Albert Zugsmith (April 24, 1910 – October 26, 1993) was an American film producer, film director and screenwriter who specialized in low-budget

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become hi ...

s through the 1950s and 1960s. With a background in music promotion (

Ted Weems Wilfred Theodore Wemyes, known professionally as Ted Weems (September 26, 1901 – May 6, 1963), was an American bandleader and musician. Weems's work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Biography Born in Pitcair ...

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

), public relations (one of his clients in Depression-era Chicago was

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone (; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the ...

), journalism, and brokering communication properties (radio, newspaper, early television), Zugsmith became independently wealthy and began producing films at

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

during the

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

years. Zugsmith's most significant credits are a string of four genre masterpieces produced in the late 1950s, all for

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

: the science-fiction classic ''

The Incredible Shrinking Man ''The Incredible Shrinking Man'' is a 1957 American science fiction film directed by Jack Arnold based on Richard Matheson's 1956 novel ''The Shrinking Man''. The film stars Grant Williams as Scott and Randy Stuart as Scott's wife Louise. Wh ...

'', Orson Welles' ''

Touch of Evil ''Touch of Evil'' is a 1958 American film noir written and directed by Orson Welles, who also stars in the film. The screenplay was loosely based on the contemporary Whit Masterson novel ''Badge of Evil'' (1956). The cast included Charlton Hes ...

'',

Douglas Sirk Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck; 26 April 1897 – 14 January 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s. Sirk started his career in Germany as a stage and screen director, but he left fo ...

's ''

Written on the Wind ''Written on the Wind'' is a 1956 American Southern Gothic melodrama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. It follows the dysfunctional family members of a Texas oil dynasty, ...

'', and the camp exploitation films (produced for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

) '' High School Confidential'' and ''

The Girl in the Kremlin ''The Girl in the Kremlin'' is a 1957 American film noir mystery film directed by Russell Birdwell and starring Lex Barker, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Jeffrey Stone. Plot In Moscow, four terrified women prisoners are brought to the office of Joseph Sta ...

''. An archive of some of his shooting scripts and screenplays are housed in the Special Collections department at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

Biography

Zugsmith was a journalist and publicist. In 1939 he moved in to brokering sales of communication properties like newspapers and radio and television stations; he was very successful, making up to $250 million worth of sales, and became a millionaire from his commissions. He was a film buff, and wanted to move into film producing.

American Pictures Corporation

Zugsmith formed American Pictures Corporation, along with Peter Miller,

Aubrey Wisberg Aubrey Lionel Wisberg (October 20, 1909 – March 14, 1990) was a British-American filmmaker. Biography Born in London, Wisberg emigrated to the United States in 1921, attended New York University and Columbia University, and married B ...

and

Jack Pollexfen Jack Pollexfen (1908–2003) was an American writer, director and producer. He collaborated with Aubrey Wisberg on several science fiction and monster movies of the 1950s. Before entering the film industry he worked as a journalist. Selected f ...

. They planned to make six films a year for five years out of a fund of $3.5 million. They did a three-picture deal with RKO to make ''

Captive Women ''Captive Women'' is a 1952 American black-and-white post-apocalyptic science-fiction film. It stars Robert Clarke and Margaret Field. The film has a running time of 64 minutes. It deals with the effects of a nuclear war and how life would be af ...

'' (1952), '' Sword of Venus'' (1953), and ''

Port Sinister ''Port Sinister'' (a.k.a. ''Beast of Paradise Isle'' in the UK) is a 1953 American independently made black-and-white adventure science fiction film, produced by Jack Pollexfen and Albert Zugsmith, and directed by Harold Daniels. The film was w ...

'' (1953). No film cost more than $100,000. It was a film he made for Columbia that established him - '' Invasion, U.S.A.'' (1952), which earned profits of over a million dollars. He followed it with ''

Paris Model ''Paris Model'' is a 1953 American comedy drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Marilyn Maxwell, Paulette Goddard, Eva Gabor and Barbara Lawrence.Wojcik p.235 It is an anthology featuring four separate parts, each focused on one of ...

'' (1953), and '' Top Banana'' (1954, starring

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

), both comedies.

Universal

Zugsmith's success saw him receive a long term contract at Universal. While there he acted as a

script doctor A script doctor is a writer or playwright hired by a film, television, or theatre production company to rewrite an existing script or improve specific aspects of it, including structure, characterization, dialogue, pacing, themes, and other elemen ...

for several Universal-International films and produced ''

Female on the Beach ''Female on the Beach'' is a 1955 American crime-drama film directed by Joseph Pevney starring Joan Crawford and Jeff Chandler in a story about a widow and her beach bum lover. The screenplay by Robert Hill and Richard Alan Simmons was based o ...

'' (1955), a melodrama with

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

and Jeff Chandler; ''

The Square Jungle ''The Square Jungle'' is a 1955 American film noir drama sport film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Tony Curtis, Pat Crowley and Ernest Borgnine.

'' (1955), a boxing film with Tony Curtis; ''

Raw Edge ''Raw Edge'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by John Sherwood starring Rory Calhoun, Yvonne de Carlo, Mara Corday. It marked the movie debut of John Gavin under the name "John Gilmore". Plot In 1842, before law and order has come ...

'' (1956), a Western with

Yvonne de Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Hollywood film star in the 1940s and 1950s, made several recordings, and late ...

and

Rory Calhoun Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as ''How to Marry a Millio ...

; ''

Red Sundown ''Red Sundown'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Jack Arnold and starring Rory Calhoun, Martha Hyer and Dean Jagger. Plot Alec Longmire (Rory Calhoun), a gunfighter, decides to change his ways after nearly losing his life. He refor ...

'' (1956), a Western with Calhoun, directed by Jack Arnold; and ''

Star in the Dust ''Star in the Dust'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring John Agar, Mamie Van Doren and Richard Boone. In the town of Gunlock, sheriff Bill Jorden is due to hang Sam Hall for cattle-stealing. Jorden has to ...

'' (1956), another Western with John Agar and

Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film ''Untamed Youth'' (1957). Early life Van Do ...

, directed by

Charles F. Haas Charles Friedman Haas (November 15, 1913 – May 12, 2011) was an American film and television director. Biography Haas was born in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Harvard University. In 1935, he began his career at Universal Studios - ...

. Zugsmith had a big hit with ''

'' (1956) starring

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

, Robert Stack, Lauren Bacall and Dorothy Malone, directed by

. Also popular was ''

'' (1957) from the script and novel by

Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...

. Zugmsith produced ''

The Tattered Dress ''The Tattered Dress'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir crime film released by Universal Pictures and directed by Jack Arnold. It stars Jeff Chandler, Jeanne Crain, Jack Carson, Gail Russell and Elaine Stewart. Plot In a California r ...

'' (1957) with Chandler, ''

'' (1957), and '' Slaughter on 10th Avenue'' (1957), a film noir. He did ''

The Tarnished Angels ''The Tarnished Angels'' is a 1957 black-and-white American CinemaScope drama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone, Jack Carson, and Robert Middleton. The screenplay by George Zuckerman is based on ...

'' (1957) which reunited Sirk, Hudson, Stack and Malone, and '' Man in the Shadow'' (1957) with Chandler and

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, directed by Arnold. He did '' The Female Animal'' (1957) with

Hedy Lamarr Hedy Lamarr (; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914 January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. A film star during Hollywood's golden age, Lamarr has been described as one of the greatest movie actresse ...

from his own story, directed by

Harry Keller Harry Keller (22 February 1913 – 19 January 1987) was an American film editor, producer and director, who made a number of westerns and worked for many years at Universal Pictures. In 1958, Keller was tasked by Universal Pictures with directing ...

. Zugsmith's next film was ''

'' (1958), which had Welles attached to play the villain;

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...

agreed to star if Welles directed, which happened, although some additional scenes were directed by Harry Keller after Zugsmith left the studio.

MGM

Zugsmith says he left Universal because he was unhappy Edward Muhl had been made subservient to

Al Daff Alfred Edward Daff (18 August 1902 – 1991) was an Australian born executive who became head of Universal Pictures. Biography Daff was born in Melbourne. He joined the Melbourne office of Universal Pictures at 18 years of age. In 1922 he took ear ...

He moved to MGM, where he signed a six-picture deal. The association started well with '' High School Confidential!'' (1958), starring Russ Tamblyn and Van Doren, and directed by Jack Arnold. It was a big hit. He followed it with ''

Night of the Quarter Moon ''Night of the Quarter Moon'' is a 1959 American drama film directed by Hugo Haas and written by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis. The film stars Julie London, John Drew Barrymore, Anna Kashfi, Dean Jones, Agnes Moorehead and Nat King Cole. The fil ...

'' (1958); ''

The Beat Generation ''The Beat Generation'' is a 1959 American crime film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Steve Cochran and Mamie Van Doren, with Ray Danton, Fay Spain, Maggie Hayes, Jackie Coogan, Louis Armstrong, James Mitchum, Vampira, and Ray Anthony. It i ...

'' (1959), with Van Doren and Steve Cochran, co-written by Matheson, and directed by Haas; '' The Big Operator'' (1959) with Van Doren, Cochran and Mickey Rooney, directed by Haas; and '' Girls Town'' (1959) with Van Doren, also directed by Haas. All these lost money.. Zugsmith later said "after telling me that I would have decent budgets, MGM never gave me a decent budget while I was there... I didn't get along very well with Mr Benny Thau... I never cared for MGM. They gave me all kinds of curves: bad cameramen that happened to be under contract, and so on. I wasn't one of the 'clique'. They wouldn't back me up on the set or anything else." Zugsmith turned director with ''

The Private Lives of Adam and Eve ''The Private Lives of Adam and Eve'' is a 1960 Spectacolor comedy film starring Mickey Rooney (who also co-directed), and Mamie Van Doren. It is an American B-movie in which the plot revolves around a modern couple who dream that they are Adam ...

'' (1960) which he filmed with Rooney, who also starred; Van Doren was in the cast. It was made independently outside MGM, for Universal."Rooney to Rejoin Albert Zugsmith: 'Platinum High School' Vehicle; Trade Paper Raps High Prices". Scheuer, Philip K., ''Los Angeles Times''. June 5, 1959: A9. "I pick my titles to get 'em into theatres", said Zugsmith. "Thousands of exhibitors say amen to that.""Entertainment: Zugsmith Success Story Is Unusual". ''Los Angeles Times''. November 28, 1959: 12. Back at MGM, Zugmsith produced ''

Platinum High School ''Platinum High School'' is a 1960 American crime drama romance film directed by Charles Haas and starring Mickey Rooney, Terry Moore and Dan Duryea. It was based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Irving Shulman. Plot Sailing to a coastal ...

'' (1960), with Rooney, directed by Haas.

Director

Zugsmith was billed as sole director for '' College Confidential'' (1960) starring Steve Allen, from a story by Zugsmith, at Universal. He then bought stock in Allied Artists and directed three films for that company: ''

Sex Kittens Go to College ''Sex Kittens Go to College'' (a.k.a. ''Beauty and the Robot'') is a 1960 American comedy film by Allied Artists Pictures, produced and directed by Albert Zugsmith and starring Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld and Mijanou Bardot. The film was also ...

'' (1960) with Van Doren and

Tuesday Weld Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is an American actress and model. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. Over t ...

; ''

Dondi Donald Joseph White, "DONDI" (April 7, 1961 – October 2, 1998) was an American graffiti artist. Biography Early life Born in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, Dondi was the youngest of five children. He was of African American a ...

'' (1961), a

children's film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that contains children or relates to them in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are ...

with

David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...

and

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

; and ''

Confessions of an Opium Eater ''Confessions of an Opium Eater'' also known as Souls for Sale and Evils of Chinatown is a 1962 American crime film produced and directed by Albert Zugsmith. It is loosely based on the 1822 autobiographical novel ''Confessions of an English Opium ...

'' (1963) with

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

. Zugsmith later said "Allied Artists was a very depressing period in my life. Maybe it showed in the films I made there. I was very depressed there. I didn't like it; I felt imprisoned; I had to get away." He produced ''

Zigzag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...

'' (1963) in the Philippines, then produced and directed '' The Great Space Adventure'' (1963). He produced

Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fea ...

's ''

Fanny Hill ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure''—popularly known as ''Fanny Hill''—is an erotic novel by English novelist John Cleland first published in London in 1748. Written while the author was in debtors' prison in London,Wagner, "Introduction", ...

'' (1964), but the two men disliked working together. He directed some scenes of '' Dog Eat Dog'' (1964). He wrote and directed '' The Incredible Sex Revolution'' (1966); directed '' Psychedelic Sexualis'' (1966), ''

Movie Star, American Style or; LSD, I Hate You ''Movie Star, American Style or; LSD, I Hate You'' is a 1966 American film directed by Albert Zugsmith starring Del Moore. References External linksFilm pageat TCMDBfilm pageat BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television ...

'' (1966) and ''

The Chinese Room The Chinese Room (formerly Thechineseroom) is a British video game developer based in Brighton that is best known for exploration games, such as ''Dear Esther''. The company originated as a mod team for ''Half-Life 2'', based at the Universit ...

'' (1968); produced and wrote '' Sappho Darling'' (1968); and directed '' Two Roses and a Golden Rod'' (1969), ''The Very Friendly Neighbors'' (1969), and ''

The Phantom Gunslinger ''The Phantom Gunslinger'' is a 1970 Mexican-American Western film directed by Albert Zugsmith. The film stars Troy Donahue, Sabrina, Elizabeth Campbell, Emilio Fernández, Germán Robles, and Pedro Armendáriz, Jr. A digitally restored vers ...

'' (1970) with

Troy Donahue Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor and singer. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early years Born in New York City, Donahue was ...

. In 1973, he said in an interview "many of the talents that I have developed or worked with have suffered by not continuing with me. And I have suffered by not continuing with them."Flynn & McCarthy p 421 Zugsmith's last credit was directing ''

Violated! ''Violated!'' is a 1974 film directed by Albert Zugsmith Albert Zugsmith (April 24, 1910 – October 26, 1993) was an American film producer, film director and screenwriter who specialized in low-budget exploitation films through the 1950s and ...

'' (1975).

Personal life

His older sister,

Leane Zugsmith Leane Zugsmith (18 January 1903 – 13 October 1969) was an American writer. Biography Zugsmith was born in Louisville, Kentucky on 18 January 1903 to Albert Zugsmith and Gertrude Appel. She lived in New York City, where she became a leftist jou ...

, was a leading proletarian novelist in the 1930s. He was married to Ruth (Feldman). Zugsmith had two daughters, Suzan and Patricia (Patty) and a son Michael. Sue became the Mayor of

Claremont, California Claremont () is a suburban city on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. It is in the Pomona Valley, at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. As of the 2010 census it had a popul ...

Partial filmography

* '' Invasion U.S.A.'' (1952) * ''

'' (1953) * '' Top Banana'' (1954) * ''

'' (1955) * ''

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1957) * ''

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1958) * '' High School Confidential'' (1958) * '' The Big Operator'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1960) * '' College Confidential'' (1960) * ''

'' (1960) * ''

'' (1961) * ''

'' (1962) * ''

'' (1964) * '' Psychedelic Sexualis'' (1966) * ''

'' (1970)

Notes

References

External links

Albert Zugsmith papers
at the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

–

American Heritage Center The American Heritage Center is the University of Wyoming's repository of manuscripts, rare books, and the university archives. Its collections focus on Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West (including politics, settlement, and western trails) and ...

* *
Biographical page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zugsmith, Albert 1910 births 1993 deaths American male film actors Film producers from New Jersey American male screenwriters People from Atlantic City, New Jersey 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American businesspeople Film directors from New Jersey Screenwriters from New Jersey 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters