Warwick Films

Warwick Films was the name of a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London.[1] Their films were released throughout the world by Columbia Pictures.

Contents

History and Productions

The reason for the creation of Warwick Films was a successful combination of several economic factors in the 1950s.

Broccoli was a former agent who knew that Alan Ladd had left Paramount Pictures over monetary disputes. Ladd and Sue Carol, his agent and wife agreed to a three picture contract with Warwick films on condition that Ladd's personal screenwriter Richard Maibaum co-write the films.[5] Their first film based on a best selling book was The Red Beret (1953) that was titled Paratrooper in the USA. Based on Operation Biting and economically filmed with Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) extras (actors) at their installations in England and Wales, the film cost US$700,000 to make and grossed US$8 million worldwide[6] leading to more Warwick films.

Warwick made their first Cinemascope film Jose Ferrer's The Cockleshell Heroes a story of the Royal Marines based on Operation Frankton filmed at RM establishments and in Portugal in 1955.

In 1956 Warwick negoitated producing nine films in three years for a cost of 6 Million Pounds for Columbia Pictures. Warwick also arranged the shooting of several 30 minute films for television that would advertise Warwick's cinema releases.[7] At the end of 1956 it was announced they would make 13 films for a total of $18 million.[8]

Warwick later took advantage of an Empire development scheme that provided British grants to producers who filmed on location in British Commonwealth nations. The company filmed in Kenya (Safari and Odongo (1956) were scripted and cast in five weeks in order to shoot them back to back on location[9] ), Trinidad and Tobago (Fire Down Below (1957 film)), and India (Zarak (1956)). Warwick also filmed in non Commonwealth nations such as Portugal and Morocco that had suitable climates for outdoor filming and low costs.

Despite the worldwide success of their films, Warwick had to limit the cost of their films to US$1.5 million as their Fire Down Below failed due to it costing $2.5 million.[10] The high cost of the film plagued by problems with its mercurial star Rita Hayworth led to a temporary strain in their relationship with Columbia Pictures.[11]

At the end of 1957 Warwick ended their arrangement with Columbia.[12]

It was announced Ladd would make three more films for the company, but he did not appear in another Warwick Film. Two of the movies were made with other actors, The Man Inside and Killers of Kilimanjaro.[13]

Philosphy

"If somebody sends me a literate script do you know what I do with it? I throw it in the waste paper basket, that's what I do with it. I make films to appeal to the lowest common denominator. That's why I'm still in business while the other arty-farty boys are not. I just want to make pictures to make money. That is a rat race and you can't afford to be a rat in a rat race... If I'm not tough I'm going to have my brains eaten out. The art of surviving in this business is never to let on whether you've got fifty million bucks or fifty cents... I wouldn't see my own films. I've got more taste than that. Does Barbara Hutton by her jewelry at Woolworths." - Irwin Allen, April 26 1959[14]

Warwick's people

The director of the initial Warwick Film was Terence Young who not only directed several more films for the company but acted as an uncredited story editor for Warwick. The Red Beret also used Ted Moore as a camera operator and Bob Simmons as a stuntman who both would work on more Warwick productions as cinematographer and stunt arranger.

Mark Robson directed several films for Warwick. John Gilling wrote and directed several Warwick films as did Ken Hughes.

As a condition of doing his final film The Black Knight with Warwick, Alan Ladd insisted on Warwick employing his friend Euan Lloyd [15] who worked as a publicity agent for the company and directed the 1954 short April in Portugal. Later, Warwick used Victor Mature, Bonar Colleano, Anne Aubrey and Anthony Newley in several films.

Other British film technicians getting their start at Warwick were future art director Syd Cain, story editor Peter Barnes and sound editor Alan Bell.

The end of Warwick

Towards the end of 1959 Warwick announced they were reducing production to one film a year. "In five years costs have doubled and earnings have halved," said Allen at the time. "When those two graphs meet you're out of business"[16] Warwick sold its office business in central London, disposed of technical equipment and terminated staff contracts.

Allen and Broccoli also had a disagreement about filming the James Bond series that Allen thought was beneath him. Broccoli was prevented from meeting Ian Fleming's representatives due to his wife's serious illness with Allen meeting them and insulting the Bond properties.[17]

After filming many successful action films, Warwick failed at the box office with the critically acclaimed The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960). After several disagreements with Columbia Pictures, Warwick attempted to become independent distributors by taking over Eros Films an established British film distributor that distributed that film as well as Johnny Nobody.[18]

Allen and Broccoli went their separate ways with Broccoli forming Eon Productions with Harry Saltzman to film the Bond series using many of the same crew from The Red Beret.

Films

Unmade Films

Projects announced by Warwick but subsequently not made include:

References

  1. ^ Broccoli, Albert R. & Zec, Donald When the Snow Melts Boxtree 1998
  2. ^ 309 F.2d 51
  3. ^ ibid
  4. ^ Walker, Alexander Hollywood U.K.: The British Film Industry in the Sixties Stein and Day Publishers 1974
  5. ^ ibid
  6. ^ p.55 Chapman, James Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films Columbia University Press 2001
  7. ^ p. 129 Harper, Sue and Porter, Vincent British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference Oxford University Press 2003
  8. ^ '13 Productions on Schedule of Warwick Films', Los Angeles Times 12 Dec 1956: C10
  9. ^ p. 129 Harper, Sue and Porter, Vincent British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference Oxford University Press 2003
  10. ^ p.129 Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent British Cinéma of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference 2002 Oxford University Press
  11. ^ Euan Lloyd Interview Cinema Retro Magazine
  12. ^ Thomas Pryor, 'DISNEY IS SALUTED BY THE PRESIDENT', New York Times 19 Feb 1957: 35
  13. ^ Edwin Schallert, 'Alan Ladd Gets Huge England Deal; Hunting Film Stars Prime Trio', Los Angeles Times 16 Sep 1957: C11
  14. ^ STEPHEN W. "Noted on the British Movie Scene." New York Times Apr 26 1959: X7
  15. ^ Cinema Retro #1 Euan Lloyd Interview
  16. ^ STEPHEN W. "Activities on Britain's Varied Film Fronts." New York Times Dec 01 1957: 165
  17. ^ Broccoli, Albert R. & Zec, Donald When the Snow Melts Boxtree 1998
  18. ^ Harper & Porter Ibid
  19. ^ James McCarthy, 'Sir Anthony had little to celebrate last week', Pictorial 14 Apr 1956: 3
  20. ^ STEPHEN W. "Film Activities Along the Thames." New York Times Apr 22 1956: 115
  21. ^ 'This Is the West?', Los Angeles Times, 08 Sep 1960: C9
  22. ^ Edwin Schallert, 'Alan Ladd Gets Huge England Deal; Hunting Film Stars Prime Trio', Los Angeles Times 16 Sep 1957: C11
  23. ^ '13 Productions on Schedule of Warwick Films', Los Angeles Times 12 Dec 1956: C10
  24. ^ '13 Productions on Schedule of Warwick Films', Los Angeles Times 12 Dec 1956: C10

External links