range'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by S. Roy Luby and starring Johnny Mack Brown and Lois January. The picture is also known as ''Spider and the Fly'' in the United Kingdom. Cast *Johnny Mack Brown as Dan Doran *L ...

'' (1936) *''

The Law Rides ''The Law Rides'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury. Cast * Bob Steele as Bruce Conway *Harley Wood as Arline Lewis *Buck Connors as Whitey * Charles King as Hank Davis *Margaret Mann as Mrs. Lewis *Jack Rockwell ...

'' (1936) *''

The Gun Ranger ''The Gun Ranger'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury. Plot summary Cast * Bob Steele as Dan Larson *Eleanor Stewart as Molly Pearson *John Merton as Kemper Mills * Ernie Adams as Wally Smeed *Earl Dwire as Bud C ...

'' (1936) *''

Doomed at Sundown ''Doomed at Sundown'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by George H. Plympton. The film stars Bob Steele, Lorraine Randall, Warner Richmond, Earl Dwire, Harold Daniels and David Sharpe. The film was releas ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Gambling Terror ''The Gambling Terror'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Johnny Mack Brown, Iris Meredith and Charles King.Pitts p.121 Plot A town is effectively terrorised by a protection racket with no one knowing who th ...

'' (1937) *''

Desert Patrol The Desert Force (, ), also known as the Desert Patrol, was a paramilitary force of Transjordan. Its main task was to guard Jordanian borders with neighboring Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria as well as to provide protection for oil pipe lines of Ir ...

'' (1938) * ''

'' (1940), a race film *''

Murder by Invitation ''Murder by Invitation'' is a 1941 American mystery film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Wallace Ford. Plot The relatives of Cassandra "Cassie" Denham, an old unmarried lady living in New York who is reputedly good for three million dollars, ...

'' (1941) *'' Phantom Killer (film)'' (1942) *''

The Living Ghost ''The Living Ghost'' is a 1942 American mystery-drama film directed by William Beaudine and produced by Monogram Pictures. Starring James Dunn and Joan Woodbury, the film incorporates elements of the horror genre as it follows an ex-private dete ...

'' (1942) *''

A Gentle Gangster ''A Gentle Gangster'' is a 1943 black-and-white drama film, directed by Phil Rosen and produced by A. W. Hackel. Cast *Molly Lamont as Ann Hallit *Barton MacLane as Mike Hallit *Dick Wessel as Steve Parker *Joyce Compton as Kitty Parker *Jack ...

'' (1943) *''

Shadow of Suspicion ''Shadow of Suspicion'' is a 1944 American comedy crime film directed by William Beaudine and starring Marjorie Weaver, Peter Cookson and Tim Ryan.Marshall p.298 Main cast * Marjorie Weaver as Claire Winter * Peter Cookson as Jimmy Dale * ...

'' (1944) *''

'' (1953), a crime drama

Notes

External links

* 1882 births 1959 deaths Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States American film producers Defunct American film studios {{US-film-producer-stub