Sam Katzman (July 7, 1901 – August 4, 1973) was an American
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
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''Di ...
. Katzman produced low-budget genre films, including
serials, which had disproportionately high returns for the studios and his financial backers.
Early career
Sam was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family; his father
Abe Katzman
Abraham "Abe" Katzman (1868–1940, yi, אברהם קאצמאן) was a Klezmer violinist, bandleader, composer, and Brunswick Records recording artist of the 1920s. He was the father of film producer Sam Katzman, uncle of American arranger and b ...
was a violinist. He and Sam's mother Rebecca (née Sugarman) were from
Kishinev,
Bessarabia Governorate
The Bessarabia Governorate (, ) was a part of the Russian Empire from 1812 to 1917. Initially known as Bessarabia Oblast (Бессарабская область, ''Bessarabskaya oblast'') as well as, following 1871, a governorate, it included ...
,
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
(now Chisinău,
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
). Katzman went to work as a stage laborer at the age of 13 in the fledgling
East Coast
East Coast may refer to:
Entertainment
* East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop
* East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017
* East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004
* East Coast FM, a ra ...
film industry and moved from prop boy to
assistant director
The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...
at
Fox Films
The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...
. He would learn all aspects of filmmaking and was a
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
producer for more than 40 years.
Katzman worked as an assistant to
Norman Taurog
Norman Rae Taurog (February 23, 1899 – April 7, 1981) was an American film director and screenwriter. From 1920 to 1968, Taurog directed 180 films. At the age of 32, he received the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Skippy'' (1931). He i ...
and got married on the set of ''The Diplomats'' in 1928 at Fox.
In October 1927 he signed with comic Joe Russo to make a series of two-reel comedies.
Screencraft Pictures
Katzman was a production supervisor at
Showmen's Pictures in the early 1930s, and
Screencraft Productions
Screencraft Productions was a short lived production company which worked out of Hollywood in the 1930s. Sam Katzman was production supervisor. It was linked with Showmen's Pictures.Scheuer, P. K. (July 31, 1963). Katzman doesn't give a hoot for a ...
in July 1935.
His movies included ''
His Private Secretary
''His Private Secretary'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Phil Whitman and starring Evalyn Knapp and John Wayne. It is an early Wayne non-Western film appearance, made when he was 26 years old.
Plot
Dick Wallace (Wayne) h ...
'' (Showmen's, 1933) starring a young
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
(made for $9,000 and earned $95,000).
[Scheuer, P. K. (July 31, 1963). Katzman doesn't give a hoot for art. Los Angeles Times] They also made ''
Police Call'' (1933), ''
Ship of Wanted Men
''Ship of Wanted Men'' is a 1933 American pre-Code crime film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Dorothy Sebastian, Fred Kohler and Leon Ames.Pitts p.334 The film's sets were designed by the art director Fred Preble.
Synopsis
A gang of fu ...
'' (1933), ''
Public Stenographer
''Public Stenographer'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code romantic comedy. Stenographer Ann McNair (Lane) en route to a job mistakenly gets in the wrong car and ends up at a wild party thrown by Jim Martin (Collier). While in pursuit of McNair, Martin i ...
'' (1933), and ''
St. Louis Woman
''St. Louis Woman'' is a 1946 American musical theatre, musical by Arna Bontemps and Countee Cullen with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer (lyrics). The musical opened at the Martin Beck Theatre in New York on March 30, 1946, an ...
'' (1934).
Supreme Pictures
He worked as a producer at
A. W. Hackel
A. W. Hackel, born Aaron William Hackel (December 18, 1882 – October 22, 1959) was an American film producer who founded Supreme Pictures in 1934.
Biography
He was born in Ulanów, Nisko County, Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Poland
In 1934 Hac ...
's
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 ...
, where he mostly made Westerns starring
Bob Steele. Filming started 15 May 1934 with ''
A Demon for Trouble
''A Demon for Trouble'' is a 1934 American black-and-white action/adventure/romance short film directed by Robert F. Hill and produced by A. W. Hackel for Supreme Pictures. It stars Bob Steele, Don Alvarado, Gloria Shea, and Nick Stuart and was ...
'' (1934).
Other films included ''
Western Justice
''Western Justice'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring Bob Steele. Steele sings in the film. Scenes were shot around Buena Vista Lake.Three Additional Work Projects Granted Kern Los Angeles Times Febr ...
'' (1934), ''
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), ''
Smokey Smith'' (1935), ''
Tombstone Terror
''Tombstone Terror'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring Bob Steele.
Cast
* Bob Steele as Jimmy Dixon / Duke Dixon
* Kay McCoy as Jean Adams
* George 'Gabby' Hayes as Soupy Baxter (as George Hayes)
* ...
'' (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), ''
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 ...
'' (1935), ''
Big Calibre
''Big Calibre'' is a 1935 American Western film produced by Supreme Pictures and directed by Robert N. Bradbury. It premiered on March 8, 1935. The film features Bob Steele as Bob O'Neill, a stockgrower who, seeking vengeance for his murdered ...
'' (1935), ''
Sundown Saunders
''Sundown Saunders'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury.
Cast
* Bob Steele as Jim "Sundown" Saunders
*Marie Burton as Bess Preston
*Earl Dwire as Sheriff Baker
*Ed Cassidy as Taggart
*Jack Rockwell as Preston, Be ...
'' (1935), ''
Brand of the Outlaws
''Brand of the Outlaws'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury for A. W. Hackel's Supreme Pictures.p. 43 Pitts, Michael R, ''Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films'' McFarland; 2nd edition (January 1, 2013) ...
'' (1936) and ''
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).
Victory Pictures and Puritan Pictures
In June 1935 Katzman announced he would make six films written by Peter Kyne for Fox, starting with ''Danger Ahead''. He ended up taking over
Bryan Foy
Bryan Foy (December 8, 1896 – April 20, 1977) was an American film producer and director. He produced more than 200 films between 1924 and 1963. He also directed 41 films between 1923 and 1934. He headed the B picture unit at Warner Bros. ...
's studios at Culver City and doing the films through his own company,
Victory Pictures
Sam Katzman (July 7, 1901 – August 4, 1973) was an American film producer and Film director, director. Katzman produced low-budget genre films, including Serial film, serials, which had disproportionately high returns for the studios and ...
.
In 1935 Katzman founded Puritan Pictures, a film distribution group, their first film being ''
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
'' (1935).
From 1935 to 1940 Victory produced two serials and 30 features, including
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series.
This article explains what film series are ...
starring
Tom Tyler
Tom Tyler (born Vincent Markowski; August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 s ...
and
Tim McCoy
Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (April 10, 1891 – January 29, 1978) was an American actor, military officer, and expert on American Indian life. McCoy is most noted for his roles in B-grade Western films. As a popular cowboy film star, he ap ...
, and action pictures with
Herman Brix
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
and
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
. Katzman also made crime films like ''
Hot Off the Press
''Hot Off the Press'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Albert Herman. It was the second of eight adaptations of Peter B. Kyne stories.
Plot
Bill Jeffry is a reporter who leaves ''The Evening Call'' in favor of rival Star Bulletin. Whe ...
'' (1935), ''
Bars of Hate
''Bars of Hate'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Albert Herman.
Cast
* Regis Toomey as Ted Clark
* Sheila Terry as Ann Dawson
* Molly O'Day as Gertie
* Snub Pollard as Danny, the Pickpocket
* Robert Warwick as The Governor
* Fuzzy ...
'' (1935), ''
The Fighting Coward'' (1935) and ''
Danger Ahead'' (1935), many of which were written by
Peter B. Kyne
Peter Bernhard Kyne (October 12, 1880 – November 25, 1957) was an American novelist who published between 1904 and 1940. He was born and died in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Many of his works were adapted into screenplays star ...
.
Katzman entered the world of serials in 1936 (with ''
Shadow of Chinatown
''Shadow of Chinatown'' is both a 1936 film serial and a feature film edited from the serial made by Sam Katzman's Victory Pictures.
Plot
A consortium of American businesses are disturbed by the loss of profits due to Chinese businesses located i ...
'' (1936) starring
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
) and would return to the genre in 1944.
In June 1937 a fire damaged the building where Victory was based. In January 1939 Victory announced they would make 20 more Westerns., but within six months Katzman closed Puritan and began releasing his productions 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 ...
.
Monogram Pictures
At Monogram, a "budget" studio, Katzman co-produced with
Jack Dietz
Jack Dietz (1901 – 30 January 1969) was an American film producer, notable for his collaboration with Sam Katzman at Monogram Studios. At one stage he operated The Cotton Club in Harlem.
In the late 1930s he produced movies of heavyweight figh ...
, under the names Banner Productions, the
East Side Kids
The East Side Kids were characters in a series of 22 films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The B ...
features of the 1940s, eight thrillers starring
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...
, and two musicals. In April 1941 Katzman signed Lugosi to make three films, including one in collaboration with the East Side Kids. Lugosi wound up making nine films for Katzman.
In January 1943 Katzman signed a contract with stage star
Frank Fay and screen comic
Billy Gilbert
William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally
as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects a ...
for four films. Fay walked out on the series after the first film, ''
Spotlight Scandals
''Spotlight Scandals'' or ''Spotlight Revue'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by William Beaudine.
It was the first of a four-picture contract comic actor Billy Gilbert signed with Monogram Pictures. Butch and Buddy, the team who ...
'' (1943), and Katzman replaced him with Gilbert's closest friend,
Shemp Howard
Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Lithuanian Yiddish, Litvak accent.
He is ...
.
Serials
In September 1944 Katzman was offered a job producing serials for
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, starting with ''
Brenda Starr, Reporter
''Brenda Starr, Reporter'' (often referred to simply as ''Brenda Starr'') is a comic strip about a glamorous, adventurous reporter. It was created in 1940 by Dale Messick for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate.
History
Although set in Chicago, ''B ...
'' (1945) He followed this with the serials ''
Jungle Raiders'' (1945) and ''
Who's Guilty?'' (1945). With typical thrift, he produced the first one on the side, using Monogram's actors and technicians. The Columbia serials proved successful, and Katzman became their permanent producer.
Final Monogram Movies
Katzman continued to produce features for Monogram through 1948. His final East Side Kids movies were ''
Docks of New York
: ''See The Docks of New York for the 1928 George Bancroft film directed by Josef von Sternberg.''
''Docks of New York'' is a 1945 film directed by Wallace Fox and starring the East Side Kids.
Plot
Late one night on New York's poor East Side, a ...
'' (1945), ''
Mr. Muggs Rides Again'' (1945) and ''
Come Out Fighting'' (1945). The series came to an abrupt end when its star
Leo Gorcey
Leo Bernard Gorcey (June 3, 1917– June 2, 1969) was an American stage and film actor, famous for portraying the leader of a group of hooligans known variously as the Dead End Kids, the East Side Kids and, as adults, The Bowery Boys. Gorcey was ...
wanted double the usual salary from Katzman. Katzman reacted by pulling the plug on the series. (Gorcey stayed with Monogram, which retooled the series as
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys are fictional New York City characters, portrayed by a company of New York actors, who were the subject of 48 feature films released by Monogram Pictures and its successor Allied Artists Pictures Corporation from 1946 through 195 ...
.)
In November 1945 Katzman replaced the rowdy East Side Kids with
The Teen Agers The Teen Agers is a series of seven coming-of-age musical comedy-drama films made by Monogram Pictures from 1946 to 1948. A follow-up to the East Side Kids, the series stars Freddie Stewart and June Preisser.
The films were initially produced by S ...
, a wholesome gang of high-schoolers. These were vehicles for singer
Freddie Stewart. It was an early example of Katzman's output aimed specifically at a teenage audience. He produced six of these musical comedies through 1948.
Columbia Pictures
Musicals
In June 1946 Katzman announced he would make his first feature for Columbia, a remake of ''The Last of the Mohicans'' starring Jon Hall. However, the first movies he ended up making at the studio were musicals. In August 1946 he signed
Jean Porter
Bennie Jean Porter (December 8, 1922 – January 13, 2018) was an American film and television actress. She was notable for her roles in ''The Youngest Profession'' (1943), ''Bathing Beauty'' (1944), ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' (1945), ...
to star in ''
Betty Co-Ed
''Betty Co-Ed'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film starring Jean Porter, directed by Arthur Dreifuss and produced by Sam Katzman.
Plot
Vaudeville is in Joanne Leeds's blood, but when she applies for admission at prestigious Upton College, sh ...
'' (1946), made by Katzman's Monogram director
Arthur Dreifuss
Arthur Dreifuss (sometimes credited as Dreyfuss; March 25, 1908 – December 31, 1993)[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 ...](_blank)
, which was downsizing, to sign with Katzman. The three musicals were ''
Little Miss Broadway
''Little Miss Broadway'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants, ...
'' (1947), ''
Sweet Genevieve
''Sweet Genevieve'' is a 1947 comedy film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and starring Jean Porter and Jimmy Lydon. It was produced by Sam Katzman.
Plot
Cast
Production
The film was announced in February 1947.
Filming started in April 1947.
Re ...
'' (1947) and ''
Two Blondes and a Redhead
''Two Blondes and a Redhead'' is a 1947 American musical film directed by Arthur Dreifuss and starring Jean Porter.
Plot
Cast
Production
The film was originally known as ''Three Blondes and a Redhead''.
Filming started April 1947.
Reference ...
'' (1947).
Katzman and Dreifuss then made two films with singer
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...
, who had been a star at
Universal Pictures
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 ...
. Katzman was so pleased by ''
I Surrender Dear
"I Surrender Dear" (sometimes written as "I Surrender, Dear") is a song composed by Harry Barris with lyrics by Gordon Clifford, first performed by Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with Bing Crosby in 1931, which became his first s ...
'' (1948) that he devoted more time to it, and economized on her other picture, ''
Manhattan Angel
''Manhattan Angel'' is a 1949 American comedy musical film starring Gloria Jean.
It was originally called ''Sweetheart of the Blues''. It was made after ''I Surrender Dear''."Pretty Little Gloria Jean Blossoms Out as Player of Important Adult Rol ...
'' (1949).
[MacGillivray, Scott and Jan, ''Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven'', Universe, 2005] These were budgeted at about $140,000 per film.
He made some sports-themed features starring
Gloria Henry
Gloria Henry (born Gloria Eileen McEniry; April 2, 1923 – April 3, 2021) was an American actress, best known for her role as Alice Mitchell, Dennis' mother, from 1959 to 1963 on the Columbia Broadcasting Company, CBS family sitcom ''Dennis t ...
, ''
Racing Luck'' (1948) and ''
Triple Threat'' (1948), and the musicals ''
Mary Lou'' (1948) and ''
Glamour Girl
Glamour photography is a genre of photography in which the subjects are portrayed in erotic poses ranging from fully clothed to nude. The term may be a euphemism for erotic photography. For glamour models, body shape and size are directly relate ...
'' (1948). During this time Katzman continued to produce serials for Columbia such as ''
Jack Armstrong'' (1947), ''
The Vigilante
''The Vigilante'' is a 1947 American Western film serial directed by Wallace Fox. The 33rd serial released by Columbia Pictures, it was based on the comic book cowboy Vigilante, who first appeared in ''Action Comics'', published by DC Comics. ...
'' (1947), ''
The Sea Hound
''The Sea Hound'' is an American radio adventure series that ran from June 29, 1942, to August 7, 1951. It began on the Blue Network June 29, 1942 – September 22, 1944, as a 15-minute serial for young audiences, featuring Ken Daigneau as Capt ...
'' (1947) with
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
, ''
Brick Bradford
''Brick Bradford'' is a science fiction comic strip created by writer William Ritt, a journalist based in Cleveland, and artist Clarence Gray. It was first distributed on August 21, 1933 by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Features ...
'' (1948), ''
Congo Bill
Congorilla, originally a human character known as Congo Bill, is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transformed int ...
'' (1948) and the outstandingly successful ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' (1948).
Focus on Action Films
The boxoffice performance of Katzman's action movies and serials, particularly ''Superman'', was outstripping those for his musicals and comedies, leading him away from those genres. From 1949 to 1954 he would produce only action fare for Columbia. In February 1948 Katzman had signed a five-year deal with screen
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
to make "jungle movies" starting with two films a year for two years where the budgets would be at least $350,000. These turned into the ''Jungle Jim'' series starting with ''
Jungle Jim
Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle ...
'' (1948)
In October 1948 Katzman signed a seven-year, $4 million contract with Columbia to make four feature films a year through his Kay Pictures corporation, four serials a year via his Esskay Productions, and a ''
Jungle Jim
Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle ...
''
film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series.
This article explains what film series are ...
starring
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
.
Katzman's stock-in-trade was now a mix of Arabian Nights fantasies (bluntly euphemized by Katzman as "tits and sand"), western, action, and prison pictures. He would average ten features a year, producing them in four to ten weeks.
Katzman allowed a budget of $400,000 for ''
The Prince of Thieves
''The Prince of Thieves'' is a 1948 American adventure film nominally inspired by Alexandre Dumas' 1872 novel ''Le Prince des voleurs''. Produced by Sam Katzman for Columbia Pictures and starring Jon Hall as Robin Hood with stuntwork by Jock ...
'' (1948), a version of the Robin Hood story starring Hall.
Other action-orientated Katzman product around this time included ''
The Lost Tribe'' (1949), a Jungle Jim movie; the serial ''
Tex Granger
''Tex Granger'' is a 1948 American Western film serial featuring the title character as a masked cowboy referred to as ''The Midnight Rider of the Plains'' in the serial's subtitle. It was based on a character from the comic '' Calling All Boys' ...
'' (1948), ''
Adventures of Sir Galahad
''Adventures of Sir Galahad'' is the 41st serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars George Reeves, Nelson Leigh, William Fawcett, Hugh Prosser, and Lois Hall. It was based on Arthurian legend, one o ...
'' (1949), ''
Batman and Robin'' (1949) and ''
Bruce Gentry – Daredevil of the Skies
''Bruce Gentry – Daredevil of the Skies'' (1949) is a 15-episode Columbia Pictures movie serial based on the Bruce Gentry comic strip created by Ray Bailey. It features the first cinematic appearance of a flying saucer, as the secret weapon o ...
'' (1949); the action thriller ''
The Mutineers'' (1949) with Hall; the swashbuckler ''
Barbary Pirate
The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. This area was known in Europe as t ...
'' (1949) and the crime movie ''
Chinatown at Midnight
''Chinatown at Midnight'' is a 1949 film noir crime film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Hurd Hatfield.
Plot
After a jade vase is mentioned to him by Lisa Marcel, an interior designer, Clifford Ward steals it from a Chinatown shop. He ...
'' (1949).
Charles Schneer
Charles Hirsch Schneer (May 5, 1920 – January 21, 2009) was an American film producer, best known for working with Ray Harryhausen, the specialist known for his work in stop motion model animation.
Life and career
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he ...
, who worked for Katzman in the 1940s and 1950s, said the producer:
Knew everything there was to know about making a movie. He was a very enterprising fellow, and was enormously intuitive. But, he was a very tough taskmaster and a real skinflint. I managed to get along well with Sam, because I knew what he was and respected what he did. Unfortunately, all his input was negative. He never contributed anything positive. I would suggest an idea, and he would knock it down. I would argue with him, but I never got very far. He wouldn't say: 'Do this instead of that.' He would only say: 'Don't do this' — and I didn't. I certainly learned the value of a dollar from Sam.
His Monogram cameraman Richard Cline later recalled "we did 106 features in six years, working six days a week - an average of 20 to 22 features a year. Those were "B" pictures... There was a clever writer in the unit. Sam would pick up a newspaper and say, "Oh, here's a story." He'd give it to the writer and the writer would turn out a script. We'd go all over. We were actually a traveling unit, a very cohesive unit, and I really learned my trade from that experience."
Katzman's main directors in this time were
Lew Landers
Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director.
Biography
Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...
,
William Berke
William A. Berke (born October 3, 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – died February 15, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) was an American film director, producer, actor and screenwriter. He wrote, directed, and/or produced some 200 films over a ...
, and
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 ...
. Berke specialized in Jungle Jim films such as ''
Mark of the Gorilla
''Mark of the Gorilla'' is 1950 Jungle Jim film starring Johnny Weissmuller. It was the third in the series.
Plot
Gorilla attacks on humans come as a surprise to Jungle Jim, since the creatures are not known to exist in this part of Africa. On hi ...
'' (1950), ''
Pygmy Island
''Pygmy Island'' is a 1950 Jungle Jim film starring Johnny Weissmuller as the title character. It was movie number five in the series.
Production
Filming started 19 June 1950. Katzman hired several midget actors to play pygmies. The film was shot ...
'' (1950), ''
Captive Girl
''Captive Girl'' is the fourth Jungle Jim film produced by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by William Berke and starred Johnny Weissmuller as the title character. It was also Weissmuller's second teaming with his fellow former Tarzan and Olympi ...
'' (1951) and ''
Fury of the Congo
''Fury of the Congo'' (1951) is the sixth Jungle Jim film produced by Columbia Pictures. It features Johnny Weissmuller in his sixth performance as the protagonist adventurer Jungle Jim. The film was directed by William Berke and written by Carrol ...
'' (1951). Bennett did serials like ''
Pirates of the High Seas
''Pirates of the High Seas'' is a 1950 American adventure serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Thomas Carr and starring Buster Crabbe, Lois Hall and Tommy Farrell.
Plot
Adventurer Jeff Drake sails to a Pacific island in aid of Kel ...
'' (1950), ''
Atom Man vs. Superman
''Atom Man vs. Superman'' is a 1950 American film serial and the second Superman movie serial featuring Kirk Alyn, credited (as with the previous serial) only by his character name, Superman.
When Lex Luthor blackmails the city of Metropolis by ...
'' (1950), ''
Cody of the Pony Express
''Cody of the Pony Express'' is a 1950 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. It starred Jock Mahoney, Dickie Moore, Peggy Stewart and William Fawcett.
Plot
The plot centers on a young Cody joining forces with the Li ...
'' (1950), ''
Mysterious Island
''The Mysterious Island'' (french: L'Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's fam ...
'' (1951), ''
Roar of the Iron Horse
''Roar of the Iron Horse'' is a 1951 American Western Serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Thomas Carr and starring Jock Mahoney and Virginia Herrick.
Plot
A railroad agent named Jim Grant opposes hard-nosed German, Karl Ulrich, ...
'' (1951) and ''
Son of Geronimo
''Son of Geronimo'' is a 1952 American Western Serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Clayton Moore.
Plot
Jim Scott attempts to bring peace between west-bound settlers and native Apaches. This task is made harder by a band ...
'' (1952). Landers handled the other action films like ''
State Penitentiary'' (1950), ''
Revenue Agent
''Revenue Agent'' is a 1950 American film directed by Lew Landers.
Plot
The accountant's wife is having an affair with his boss. In retribution the husband calls the Internal Revenue Service to expose a large tax evasion racket to smuggle gold bu ...
'' (1950) with
Lyle Talbot
Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...
, ''
Last of the Buccaneers
''Last of the Buccaneers'' is a 1950 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Lew Landers and starring Paul Henreid as Jean Lafitte.
Plot
Swashbuckler about the adventures of pirate Jean Lafitte after he helped save New Orleans from a Br ...
'' (1950) with
Paul Henreid
Paul Henreid (November 10, 1908 – March 29, 1992) was an Austrian-British-American actor, director, producer, and writer. He is best remembered for two film roles; Victor Laszlo in ''Casablanca'' and Jerry Durrance in ''Now, Voyager'', bo ...
, ''
Chain Gang
A chain gang or road gang is a group of prisoners chained together to perform menial or physically challenging work as a form of punishment. Such punishment might include repairing buildings, building roads, or clearing land. The system was no ...
'' (1950), ''
Tyrant of the Sea
''Tyrant of the Sea'' is a 1950 American historical war film set during the Napoleonic Wars and starring Ron Randell, Rhys Williams and Lester Matthews. It was directed by Lew Landers.
Production
The film began as a project titled ''The Return ...
'' (1950) with
Ron Randell Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald.
Ron or RON may also refer to:
Arts and media
* Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character
* Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character
*Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...
, ''
Hurricane Island
''Hurricane Island'' is a 1951 American Supercinecolor adventure film directed by Lew Landers and starring Jon Hall.
Plot
Juan Ponce de León searches for the Fountain of Youth, but it is not an easy quest, thanks to bad weather, a treacherou ...
'' (1951) and ''
When the Redskins Rode
''When the Redskins Rode'' is a 1951 American historical Western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Jon Hall, Mary Castle and James Seay. The film is loosely based on the events leading up to the outbreak of the French and Indian War.
I ...
'' (1951) with Hall, ''
A Yank in Korea
''A Yank in Korea'' is a 1951 American war film directed by Lew Landers and starring Lon McCallister. It was one of the first films about the Korean War.
Plot
A tough sergeant has to teach a hotshot young soldier how to be a team player.
Cast
* ...
'' (1951) with
Lon McAllister.
Richard Quine
Richard Quine (November 12, 1920June 10, 1989) was an American director, actor, and singer.
He began acting as a child in radio, vaudeville, and stage productions before being signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in his early twenties. When his acting ...
, then under contract to Columbia, made one of his first films as director for Katzman, ''
Purple Heart Diary
''Purple Heart Diary'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Richard Quine, produced by Sam Katzman and released by Columbia Pictures. It stars Frances Langford and Judd Holdren.
Plot
During World War II, a singing trio goes out on tour enter ...
'' (1951); he later did ''
Siren of Bagdad
''Siren of Bagdad'' is a 1953 Technicolor fantasy adventure film produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Richard Quine set in the medieval Persian Empire. It stars Paul Henreid as a travelling Master magician who seeks to recover his troop of bea ...
'' (1953) with Paul Henreid.
Lew Landers took over direction of Jungle Jim movies for ''
Jungle Manhunt
''Jungle Manhunt'' is a 1951 adventure film written by Samuel Newman and directed by Lew Landers. It was the seventh entry in the "Jungle Jim" series of films starring Johnny Weissmuller as the title character. Based on the comic strip "Jungle Ji ...
'' (1951) and ''
Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land
''Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land'' is a 1952 American black-and-white adventure film directed by Lew Landers and written by Samuel Newman, and starring Johnny Weissmuller as the title character. This was the eighth entry in Columbia's "Jungle ...
'' (1952), and did ''
California Conquest
''California Conquest'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Cornel Wilde and Teresa Wright. '' (1952) with
Cornel Wilde
Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker.
Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...
.
Fred F. Sears, formerly an actor in Columbia features, began directing Columbia's
Charles Starrett
Charles Robert Starrett (March 28, 1903 – March 22, 1986) was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the ''Durango Kid'' westerns. Starrett still holds the record for starring in the longest series of theatrical features: ...
westerns; when that series lapsed, he started work for Katzman with ''
Last Train from Bombay
''Last Train from Bombay'' is a 1952 American drama film starring Jon Hall, Christine Larson and Lisa Ferraday.
Plot
An American diplomat is accused of murder during an Indian civil war and becomes involved in an assassination plot.
Cast
* Jo ...
'' (1952) starring Hall.
Wallace Grissell
Wallace Grissell (3 September 1904 – 5 April 1954) was a British director and editor.
Filmography
*'' The Tiger Woman'' (1944)
*''Marshal of Reno'' (1944)
*''Haunted Harbor'' (1944)
*''Vigilantes of Dodge City'' (1944)
*''Zorro's Black Whip ...
directed ''
A Yank in Indo-China
''A Yank in Indo-China'' is a 1952 American war film directed by Wallace Grissell and starring John Archer, Douglas Dick and Jean Willes. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. The film's sets were designed by the a ...
'' (1952) and
Sidney Salkow
Sidney Salkow (June 16, 1911 – October 18, 2000) was an American film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulf ...
directed ''
The Golden Hawk
''The Golden Hawk'' is a 1952 American adventure film, directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Rhonda Fleming and Sterling Hayden, based on the novel of the same name by Frank Yerby.
Plot
French sea captain Kit 'The Hawk' Gerardo sails the seas ...
'' (1952) with
Sterling Hayden
Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor and decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II. A leading man for mos ...
and ''
The Pathfinder'' (1952) with George Montgomery.
Columbia's president
Harry Cohn
Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation.
Life and career
Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, wa ...
sometimes used the Sam Katzman unit as a threat, to keep recalcitrant actors in line or terminate an unwanted contract. Columbia owed
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
one feature assignment and an $85,000 salary, which Cohn tried to sidestep by sending Ball a "tits and sand" script from the Katzman unit. Cohn was confident that Ball would refuse the Katzman assignment, thus breaking her contract. Ball bristled at the script but didn't want to lose the salary, so she told Cohn she loved the script and agreed to the assignment. Cohn was forced to honor the agreement, and to his credit he allowed a higher production budget for ''
The Magic Carpet'' (1951), which was filmed in
Super Cinecolor.
Director Spencer Bennet continued to make serials like ''
Blackhawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to:
Animals
* Black Hawk (horse), a Morgan horse that lived from 1833 to 1856
* Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus''
* Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii''
* Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus urub ...
'' (1952) and ''
King of the Congo
''King of the Congo'' is a 1952 American 15 chapter movie serial, the 48th released by Columbia Pictures. It was produced by Sam Katzman, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Wallace Grissell, and stars Buster Crabbe. The serial also co-stars Gl ...
'' (1952), and branched into features such as ''
Brave Warrior
''Brave Warrior'' is a 1952 Technicolor American Western film, directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. It stars Jon Hall and Christine Larsen. The story is based on events during the War of 1812 and the Battle of Tippecanoe, but contains historical ...
'' (1952) with Hall and a Jungle Jim film, ''
Voodoo Tiger
''Voodoo Tiger'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Spencer G. Bennet and starring Johnny Weissmuller in his ninth performance as the protagonist adventurer Jungle Jim. It was written by Samuel Newman and produced by Columbia Pictures. ...
'' (1952). (In February 1952 Katzman renewed his options to make more Weissmuller movies.)
Paul Henreid
Paul Henreid (November 10, 1908 – March 29, 1992) was an Austrian-British-American actor, director, producer, and writer. He is best remembered for two film roles; Victor Laszlo in ''Casablanca'' and Jerry Durrance in ''Now, Voyager'', bo ...
returned to Katzman to star in ''
Thief of Damascus
'' Thief of Damascus '' is a 1952 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Will Jason and starring Paul Henreid. The film features a generous use of stock footage from such films as ''Joan of Arc''. The film, produced by Sam Katzman, was ...
'' (1952), directed by
Will Jason
Will Jason (1910–1970) was an American film and television director. He shot a number of short films for MGM during the early 1940s.Drew p.262
Selected filmography
* ''The Soul of a Monster'' (1944)
* ''Tahiti Nights'' (1944)
* ''Eve Knew Her Ap ...
.
In July 1952 Katzman announced he would make at least 15 films a year for seven years. In November 1952 this contract was amended so Katzman would make twenty films (seventeen features and three serials).
William Castle
William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.
Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...
joined the Katzman group as director in 1953, starting with ''
Serpent of the Nile
''Serpent of the Nile'' is a 1953 Technicolor historical adventure film produced by Sam Katzman and directed by William Castle. The film starred Rhonda Fleming, Raymond Burr, William Lundigan and Michael Ansara. In an early role, actress Julie Ne ...
'' (1953) with
Rhonda Fleming
Rhonda Fleming (born Marilyn Louis; August 10, 1923 – October 14, 2020) was an American film and television actress and singer. She acted in more than 40 films, mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, and became renowned as one of the most glamoro ...
and
Raymond Burr
Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''.
Burr's early acting career included roles ...
. Castle later wrote in his memoirs that Katzman "was a smallish man with a round cherubic face and twinkling eyes. Few people in the motion picture industry took him seriously as a producer of quality films, but to me, Sam was a great showman." Castle went on to make a series of films for Katzman including ''
Slaves of Babylon
''Slaves of Babylon'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Richard Conte and Linda Christian
William Castle called it a "low budget extravaganza".
Plot
In 586 BC the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the a ...
'' (1953) with
Richard Conte
Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from the 1940s through 1970s, including '' I'll Cry Tomorrow'', ''Ocean's 11'', and ''Th ...
, ''
Conquest of Cochise
''Conquest of Cochise'' is a 1953 American Western film set in 1853 at the time of the Gadsen Purchase. Produced by Sam Katzman and directed by William Castle, it stars John Hodiak, Robert Stack and Joy Page.
Plot
Army Major Tom Burke is assi ...
'' (1953) with
John Hodiak
John Hodiak ( ; April 16, 1914 – October 19, 1955) was an American actor who worked in radio, stage and film.
Early life
Hodiak was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Anna (Pogorzelec) and Walter Hodiak. He was of Ukrainian and ...
, and two Westerns with Montgomery, ''
Fort Ti
''Fort Ti'' is a 1953 American 3-D Western film directed by William Castle, and starring George Montgomery and Joan Vohs. Written by Robert E. Kent, the film is the first Western to be released in 3-D and the first 3-D feature to be released i ...
'' (1953) and ''
Masterson of Kansas
''Masterson of Kansas'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by William Castle and starring George Montgomery, Nancy Gates and James Griffith. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution for Columbia Pictures.
Synopsis
Bat Masterson ( ...
'' (1954), ''
The Law vs. Billy the Kid
''The Law vs. Billy the Kid'' is a 1954 American western film directed by William Castle and starring Scott Brady, Betta St. John and Paul Cavanagh. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures.
Plot
Cheated out of a ha ...
'' (1954) with Scott Brady, and ''
The Saracen Blade
''The Saracen Blade'' is a 1954 American adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Ricardo Montalbán, Betta St. John and Rick Jason. '' (1954) with
Ricardo Montalban
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugue ...
.
Richard L. Bare directed ''
Prisoners of the Casbah
''Prisoners of the Casbah'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Richard L. Bare and starring Gloria Grahame, Cesar Romero and Turhan Bey.Lentz p.143
The film's art direction was by Paul Palmentola.
Plot
Cast
* Gloria Grahame as Pr ...
'' (1953) with
Gloria Grahame
Gloria Grahame Hallward (November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an Academy Award-winning American actress and singer. She began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 made her first film for MGM.
Despite a featured role in ''It's a Wond ...
.
William Berke
William A. Berke (born October 3, 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – died February 15, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) was an American film director, producer, actor and screenwriter. He wrote, directed, and/or produced some 200 films over a ...
returned to the Jungle Jim franchise with ''
Valley of the Head Hunters
''Valley of the Head Hunters'' (reissued as ''Valley of Head Hunters'') is a 1953 adventure film directed by William Berke and starring Johnny Weissmuller in his eleventh appearance as Jungle Jim.
Plot
The District Commissioner sends out his rep ...
'' (1953). Sidney Salkow made ''
Jack McCall, Desperado
''Jack McCall, Desperado'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring George Montgomery. It portrays the historical shooting of Wild Bill Hickok by Jack McCall in 1876.
The film's sets were designed by the art direc ...
'' (1953) with Montgomery and ''
Prince of Pirates
''Prince of Pirates'' is a 1953 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Sidney Salkow.
Plot
Cast
*John Derek: Prince Roland
*Barbara Rush: Countess Nita Orde
* Carla Balenda: Princess Maria
*Whitfield Connor: King Stephan
*Edgar Barri ...
'' (1954) with
John Derek
John Derek (born Derek Delevan Harris; August 12, 1926 – May 22, 1998) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and photographer.[Savage Mutiny
''Savage Mutiny'' is a 1953 Jungle Jim film starring Johnny Weissmuller. It was the tenth entry in the series.
Plot
Cast
References
External links''Savage Mutiny''at IMDb''Savage Mutiny''at TCMDB
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an Ameri ...](_blank ...<br></span></div>. Spencer Bennet directed the Jungle Jim films ''<div class=)
'' (1953) and ''
Killer Ape'' (1953). Former Columbia actor
Fred Sears directed ''
Target Hong Kong
''Target Hong Kong'' is a 1953 American action film noir directed by Fred F. Sears.
Plot
American mercenaries attempt to stop a spy ring targeting Hong Kong.
Cast
* Richard Denning as Mike Lassiter
* Nancy Gates as Ming Shan
* Richard Loo as Fu ...
'' (1953) with Richard Denning, ''
Sky Commando
''Sky Commando'' is a 1953 American war film released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Dan Duryea, Frances Gifford and Mike Connors (credited as "Touch Conners"). The Cold War period provides the background, althoug ...
'' (1953) with
Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea ( , January 23, 1907 – June 7, 1968) was an American actor in film, stage, and television. Known for portraying a vast range of character roles as a villain, he nonetheless had a long career in a wide variety of leading and seconda ...
, ''
The 49th Man
''The 49th Man'' is a 1953 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring John Ireland and Richard Denning. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The Cold War thriller was based on a story by Ivan Tors and the screenplay w ...
'' (1953) with John Ireland and Denning, and ''
Mission Over Korea
''Mission Over Korea'' is a 1953 American war film released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Fred F. Sears, from a story by former war correspondent Richard Tregaskis, author of '' Guadalcanal Diary''. The film stars John Hodiak, John Derek, A ...
'' (1953) with Hodiak and Derek.
Seymour Friedman
Seymour Friedman (August 17, 1917 – April 2, 2003) was an American film director. He later worked as a Unit production manager, production manager in television. Friedman began his career as an assistant director, before enlisting for military s ...
made ''
Flame of Calcutta
''Flame of Calcutta'' is a 1953 American historical film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Denise Darcel, Patric Knowles and Paul Cavanagh. It was one of a number of historical films made by Sam Katzman's production unit for Columbia Pic ...
'' (1953).
Katzman continued to produce serials such as ''
The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd
''The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd'' (1953) was the 52nd serial released by Columbia Pictures. It is based in the historical figure of Captain William Kidd.
Plot
In 1697, agents Richard Dale and Alan Duncan are sent on an undercover missio ...
'' (1953), ''
The Lost Planet
''The Lost Planet'' is a 1953 American horror science fiction serial film 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay b ...
'' (1953), ''
Riding with Buffalo Bill
''Riding with Buffalo Bill'' is a 1954 American Western Serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Marshall Reed.
Plot
Buffalo Bill Cody comes to aid the miner Rocky Ford and a group of ranchers in their defeat of a local crime l ...
'' (1954), and ''
Gunfighters of the Northwest
''Gunfighters of the Northwest'' is a 1954 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Charles S. Gould and starring Jock Mahoney, Clayton Moore, Phyllis Coates, Don C. Harvey.
Plot
White Horse Rebels, under the command of ...
'' (1954)
Lee Sholem
Lee Tabor Sholem (May 25, 1913 in Paris, Illinois, – August 19, 2000 in Los Angeles, California) was an American television and film director.
Nicknamed ""Roll 'Em" Sholem", he is identified more than anyone else in the film industry, industr ...
directed ''
Jungle Man-Eaters
''Jungle Man-Eaters'' is a 1954 American adventure film directed by Lee Sholem starring Johnny Weissmuller, Karin Booth and Richard Stapley. It was the last official Jungle Jim movie after Screen Gems bought the rights to make a TV series based on ...
'' (1954) which was the last official Jungle Jim movie although Weissmuller continued to make jungle action adventures for Katzman playing himself in ''
Cannibal Attack
''Cannibal Attack'' is a 1954 American adventure film, the fourteenth Jungle Jim film produced by Columbia Pictures. The film features Johnny Weissmuller in his inaugural performance as the protagonist adventurer Johnny Weissmuller, a character ...
'' (1954).
In July 1954 it was announced that Katzman's company, now called Clover Productions, would make 15 films for Columbia. Castle directed ''
Jesse James vs. the Daltons
''Jesse James vs. the Daltons'' is a 1954 American 3-D Western film directed by William Castle and starring Brett King, Barbara Lawrence and James Griffith. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures and was one of three films shot b ...
'' (1954) in 3-D, ''
The Iron Glove
''The Iron Glove'' is a 1954 American historical adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Robert Stack, Ursula Thiess and Richard Stapley. It was based on the adventures of the Jacobite Charles Wogan.
Plot
Irish Jacobite Charles ...
'' (1954) with Robert Stack, ''
Charge of the Lancers
''Charge of the Lancers'' is a 1954 American adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Paulette Goddard, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Karin Booth.
Plot
As the Crimean War rages, British Capt. Eric Evoir (Jean-Pierre Aumont) and Maj. Bruce ...
'' (1954) with Paulette Goddard, ''
Drums of Tahiti
''Drums of Tahiti'' is a 1954 American South Seas (genre), south seas adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Patricia Medina and Francis L. Sullivan. ''Drums of Tahiti'' was released in 3D film, 3-D, and was one of ...
'' (1954) with Dennis O'Keefe and ''
The Battle of Rogue River
''The Battle of Rogue River'' is a 1954 American Western film starring George Montgomery, Martha Hyer, and Richard Denning, directed by William Castle and produced by Sam Katzman. The screenplay is written by Douglas Heyes. It is set during th ...
'' (1954) with Montgomery. Fred Sears had a solid hit with ''
The Miami Story
''The Miami Story'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler and Adele Jergens. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. The film features an intr ...
'' (1954).
Transfer to Teen Movies
By the mid 1950s television was making inroads into the action market. The Weissmuller series ended after ''
Jungle Moon Men
''Jungle Moon Men'' (1955) is the fifteenth Jungle Jim film produced by Columbia Pictures. It features Johnny Weissmuller in his second performance as the protagonist adventurer Johnny Weissmuller. The film was directed by Charles S. Gould and wri ...
'' (1955) and ''
Devil Goddess
''Devil Goddess'' (1955) is the sixteenth and final Jungle Jim film produced by Columbia Pictures. It features Johnny Weissmuller in his third and last performance as the protagonist adventurer Johnny Weissmuller (a character previously called "Ju ...
'' (1955). Serials were gradually phased out. The last ones were ''
The Adventures of Captain Africa
''The Adventures of Captain Africa'' is a 1955 adventure serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring John Hart.
Plot
Trapper Nat Coleman and government agent Ted Arnold come upon a plot to take over an African nation. Its leader ...
'', ''
Perils of the Wilderness
''Perils of the Wilderness'' is a 1956 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Dennis Moore.
Plot
U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Lawson teams with RCMP Sergeant Gray to go undercover and capture the nefarious smuggl ...
'' (1956) and ''
Blazing the Overland Trail
''Blazing the Overland Trail'' is a 1956 American Western Serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Lee Roberts. It was the 57th and last serial produced by Columbia and the last American serial ever produced by any studio (eith ...
'' (1956). Instead, Katzman decided to focus on films that would appeal to the 15-25 age group, which meant more sci-fi, horror, and rock and roll musicals.
In August 1954 Katzman said he had 14 films lined up, with four more to come, and had assigned four writers to projects:
Curt Siodmak
Curt Siodmak (August 10, 1902 – September 2, 2000) was a German-American novelist and screenwriter. He is known for his work in the horror and science fiction film genres, with such films as '' The Wolf Man'' and '' Donovan's Brain'' (the l ...
to ''The Creature with the Atom Brain'', Berne Giler on ''Dressed to Kill'', Ray Buffum on a juvenile delinquency story, and Robert E. Kent on a Western.
''
Creature with the Atom Brain'' (1955) led to a series of science fiction films, such as ''
It Came from Beneath the Sea
''It Came from Beneath the Sea'' is a 1955 American science fiction monster film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Sam Katzman and Charles Schneer, directed by Robert Gordon, that stars Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, and Donald Curtis. The scr ...
'' (1955), with effects from
Ray Harryhausen
Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Might ...
. That was produced by
Charles H. Schneer
Charles Hirsch Schneer (May 5, 1920 – January 21, 2009) was an American film producer, best known for working with Ray Harryhausen, the specialist known for his work in stop motion model animation.
Life and career
Born in Norfolk, Virginia, ...
who had worked with Katzman for a number of years; Schneer and Harryhausen went on to make ''
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
''Earth vs. the Flying Saucers'' (a.k.a. ''Invasion of the Flying Saucers'' and ''Flying Saucers from Outer Space'') is a 1956 American science fiction film from Columbia Pictures. It was produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Fred F. Sears, ...
'' (1956) for Katzman before Schneer left to form his own unit at Columbia.
Katzman still made westerns such as ''
The Gun That Won the West
''The Gun That Won the West'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by William Castle and starring Dennis Morgan, Paula Raymond and Richard Denning.
Plot
Colonel Carrington (Roy Gordon) and his command are assigned the job of constructi ...
'' (1955), ''
Seminole Uprising
'' Seminole Uprising'' is a 1955 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Earl Bellamy and starring George Montgomery (actor), George Montgomery based on the 1952 novel ''Bugle's Wake'' by Curt Brandon.Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado
''Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado'' is a 1956 American western film directed by Earl Bellamy and starring Howard Duff and Victor Jory. It was based on the novel Kilkenny by Louis L'Amour.
Plot
When a friend in New Mexico is about to be shot, Tom ...
'' (1955) and ''
Duel on the Mississippi
''Duel on the Mississippi'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by William Castle and starring Lex Barker and Patricia Medina.
Plot
Andre Tulane (Barker), descendant of a plantation family in 1820 Louisiana, is bound to Lili Scarlet (Medi ...
'' (1955), swashbucklers like ''
Pirates of Tripoli'' (1955) and crime films such as ''
New Orleans Uncensored
''New Orleans Uncensored'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by William Castle and starring Arthur Franz and Beverly Garland.
Plot
The Port of New Orleans, docks of New Orleans, Louisiana are controlled by Zero Saxon, a notorious r ...
'' (1955), ''
Chicago Syndicate'' (1955), ''
The Crooked Web
''The Crooked Web'' is a 1955 crime film noir directed by Nathan Juran and starring Frank Lovejoy, Mari Blanchard and Richard Denning.
Plot
Stan Fabian runs a drive-in restaurant with girlfriend Joanie Daniel, whose brother Frank turns up for a ...
'' (1955), ''
The Houston Story
''The Houston Story'' is a 1956 American crime film noir directed by William Castle and starring Gene Barry, Barbara Hale and Edward Arnold.
Plot
Frank Duncan (Barry), a shrewd oil driller from Galveston, Texas, conceives a plan to sneakily sip ...
'' (1956), ''
Miami Exposé'' (1956) and ''
Inside Detroit
''Inside Detroit'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Pat O'Brien and Tina Carver.
''Inside Detroit'' is centered on corruption within the United Auto Workers union and is loosely ...
'' (1956). He also did the occasional thriller like ''
Uranium Boom
''Uranium Boom'' is a 1956 American adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Dennis Morgan and Patricia Medina.
Plot
Becoming mining partners after first getting into a fistfight, two men strike uranium pay dirt in remote Colorad ...
'' (1956).
His work had an increasing focus on teens, however. ''
Teen-Age Crime Wave
''Teen-Age Crime Wave'' (aka ''Teenage Crime Wave'') is a 1955 American juvenile delinquency film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Tommy Cook (actor), Tommy Cook and Molly McCart. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The pl ...
'' (1955) and ''
Rumble on the Docks
''Rumble on the Docks'' is a 1956 American crime film noir directed by Fred F. Sears and starring James Darren.
Plot
Jimmy Smigelski, living near the docks of Brooklyn, is quick to help when a neighborhood girl, Della, and her little brother are ...
'' (1956) were teen-oriented crime films. He also started making musicals again with rockabilly music.
In 1955, when Columbia wanted to release the first rock-and-roll musical, Katzman reworked elements from his Gloria Jean musical ''I Surrender Dear'' into one of Columbia's biggest hits, ''
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...
'' (1956) with
Bill Haley and His Comets
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
. This cost $300,000 and earned over $4 million.
This was followed by ''
Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!
''Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!'' is a 1956 American musical film starring Dámaso Pérez Prado, Stephen Dunne, the Mary Kaye Trio, Helen Grayco, Luis Arcaraz and his Orchestra, Lucerto Bárcenas, and Manny López and his Orchestra. It was produced by Sa ...
'' (1956), ''
Don't Knock the Rock
''Don't Knock the Rock'' is a 1956 American musical film starring Alan Dale and Alan Freed. Directed by Fred F. Sears, the film also features performances by Bill Haley & His Comets, Little Richard, The Treniers, and Dave Appell and the App ...
'' (1957, again with Bill Haley), ''
Calypso Heat Wave
''Calypso Heat Wave'' is a 1957 American drama musical film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Johnny Desmond, Merry Anders and Meg Myles.
It was an attempt by producer Sam Katzman to repeat the success of '' Rock Around the Clock'' with ...
'' (1957) and ''
Juke Box Rhythm
''Juke Box Rhythm'' is a 1959 American musical film starring Brian Donlevy and Jo Morrow.
The film was released on a double bill with ''The Tingler'' (1959).
Plot
Preparing for her coronation, Princess Ann flies to New York City along with her A ...
'' (1959, scheduled for Bill Haley but ultimately made with singer
Jack Jones).
Katzman also produced horror films for the teenage audience, including ''
The Werewolf'' (1956), ''
The Man Who Turned to Stone
''The Man Who Turned to Stone'' (a.k.a. ''The Petrified Man'') is a 1957 American black-and-white horror science fiction film directed by László Kardos and starring Victor Jory, Ann Doran and Charlotte Austin. The screenplay was written by B ...
'' (1957), ''
The Giant Claw
''The Giant Claw'' is a 1957 American monster film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Sam Katzman, directed by Fred F. Sears, that stars Jeff Morrow and Mara Corday. Both Sears and Katzman were well known as low-budget B film genre filmmakers. ...
'' (1957), ''
Zombies of Mora Tau
''Zombies of Mora Tau'' (also known as ''The Dead That Walk'') is a 1957 black-and-white zombie horror film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Gregg Palmer, Allison Hayes and Autumn Russel. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, it was produced b ...
'' (1957) and ''
The Night the World Exploded
''The Night the World Exploded'' is a 1957 science fiction, disaster film. The film was written by Jack Natteford and Luci Ward, and directed by Fred F. Sears for producer Sam Katzman. Both Katzman and Sears were great exponents of the low-budge ...
'' (1957).
In May 1957 Katzman told ''Variety'' that he felt, “A picture that makes money is a good picture —- whether it is artistically good or bad. I’m in the five and dime business and not in the Tiffany business. I make pictures for the little theatres around the country.”
He added that his movies were normally budgeted between $250,000 and $500,000. He said at Columbia he had made 110 pictures, none of which lost money, and the average gross was $1 million. He said at least 40% of the 110 pictures made were still in release.
“Every picture I make now has a selling gimmick aimed at the young audience," he said in 1957, and he made car movies, horror stories, science fiction and music. He said his pictures are the “bread and butter” pictures of the industry. “I don't get ulcers with the type of pictures I make,” he said.
In 1957 Katzman made seven films for Columbia, including non-teenage fare such as ''
Utah Blaine
''Utah Blaine'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Rory Calhoun. It was based on a novel by Louis L'Amour.
Plot
After saving a rancher from hanging, cowboy Mike "Utah" Blaine learns that his enemy Rink Witte ...
'' (1957), ''
Escape from San Quentin
'' Escape from San Quentin'' is a 1957 American film noir crime film produced by Sam Katzman, directed by Fred F. Sears, and starring Johnny Desmond and Merry Anders.
Plot
Mike Gilbert is doing time at San Quentin prison in California. His senten ...
'' (1957), ''
The Tijuana Story'' (1957) and ''
The World Was His Jury
''The World Was His Jury'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Edmond O'Brien and Mona Freeman. It was released by Columbia Pictures.
Plot
A cruise ship's captain dies and Jerry Barrett is promoted to replace him ...
'' (1957). He announced in December of that year he would double this amount over the following twelve months.
Katzman's later films at Columbia included such teen melodramas as ''
Going Steady
Going steady is a romantic relationship in which both partners commit to date only each other. Growing in prevalence in the United States after World War II, going steady became the mainstream dating pattern in high schools and colleges in the 1950 ...
'' (1958) and ''
Life Begins at 17
''Life Begins at 17'' is a 1958 American drama film starring Dorothy Johnson, Mark Damon, Edd Byrnes and Luana Anders.
Plot
Carol Peck, a 17-year-old from Indiana, has an older sister, Elaine, who is a beauty queen. Carol wins a local pageant, t ...
'' (1958);''
Crash Landing
An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...
'' (1958), a disaster film based on
Pan Am Flight 6
Pan Am Flight 6 (registration N90943, and sometimes erroneously called Flight 943) was a round-the-world airline flight that ditched in the Pacific Ocean on October 16, 1956, after two of its four engines failed. Flight 6 left Philadelphia on Oct ...
; a pair of war films starring
Van Johnson
Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II.
Johnson was described as the embodiment o ...
shot in Europe, ''
The Last Blitzkrieg'' (1959) and ''
The Enemy General
''The Enemy General'' is a 1960 American drama war film directed by George Sherman and starring Van Johnson.
The film was shot on location in Europe.
Plot
The setting is World War II. An Office of Strategic Services agent, working with the French ...
'' (1960); and a drama about trapeze artists, ''
The Flying Fontaines
''The Flying Fontaines'' is a 1959 American film about trapeze artists. It stars Michael Callan.
Plot
Cast
*Michael Callan as Rick Rias
*Evy Norlund as Suzanne Fontaine
* Joan Evans as Jan Fontaine
*Rian Garrick as Bill Rand
*Joe De Santis as ...
'' (1959).
Later career
20th Century Fox
Katzman signed a deal with
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 ...
starting with ''
The Wizard of Baghdad
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1960), an "Eastern" with
Dick Shawn
Dick Shawn (born Richard Schulefand, December 1, 1923 – April 17, 1987) was an American actor and comedian. He played a wide variety of supporting roles and was a prolific character actor. During the 1960s, he played small roles in madcap come ...
. He did this under a verbal agreement with
Buddy Adler
E. Maurice "Buddy" Adler (June 22, 1906 – July 12, 1960) was an American film producer and production head for 20th Century Fox studios.
In 1954, his production of ''From Here to Eternity'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture and in 1956, hi ...
then in September 1960 Robert Goldstein signed him to a three-picture contract. These were to be ''Gentlemen Pirates'' written by Mel Levy, a film about Mississippi gamblers written by Jesse Lasky Jr. and Pat Silver, and ''Cypress Gardens'' by Lou Morheim. He said at the time that Hollywood was making too many blockbusters and "the motion picture business must deal in a saleable product of entertainment at a price the public can afford and not price itself out. of the market.”
He wound up making only one more film at Fox, ''
Pirates of Tortuga
''Pirates of Tortuga'' is a 1961 DeLuxe Color American swashbuckler film which invented an alternate history for the actual Welsh privateer Henry Morgan. It was released in October 1961 in the United States in CinemaScope.
Plot
In the 17th centu ...
'' (1961), a swashbuckler similar to many of the films he made at Columbia.
He returned to Columbia to make ''
The Wild Westerners
''The Wild Westerners'' is a 1962 American Western film directed by Oscar Rudolph and starring James Philbrook, Nancy Kovack, Duane Eddy and Guy Mitchell.WILD WESTERNERS, The
Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 29, Iss. 336, (Jan 1, 1962): 158.
...
'' (1962), a Western, as well as two "twist" movies starring
Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighte ...
, ''
Twist Around the Clock
''Twist Around the Clock'' is an American musical film released in 1961. It was a remake of Sam Katzman and Robert E. Kent's ''Rock Around the Clock (film), Rock Around the Clock.'' Like ''Rock Around the Clock,'' which was followed by a sequel ...
'' (1961) and ''
Don't Knock the Twist
''Don't Knock the Twist'' is a 1962 comedy musical film starring Lang Jeffries, directed by Oscar Rudolph and produced by Sam Katzman for release by Columbia Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1961 film ''Twist Around the Clock'', featuring m ...
'' (1962). These were scene-for-scene remakes of Katzman's Bill Haley musicals, with almost identical scripts. Katzman said, "''Twist Around the Clock'' only cost $250,000 to make, but in less than six months it grossed six million, so of course I'm gonna make more 'Twist' movies!"
MGM
Katzman accepted an offer to move his operation to MGM in 1963. He started with a low budget musical ''
Hootenanny Hoot
''Hootenanny Hoot'' is a 1963 folk music musical film directed by Gene Nelson. It stars Peter Breck and Ruta Lee.
Plot
A TV director, having split up with his producer-wife, decides to telecast a traveling hootenanny show.
Cast
*Peter Breck as ...
'' (1963), which led to several more musicals: ''
Get Yourself a College Girl
''Get Yourself a College Girl'', also released as ''The Swingin' Set'', is a 1964 Metrocolor film comedy in the style of a beach party movie. The plot involves a college co-ed who tries to balance her time writing songs and dealing with her pub ...
'' (1964) and ''
When the Boys Meet the Girls
''When the Boys Meet the Girls'' is a 1965 American musical film directed by Alvin Ganzer and starring Connie Francis and Harve Presnell based on the musical ''Girl Crazy'' and a remake of MGM's 1943 film ''Girl Crazy''.
Plot
A playboy (Harve ...
'' (1965) (a remake of ''
Girl Crazy
''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in song, ...
''). MGM also financed three of Katzman's best known movies: two films starring
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, ''
Kissin' Cousins
''Kissin' Cousins'' (stylized onscreen as ''KISƧIN' COUSINS'') is a 1964 American musical Panavision Metrocolor comedy film directed by Gene Nelson and starring Elvis Presley. Written by Gerald Drayson Adams and Gene Nelson, the film featured P ...
'' (1964) and ''
Harum Scarum'' (1965), as well as ''
Your Cheatin' Heart
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952. It is regarded as one of country's most important standards. Williams was inspired to write the song while driving with his fiancé ...
'' (1964), a biopic of
Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
starring George Hamilton. Hamilton later wrote in his memoirs that "Jungle Sam cracked the whip, whacked the cane and the whole film was in the can right on time. But he gave me free rein creatively and our director... brought in something memorable, and even Sam knew it."
In December 1964 Katzman announced he would make five films that year for MGM in his third year at the studio.
Katzman made the
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat, rock and pop group formed in 1964 in Manchester, originally called Herman and His Hermits and featuring lead singer Peter Noone. Produced by Mickie Most, the Hermits charted with number ones in the UK a ...
film ''
Hold On!'' (1966) and singer
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
's only film, ''
The Fastest Guitar Alive
''The Fastest Guitar Alive'' is a 1967 American musical comedy Western film, directed by Michael D. Moore with singer Roy Orbison in his only starring role as an actor.
The film features Orbison performing seven original songs, which appeared o ...
''.
In 1967 he signed a new contract with MGM to make at least two films a year. These were ''
Hot Rods to Hell
''Hot Rods to Hell'' is a 1967 American suspense film, the last by director John Brahm. The film was based on a 1956 '' Saturday Evening Post'' story by Alex Gaby, "52 Miles to Terror",p. 170 Goble, Alan ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources ...
'' (1967), the last film for
John Brahm
John Brahm (August 17, 1893 – October 12, 1982) was a German film and television director. His films include ''The Undying Monster'' (1942), '' The Lodger'' (1944), ''Hangover Square'' (1945), ''The Locket'' (1946), ''The Brasher Doubloon'' (19 ...
, and ''
Riot on Sunset Strip
''Riot on Sunset Strip'' is a 1967 counterculture-era exploitation movie, released by American International Pictures. It was filmed and released within four months of the late-1966 Sunset Strip curfew riots.
The film stars Frank Alesia, Aldo Ra ...
'' (1967). Katzman wound up selling the latter to AIP for release.
[Mark McGee, ''Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures'', McFarland, 1996 p263]
His last films for MGM were ''
A Time to Sing'' (1967) with
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...
and ''
The Young Runaways'' (1968).
Return to Columbia
In 1967 Columbia Pictures wanted two quick, topical films about love-ins and singles-only apartments. Sam Katzman got the call and recruited his 1940s cronies, Arthur Dreifuss and writer
Hal Collins
Harold L. Collins (September 26, 1926 – May 27, 2016) was an American football coach. He was the head football coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas
Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 c ...
, to make ''The Love-Ins'' and ''For Singles Only'' (both 1967)
Final Movies
Katzman's final films were produced by his son Jerry. These included ''
Angel, Angel, Down We Go
''Angel, Angel, Down We Go'', also known as ''Cult of the Damned'', is a 1969 American film directed by playwright and screenwriter Robert Thom, his sole directorial credit. Thom based his screenplay on an unproduced stage play of the same title ...
'' (1969) for AIP, ''
How to Succeed with Sex
''How to Succeed with Sex'' is an American sex comedy film written and directed by Bert I. Gordon.,HOW TO SUCCEED WITH SEX
Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 38, Iss. 444, (Jan 1, 1971): 182. released on October 30, 1972.
Plot
A man, who is havi ...
'' (1970) and ''
The Loners'' (1972) for Fanfare Productions.
Personal life
He was the uncle of television producer
Leonard Katzman
Leonard Katzman (September 2, 1927 – September 5, 1996) was an American film and television producer, writer and director. He was most notable for being the showrunner of the CBS oil soap opera ''Dallas''.
Early life and career
Leonard Katzma ...
, and, in turn, the great-great-uncle of Ethan Klein of the Israeli-American
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
comedy channel
h3h3Productions
h3h3Productions is a YouTube channel hosted by Ethan Klein and Hila Klein, an Israeli-American husband-and-wife duo. The majority of their content consists of reaction videos and sketch comedy in which they satirize internet culture. The ''H3 ...
.
He was married to Hortense Katzman. They married on the set of the film ''The Diplomats'' in 1928. She sued for divorce in 1955, but the two reconciled.
Sam Katzman died on August 4, 1973, in Hollywood. He is interred in the
Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
The Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is a Jewish cemetery located at 6001 West Centinela Avenue, in Culver City, California. Many Jews from the entertainment industry are buried here. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (design ...
in
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
.
Selected filmography
As producer unless otherwise mentioned.
Unmade films
*film version of ''
Terry and the Pirates
''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, ...
'' after buying film rights from
Douglas Fairbanks Jnr (1951)
*sequel to the 1943 serial ''
The Phantom
''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The charact ...
'' (1955) – when Katzman discovered Columbia no longer had the screen rights to the character, he reshot parts of the finished film and retitled it ''
The Adventures of Captain Africa
''The Adventures of Captain Africa'' is a 1955 adventure serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring John Hart.
Plot
Trapper Nat Coleman and government agent Ted Arnold come upon a plot to take over an African nation. Its leader ...
''
*a follow-up to his earlier films starring
Bill Haley
William John Clifton Haley (; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-sel ...
and
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...
, ''
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...
'' and ''
Don't Knock the Rock
''Don't Knock the Rock'' is a 1956 American musical film starring Alan Dale and Alan Freed. Directed by Fred F. Sears, the film also features performances by Bill Haley & His Comets, Little Richard, The Treniers, and Dave Appell and the App ...
'' (1958). Originally scheduled for production in the fall of 1957, this was later pushed back to 1958 due to Katzman reportedly disliking the script. Production was ultimately cancelled.
*biopic of
Pretty Boy Floyd
Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...
(1959) – stopped by a lawsuit from
Kroger Babb
Howard W. "Kroger" Babb (December 30, 1906 – January 28, 1980) was an American film producer and showman. His marketing techniques were similar to a travelling salesman's, with roots in the medicine show tradition. Self-described as "America's ...
*''Lucky'' based on story by Lillie Hayward (1959)
*''Don Quixote, USA'' starring
Robert Morse
Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor, who starred in ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', both the 1961 original Broadway production, for which he won a Tony Award, and its 1967 film adaptati ...
(1967)
Bibliography
*
Wheeler Winston Dixon
Wheeler Winston Dixon (born March 12, 1950) is an American filmmaker and scholar. He is an expert on film history, theory and criticism.Bill Goodykoontz, December 23, 2012, USA TodayDefining Tarantino Accessed Aug. 25, 2013, Quote = "...long, invo ...
. ''Lost in the Fifties: Recovering Phantom Hollywood''. Southern Illinois University Press, 2005.
References
External links
*
*
* ''Meet Jungle Sam'' ''Life'' magazine https://books.google.com/books?id=IUIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79&dq=sam+katzman+%2B+3-d#v=onepage&q=sam%20katzman%20%2B%203-d&f=false
* Jungle Sam in ''Time'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katzman, Leonard
1901 births
1973 deaths
Film producers from New York (state)
20th-century American Jews
Film serial crew
Film directors from New York City
20th-century American businesspeople
Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
American people of Moldovan-Jewish descent