Alex Gordon (8 September 1922 – 24 June 2003) was a British

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

and screenwriter. He produced eighteen films, including the

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

films ''

Day the World Ended ''Day the World Ended'' is a 1955 independently made black-and-white post-apocalyptic science fiction film, produced and directed by Roger Corman, that stars Richard Denning, Lori Nelson, Adele Jergens, Paul Birch and Mike Connors. Chet Huntle ...

'' (1955) and ''

The She Creature ''The She-Creature'', or ''The She Creature'', is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction horror film, released by American International Pictures from a script by Lou Rusoff (brother-in-law of AIP executive Samuel Z. Arkoff). It was ...

'' (1956). He wrote screenplays for three films, two of them with

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

director

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...

, '' Jail Bait'' (1954) and ''

Bride of the Monster ''Bride of the Monster'' is a 1955 American science fiction horror film, co-written, produced and directed by Edward D. Wood Jr., and starring Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson with a supporting cast featuring Tony McCoy and Loretta King. The film ...

'' (1956). Gordon's brother Richard Gordon was also a film producer.

Biography

Alex Gordon was a film publicist who served in the British Army. After his discharge in 1947 he and his brother arrived in New York. He worked for theatres, performed press duties for

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

, then moved to Hollywood in 1952.

Ed Wood

In Hollywood, Gordon met

and they collaborated on a script for a low-budget Western for John Carpenter, ''The Outlaw Marshall''. The production was a difficult one and Gordon needed a lawyer; he ended up hiring Samuel Z. Arkoff who later established

. The film became ''

The Lawless Rider ''The Lawless Rider'' is a 1954 American black-and-white western film directed by Yakima Canutt and starring Johnny Carpenter, Frankie Darro and Noel Neill, and marketed by United Artists. Ed Wood helped co-write the screenplay, which was origin ...

'' (1954). Gordon had written two scripts, ''The Atomic Monster'' and ''The Hidden Face''. Wood filmed them as ''

'' (1952) and '' Jail Bait'' (1954) respectively.

American International

Arkoff set up a company, American Releasing Company which became

. Gordon was one of their most important producers in the early days, usually collaborating with writer

Lou Rusoff Lou Rusoff (August 3, 1911 – June 29, 1963) was a Canadian-born screenwriter and producer best known for his work with American International Pictures. He was brother-in-law to Sam Arkoff and was the screenwriter for many of Roger Corman's f ...

and director

Edward L. Cahn Edward L. Cahn (February 12, 1899 – August 25, 1963) was an American film director. Early life and education Cahn was born in Brooklyn, New York. He went to work at Universal Pictures in 1917 while still a student at UCLA. Career ...

. Gordon's first film for the company was ''

Apache Woman Apache Woman may refer to: * Apache Woman (1955 film), an American Western directed by Roger Corman * Apache Woman (1976 film) ''Apache Woman'' ( it, Una donna chiamata Apache) is a 1976 Italian Spaghetti Western film, written and directed by ...

'' (1955), written by Rusoff and directed by

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

. Gordon and Corman collaborated again on ''

'' (1955), a science fiction film that was very successful, and ''

The Oklahoma Woman ''The Oklahoma Woman'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Roger Corman. Plot The film involves the return of Steve Ward, a former gunslinger recently released from federal prison, to his hometown to claim a ranch he has inherited. Upo ...

'' (1956), another Western. All these films were written by Rusoff. Gordon's first movie with Cahn was '' Girls in Prison'' (1956), a women in prison film. Cahn also directed ''

The She-Creature ''The She-Creature'', or ''The She Creature'', is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction horror film, released by American International Pictures from a script by Lou Rusoff (brother-in-law of AIP executive Samuel Z. Arkoff). It was pr ...

'' (1956), a science fiction horror movie with

Marla English Marleine Gaile English (January 4, 1935 – December 10, 2012) was an American film actress during the 1950s. Early years She was born Marleine Gaile English in San Diego, California. As a teenager, she worked as a model and performed locally. ...

and

Tom Conway Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders, 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor remembered for playing private detectives (including The Falcon, Sherlock Holmes, Bulldog Drummond, and The Saint) ...

, and ''

Flesh and the Spur ''Flesh and the Spur'' is a 1956 Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn. The film stars John Agar as Lucius Random, Marla English as Wild Willow and Mike Connors (billed here as Touch Connors) as Stacy Tanner. The film was released by American ...

'' (1956), a Western with English and

Mike Connors Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series ''Mannix'' from 1967 to 1975, a role which earned ...

co written by

Charles B. Griffith Charles Byron Griffith (September 23, 1930 – September 28, 2007) was an American screenwriter, actor and film director, son of Donna Dameral, radio star of ''Myrt and Marge'', along with Charles' grandmother, Myrtle Vail, and was best known ...

. Gordon, Rusoff and Cahn then made '' Shake, Rattle & Rock!'' (1956), a musical with Connors and

Margaret Dumont Margaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker; October 20, 1882 – March 6, 1965) was an American stage and film actress. She is best remembered as the comic foil to the Marx Brothers in seven of their films; Groucho Marx called her "practically ...

and Douglas Dumbrille (film buff Gordon always liked to put older actors in his movies), and '' Runaway Daughters'' (1956), with English,

Anna Sten Anna Sten ( ua, А́нна Стен; born Anna Petrivna Fesak, December 3, 1908November 12, 1993) was a Ukrainian-born American actress. She began her career in stage plays and films in the Soviet Union before traveling to Germany, where she st ...

and

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. Ba ...

. Rusoff did not write ''

Voodoo Woman ''Voodoo Woman'' is a 1957 horror film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Marla English in her final film role, Tom Conway, and Mike Connors. It was released in March 1957 by American International Pictures as a double feature with ''The ...

'' (1957), with English and Conway, but he did '' Dragstrip Girl'' (1957) and its semi-remake ''

Motorcycle Gang An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, a ...

'' (1957). Cahn directed '' Jet Attack'' (1958), a war film. Gordon helped with the casting on ''

Reform School Girl ''Reform School Girl'' is a 1957 film starring Gloria Castillo as a teenage girl who is sent to a reformatory. The film was directed by Edward Bernds and was produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. ''Reform School Girl'' was one of many sexploitation f ...

'' (1957) directed by

Edward Bernds Edward Bernds (July 12, 1905May 20, 2000) was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois. Career While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur li ...

. Gordon worked with a new director,

Spencer Gordon Bennet Spencer Gordon Bennet (January 5, 1893 – October 8, 1987) was an American film producer and director. Known as the "King of Serial Directors", he directed more film serials than any other director. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Benne ...

, on the war film, '' Submarine Seahawk'' (1958). It was his last movie for AIP. He was unhappy with the company and left.

Later Films

Gordon produced ''

The Atomic Submarine ''The Atomic Submarine'' is a 1959 independent film, independently made, American black-and-white science-fiction film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Arthur Franz, Dick Foran, Brett Halsey, Joi Lansing and Jean Moorhead, with John ...

'' (1959) for Allied Artists, directed by Bennett. He wrote and produced ''

The Underwater City ''The Underwater City'' is a 1962 American science fiction film in Eastmancolor, about overcoming engineering obstacles for establishing an underwater living environment. The film was directed by Frank McDonald, produced by Alex Gordon and wri ...

'' (1962), directed by Frank McDonald. His last feature film credits were two Westerns directed by Bennett, ''

Requiem for a Gunfighter ''Requiem for a Gunfighter'' is a 1965 American Western film, the last film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, produced by Alex Gordon, and starring Rod Cameron, Stephen McNally, Mike Mazurki, Dick Jones, and Olive Sturgess. Cast * Rod Cam ...

'' (1965) and ''

The Bounty Killer ''The Ugly Ones'' ( es: ''El precio de un hombre'', lit. "The Price of a Man", it: ''The Bounty Killer'', later ''La morte ti segue... ma non ha fretta'', lit. "Death follows you... but not in a hurry") is a 1966 Spanish-Italian Italian(s) ...

'' (1965). In 1968 he went into TV producing at

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. He later wrote the documentary, ''Gene Autry: America's Singing Cowboy'' (1993).

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Alex 1922 births 2003 deaths 20th-century British screenwriters