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Avon Productions
Avon Productions was an American film production company formed by producers Lawrence Weingarten and Pandro Berman. Both men worked at MGM as in house producers. They resigned from MGM in early 1957 to establish Avon Productions, which drew on finance from MGM and would distribute through that studio. Both Berman and Weingarten would work on Avon productions but only one would take credit as producer. Weingarten said "after all these years we felt that it was time we shared in the profits of the pictures we made." The company made some hugely popular films including ''Jailhouse Rock'', ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' and ''BUtterfield 8''. This company wound up in August 1961. Some films announced for the company would be done by other companies (''Sweet Bird of Youth'') or made as TV series ('' The Travels of Jamie McPheeters''). Some were never made (e.g. ''Strike Heaven in the Face'', ''Recollection Creek'', ''No Blade of Grass''.) Filmography *'' Don't Go Near the Water'' (November 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lawrence Weingarten
Lawrence Weingarten (December 30, 1897 – February 5, 1975) was an American film producer. He was best known for working for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and producing some of the studio's most prestigious films such as '' Adam's Rib'' (1949), ''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (1955) and ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (1958). During his career, Weingarten was nominated for an Academy Award in 1959 and was given the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1974, which was presented by Katharine Hepburn in her first and only appearance at the Oscars ceremony to present the award to her long time friend Weingarten. Whenever she won an Oscar, she always had either the presenter or another person associated with her film accept it on her behalf. Upon taking the stage, she received a standing ovation, to which she replied ''"I'm living proof that a person can wait forty-one years to be unselfish"'', a reference to her first Oscar win in 1933. Early life and career Weingarten was born in Chicago, Illinois on Dece ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pandro Berman
Pandro Samuel Berman (March 28, 1905July 13, 1996), also known as Pan Berman, was an American film producer. Early life Berman was born to a Jewish family in Pittsburgh in 1905. His father Henry was general manager of Universal Pictures during Hollywood's formative years. Career Berman was an assistant director during the 1920s under Mal St. Clair and Ralph Ince. In 1930, he was hired as a film editor at RKO Radio Pictures, then became an assistant producer. When RKO supervising producer Henry Hobart walked out during production of the ill-fated ''The Gay Diplomat'' (1931), Berman took over Hobart's responsibilities and remained in the post until 1939. When David O. Selznick became chief of production at RKO in October 1931, Berman managed to survive Selznick's firing of most of the staff. Selznick named him producer for the adaptation of Fannie Hurst's short story ''Night Bell'', a tale of a Jewish doctor's rise out of the Lower East Side ghetto to become a Park Avenue p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Travels Of Jamie McPheeters
''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' is an American Western television series based on Robert Lewis Taylor's 1958 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, and starring Kurt Russell, Dan O'Herlihy and (in the final 13 episodes) Charles Bronson. The series aired on ABC for one season, 1963–64, and was produced by MGM Television. Synopsis The series was aimed at teenaged boys and young families. It was known for the breakthrough performances of the 12-year-old Kurt Russell in the title role and Charles Bronson as Linc Murdock, the second wagon master in the last 13 episodes. Bronson began his role in the episode "The Day of the Toll Takers" (January 5, 1964). Each episode begins with the title "The Day of ..." Although it started out with an ensemble cast, by the end of the run, the cast had largely been reduced to the characters of Jaimie and Linc. The original cast included Dan O'Herlihy in the role of Jaimie's father, Sardius "Doc" McPheeters, who often yields to alc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don't Go Near The Water (film)
''Don't Go Near the Water'' is a 1957 American comedy film about a U.S. Navy public relations unit stationed on an island in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. It is an adaptation of the 1956 Don't Go Near the Water (book), novel of the same name by William Brinkley. Glenn Ford and Gia Scala star. This is the first of several service comedy, service comedies that Ford appeared in after the huge success of ''The Teahouse of the August Moon (film), The Teahouse of the August Moon''. The movie was very successful and further solidified Ford's reputation as an adept comedic actor. Plot Lieutenant (junior grade), Lieutenant (j.g.) Max Siegel and other US Navy personnel are stuck in a public relations unit far from the fighting. Lieutenant Commander Clinton T. Nash, their commanding officer and a stockbroker in civilian life, refuses to allow anyone to transfer out. Much of Siegel's time is spent showing war correspondents (like obnoxious Gordon Ripwell) and visiting Congressmen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jailhouse Rock (film)
''Jailhouse Rock'' is a 1957 American musical film, musical drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Elvis Presley. Adapted by Guy Trosper from a story written by Nedrick Young, the film tells the story of Vince Everett (Presley), a convict who learns the guitar while in prison and becomes a star following his release. Four of the film's songs were written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller including the title track, which became a highly-praised production number in the film as well as one of Presley's biggest hit singles, spending seven weeks at number one on the U.S. charts. ''Jailhouse Rock'' premiered in Memphis, Tennessee on October 17, 1957, and was released nationwide on November 8. It peaked at #3 on the ''Variety'' box-office chart and finished #14 for the year, grossing $4 million. The film initially earned mixed reviews, with much of the negative targeted at the unpleasant personality of the character played by Presley. The release was also somewhat oversha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Brothers Karamazov (1958 Film)
''The Brothers Karamazov'' is a 1958 American period drama film directed by Richard Brooks from a screenplay co-written with Julius and Philip Epstein, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1880 novel. It stars Yul Brynner, Maria Schell, Claire Bloom, Lee J. Cobb, Albert Salmi, Richard Basehart, and William Shatner in his film debut. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on February 20, 1958. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, though the performances were widely praised. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and Lee J. Cobb received an Oscar nomination performance as Fyodor Karamazov. The National Board of Review ranked ''The Brothers Karamazov'' as one of its Top 10 Films of 1958. Plot In 1870 Russia, Fyodor Karamazov, a dissipated and unscrupulous businessman, manipulates three legitimate sons, Dmitri, an army officer; Ivan, a writer; and Alexey, a monk; as well as a bastard son, Smerdyakov, who lives like a servant in Fyodor’ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Reluctant Debutante (film)
''The Reluctant Debutante'' is a 1958 American comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Pandro S. Berman from a screenplay by William Douglas-Home based on Douglas-Home's play of the same name. The music score is by Eddie Warner and the cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. The film stars Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall — who had married in 1957 after they worked together on '' The Constant Husband'' (1955) — with featured performances by John Saxon, Sandra Dee, and Angela Lansbury. The setting is London's debutante season amidst the last presentation at Court in 1958. However, because of Harrison's tax problems, the film had to be made in Paris. Harrison had learned from Kendall's doctor that she had been diagnosed with myeloid leukemia, a fact that was kept from Kendall, who believed she was suffering from an iron deficiency. The actor cared for Kendall until her death at the age of 32. She only completed one more film, '' Once More With Feeling'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (1958 Film)
''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a 1958 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Richard Brooks (who co-wrote the screenplay with James Poe) based on the 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson and Judith Anderson. Well-received by both critics and audiences, ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' was MGM's most successful release of 1958, and became 1958 in film, the third highest-grossing film of that year. Plot Late one night, a drunken Brick Pollitt is on a track field trying to recapture his glory days of high school sports by leaping hurdles, reminiscing about his moments as a youthful athlete. He breaks his ankle, leaving him dependent on a crutch. The next day, Brick and his wife Maggie ("the Cat") visit his family's plantation in the Mississippi Delta to celebrate Big Daddy's 65th birthday. Depressed, Brick has spent the last few years drink ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Gazebo
''The Gazebo'' is a 1959 American black comedy CinemaScope film about a married couple who are being blackmailed. It was based on the 1958 play of the same name by Alec Coppel and directed by George Marshall. Helen Rose was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White. It is also the last film released by MGM in the 1950s. Plot Television mystery writer and director Elliott Nash is blackmailed by Dan Shelby over nude photographs of his wife Nell, taken when she was 18 years old. Elliott does not inform Nell, the star of a Broadway musical, but works feverishly to pay off the increasing demands. Finally, Elliott decides that murder is the only way out. He obtains advice from his friend, District Attorney Harlow Edison, who thinks he is helping with a mystery plot. When a figure presumed to be the blackmailer shows up at the Nashes' suburban home to collect his latest payment, Elliott shoots him, wraps the body in bathroom shower curtains, then hid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
All The Fine Young Cannibals
''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' is a 1960 American drama film directed by Michael Anderson, starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton, and Pearl Bailey. Hamilton said that the film "combined Southern Gothic with a biopic of jazzman Chet Baker."George Hamilton & William Stadiem, ''Don't Mind If I Do'', Simon & Schuster, 2008, p 139 It was loosely based on ''The Bixby Girls'', a 1957 novel by Rosamond Marshall that was set in the World War I era. Plot Two young people in love, musician Chad Bixby (Robert Wagner) and Sarah "Salome" Davis (Natalie Wood), are forced apart despite the latter's pregnancy. They marry others, but are brought back together by chance. A downtrodden blues singer (Pearl Bailey) mothers Bixby while guiding his career. Cast * Robert Wagner as Chad Bixby *Natalie Wood as Sarah "Salome" Davis * Susan Kohner as Catherine McDowall * George Hamilton as Tony McDowall * Pearl Bailey as Ruby * Jack Mullaney as Putney Tinker * Onslow S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Key Witness (1960 Film)
''Key Witness'' is a black-and-white 1960 American neo-noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Pat Crowley, and Dennis Hopper. Plot Fred Morrow, an average Los Angeles citizen, witnesses a gang murder when he stops in a café to use a telephone. Aware that he is the only witness against them, the gang members, led by young "Cowboy" Tomkins, seek out his identity and terrorize his family and him to keep him from testifying against them. A police detective, Torno, fears he will lose his only witness, but Fred stands up to the gang, despite wife Ann's hysteria. Cowboy gives the Morrows until midnight to change their minds, while gang members Ruby, Muggles and Apple and he throw a rock through the family's window and slash their car's tires. Cowboy leads the cops on a car chase, but is caught. In court, though, Fred changes his testimony after learning Ann has been attacked by Ruby, and their child is held at gunpoint by Muggles. He later provokes Appl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BUtterfield 8
''BUtterfield 8'' is a 1960 American drama film directed by Daniel Mann, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey. Taylor won her first Academy Award for her performance in a leading role. The film was based on a 1935 novel of the same name by John O'Hara. Plot Gloria Wandrous wakes up in the apartment of wealthy executive Weston Liggett, and finds that he has left her $250. Insulted, she finds her dress was torn, and takes Liggett's wife Emily's mink coat to cover herself, scrawling "No Sale" in lipstick on the mirror. She orders her telephone answering service, BUtterfield 8, to put Liggett through if he calls. Gloria visits a childhood friend, pianist Steve Carpenter, who chastises her for wasting her life on one-night stands, but agrees to ask his girlfriend Norma to lend her a dress. Norma later tells Steve he must choose between Gloria and her. Liggett takes a train to the countryside, where his wife Emily is caring for her mother. His friend, Bingham Smi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
