First Artists

First Artists was a production company that existed from 1969-1980, formed by Barbra Streisand, Sidney Poitier, and Paul Newman. Later Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman joined the company.

The company was the brainchild of agent Freddie Fields and aimed to give its principals greater artistic control. It was a subsidiary of Warner Bros..[1] All founders agreed to make three films for the company, although Poitier ended up making four and Hoffman two.

McQueen and Hoffman found troubles in being with the company. McQueen did not like the political left leaning opinions of the company and did not like their constant turndowns of the scripts he liked and wanted to make such as The Driver (later made with Ryan O'Neal in the starring role) and First Blood, which McQueen had personally wanted to produce and make since the early 1970s.

Each actor that worked with the company would be the executive producer on the films they starred in and/or their companies would have a hand in the production.

Paul Newman - Newman/Foreman Company, Coleytown Productions, Inc. Steve McQueen - Solar Productions, Inc.

The company went public in 1972 and wound up in late 1979.[2]

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ :Looking at First Artists", Barbratimeless.com May 2008 accessed 16 April 2013
  2. ↑ Pamela Hollie, "Bollixed Box Office Bingo", Miami Herald 26 December 1979 p5 accessed 16 April 2013

External links