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Edward J. Danziger (1909–1999) and Harry Lee Danziger (1913–2005) were American-born brothers who produced many British films and TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s. According to one profile "throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, their second features and TV series seemed to be on screens everywhere, their pervasive presence forming a part of virtually every British filmgoer's and television viewer's experience during those years."


Career

Edward and Harry Danziger were native New Yorkers. Edward studied law and had worked on the
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while brother Harry had a musical background. They operated a sound studio in New York that specialised in the dubbing of foreign films for US release. Their first feature film as producers was '' Jigsaw'' (1949). In 1952, they moved to Britain and began making television films, using resources at various facilities including London's
Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the north bank of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having opened in May 1976, th ...
,
Shepperton Shepperton is a village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Spelthorne district, in north Surrey, England, around south west of central London. The settlement is on the north bank of the River Thames, between the towns of Chertsey and Sunbury-on-Tha ...
,
Borehamwood Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 36,322, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly know ...
and Nettlefold. Among their first productions was the series ''
Adventure Theater ''Adventure Theater'' is a dramatic anthology series that aired on NBC from June 16, 1956, through September 1, 1956. The series was produced in England in 1953, but was never broadcast there as a series. It was also known as ''Calling Scotlan ...
'' (aka, ''Calling Scotland Yard'') which were shown on American television in 1956. Several episodes were compiled as supporting featurettes and released theatrically in the UK during 1954. The screenwriter
Brian Clemens Brian Horace Clemens (30 July 1931 – 10 January 2015) was an English screenwriter and television producer. He worked on the British TV series '' The Avengers'' and created '' The New Avengers'' and '' The Professionals''. Early life Clemen ...
worked for the Danzigers. He recalled that the Danzigers would shoot at a variety of British studios and order their writers to concoct a screenplay to use the standing sets. He stated they shot television episodes in two and a half to three days and shot a feature film in eight to ten days with a budget of £17,000. In 1956, the Danzigers decided to form their own studio base and founded the
New Elstree Studios New Elstree Studios was a British film studio complex that was the main production centre for the Danziger Brothers from 1956 to 1962, and was one of several sites collectively known as "Elstree Studios". 60 B-movies and 350 half-hour TV episodes ...
in Hertfordshire. They converted a former wartime aero-engine testing factory into a studio with six sound stages and exterior shooting facilities. They later acquired control of the Gordon Hotels Group and moved into the hotel business. They also owned the Shipman and King Cinema group. New Elstree Studios were sold in October 1965. Their niece is former judge
Leslie Crocker Snyder Leslie Crocker Snyder (born 1942) is an American lawyer and former judge, most notable for her work writing and instituting the original rape shield laws in the state of New York. A pioneer in her field, she was the first women to try a homicid ...
.


Critical assessments

The British film historians Steve Chibnall and
Brian McFarlane Brian McFarlane is a Canadian television sportscaster and author. He is best known as a broadcaster on Hockey Night In Canada and as an author of hockey books. He is also the honorary president of the Society for International Hockey Researc ...
wrote: "The Danzigers were not in the business for art; they were in the business for business; and within those unpretentious parameters they ran an efficient studio from 1956 to 1962."Steve Chibnall &
Brian McFarlane Brian McFarlane is a Canadian television sportscaster and author. He is best known as a broadcaster on Hockey Night In Canada and as an author of hockey books. He is also the honorary president of the Society for International Hockey Researc ...
, ''The British 'B' Film'', Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, p. 92.


Select credits

*'' Jigsaw'' (1949) *''
So Young, So Bad ''So Young, So Bad'' is a 1950 American drama film.Overview for So Young, So Bad (1950)
'' (1950) *''
St. Benny the Dip ''St. Benny the Dip'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. The film is also known as ''Escape If You Can'' in the United Kingdom. Plot Benny, Monk, and Matthew are three small-time crooks trying to escape a police drag ...
'' (1951) *'' Babes in Bagdad'' (1952) *''
Devil Girl From Mars ''Devil Girl from Mars'' is a 1954 British second feature black-and-white science fiction film directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds, and Adrienne Corri. The screenplay was ...
'' (1954) *''
Star of My Night ''Star of My Night'' is a 1954 British second feature ('B') romance film directed by Paul Dickson and starring Griffith Jones, Kathleen Byron and Hugh Williams. It was written by Paul Tabori from his 1957 novel ''Le Soleil de ma Nuit.'' It c ...
'' (1954) *''The Final Twist'' (1954) – short *''The Javanese Dagger'' (1954) – short *''Present for a Bride'' (1954) – short *"
Diamond Expert Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of electricity, and insol ...
" (1954) – from the TV series ''
The Vise ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' *" One Just Man" (1954) – from the TV series ''The Vise'' *" The Yellow Robe" (1954) – from the TV series ''The Vise'' *''
Tale of Three Women ''Adventure Theater'' is a dramatic anthology series that aired on NBC from June 16, 1956, through September 1, 1956. The series was produced in England in 1953, but was never broadcast there as a series. It was also known as ''Calling Scotlan ...
'' (1954) *''
Alias John Preston ''Alias John Preston'' is a 1955 British second feature ('B') thriller film directed by David MacDonald and starring Betta St. John, Alexander Knox and Christopher Lee. It was written by Paul Tabori, and produced by The Danzigers. Plot ...
'' (1955) *''
Count of Twelve Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...
'' (1955) *'' Yellow Rose'' (1955) *''
Three Cornered Fate 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...
'' (1955) *''
Man in Demand A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the father ...
'' (1955) *''
Final Column Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
'' (1955) *''
Triple Blackmail Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * In ...
'' (1955) *'' Schemer'' (1956) *''
Fun at the Movies Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment". Etymology and usage The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining media, ...
'' (1956) *''
Satellite in the Sky ''Satellite in the Sky'' is a 1956 British CinemaScope science fiction film in Warner Color, produced by Edward J. Danziger and Harry Lee Danziger, directed by Paul Dickson, and starring Kieron Moore (Irish actor), Kieron Moore, Lois Maxwell, Do ...
'' (1956) *''
Three Crooked Men ''Three Crooked Men'' is a 1958 British 'B' crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Gordon Jackson and Warren Mitchell. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard. Plot Three crooks break into a shop, planning to gain acce ...
'' (1957) *''
The Betrayal "The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld''. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. In this episode, Jerry betrays George by having sex with his girlfriend Nina, right ...
'' (1957) *''
The Depraved The Depraved may refer to: * ''Adélaïde'' (film), also known as ''The Depraved'', a 1968 French drama film * ''The Depraved'' (1957 film), a British crime film * ''The Depraved'' aka ''Urban Explorer Urban exploration (often shortened as ...
'' (1957) *''
Operation Murder ''Operation Murder'' is a 1957 British 'B' crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Tom Conway, Patrick Holt and Sandra Dorne. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by the Danzinger brothers. Plot A scheme by two doctors to ...
'' (1957) *'' Son of a Stranger'' (1957) *''
Three Sundays to Live ''Three Sundays to Live'' is a low budget 1957 second feature ('B')} film noir British film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Kieron Moore and Jane Griffiths. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. The title ref ...
'' (1957) *''
High Jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
'' (1958) *''
Innocent Meeting ''Innocent Meeting'' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Sean Lynch, Beth Rogan and Raymond Huntley. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. Plot A teenager on probation for theft b ...
'' (1958) *''
Links of Justice ''Links of Justice'' is a 1958 British second feature ('B') film directed by Max Varnel and starring Jack Watling and Sarah Lawson. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. Plot Edgar Mills and his mistress Stella, a fa ...
'' (1958) *''
Moment of Indiscretion ''Moment of Indiscretion'' is a low budget 1958 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Max Varnel and starring Ronald Howard and Lana Morris. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers. Plot Ja ...
'' (1958) *''
No Safety Ahead ''No Safety Ahead'' is a 1959 British film directed by Max Varnel and starring James Kenney and Susan Beaumont. It was written By Robert Hirst and produced by The Danzigers. Plot Clem is a hard-up office clerk who unwillingly joins a gang pl ...
'' (1958) *'' On the Run'' (1958) *''
A Woman of Mystery ''A Woman of Mystery'' is a 1958 British crime film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Dermot Walsh, Hazel Court, and Ferdy Mayne. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers. The film features an early ...
'' (1958) *''
The Great Van Robbery ''The Great Van Robbery'' is a 1959 black-and-white British crime film starring Denis Shaw and Kay Callard, directed by Max Varnel. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers. Plot Scotland Yard teams up w ...
'' (1958) *'' A Woman Possessed'' (1958) *''
The Child and the Killer ''The Child and the Killer'' (also known as ''The Man in the Shadows'') is a 1959 British low budget second feature crime film directed by Max Varnel and starring Patricia Driscoll and Robert Arden. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Ho ...
'' (1959) *'' Crash Drive'' (1959) *'' Date at Midnight'' (1959) *''
Man Accused ''Man Accused'' is a 1959 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Mongomery Tully and starring Ronald Howard and Carol Marsh. The screenplay was by Mark Grantham. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by The Danzigers. P ...
'' (1959) *''
Top Floor Girl ''Top Floor Girl'' is a 1959 British drama film directed by Max Varnel and starring Kay Callard, Neil Hallett and Robert Raikes. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers. Plot Connie is a ruthlessly amb ...
'' (1959) *'' Web of Suspicion'' (1959) *'' Date at Midnight'' (1959) *'' Woman's Temptation'' (1959) *''
Compelled ''Compelled'' is a 1960 British second feature ('B') neo noir black and white crime film directed by Ramsey Herrington and starring Ronald Howard and Beth Rogan. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by the Danziger Brothers. Plot Ex ...
'' (1960) *''
Escort for Hire ''Escort for Hire'' is a low budget 'B' 1960 British thriller film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring June Thorburn, Pete Murray, Noel Trevarthen, Jan Holden and Peter Butterworth. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by the D ...
'' (1960) *''
Feet of Clay Feet of clay is an idiom that refers to a weakness or character flaw, especially in people of prominence and power. It can also be used to refer to larger groups, such as societies, businesses, and empires. An entity with feet of clay may appea ...
'' (1960) *''
Highway to Battle ''Highway to Battle'' is a 1961 British second feature ('B') thriller film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Gerard Heinz and Margaret Tyzack. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers. Plot Before the S ...
'' (1960) *''
An Honourable Murder ''An Honourable Murder'' is a 1960 British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Norman Wooland, Margaretta Scott and Lisa Daniely. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzi ...
'' (1960) *'' Identity Unknown'' (1960) *''
Night Train for Inverness ''Night Train for Inverness'' (also known as ''Night Train to Inverness'') is a 1960 black and white British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Norman Wooland, Jane Hylton and Dennis Waterman. It was writte ...
'' (1960) *''
Operation Stogie ''Operation Stogie'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Ernest Morris and starring John Hewer, Anton Rogers and Susan Stephen. It was written by M.M. McCormack and produced by The Danzigers. Cast * John Hewer as Ted * Anton Rogers ...
'' (1960) *'' Sentenced for Life'' (1960) *'' The Spider's Web'' (1960) *'' A Taste of Money'' (1960) *''
The Tell-Tale Heart "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is told by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of the narrator's sanity while simultaneously describing a murder the nar ...
'' (1960) *''
Transatlantic Transatlantic, Trans-Atlantic or TransAtlantic may refer to: Film * Transatlantic Pictures, a film production company from 1948 to 1950 * Transatlantic Enterprises, an American production company in the late 1970s * ''Transatlantic'' (1931 film) ...
'' (1960) *''
Two Wives at One Wedding ''Two Wives One Wedding'' is a low budget 1961 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Gordon Jackson, Christina Gregg, and Lisa Daniely. It was written by Brian Clemens and Eldon Howard and produced by The Danzigers. Plo ...
'' (1960) *''
The Gentle Terror ''The Gentle Terror'' is a 1961 British second feature ('B') thriller film directed by Frank Marshall and starring Terence Alexander and Angela Douglas. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by The Danzigers. Plot A mild mannered book ...
'' (1961) *''
Strip Tease Murder ''Strip Tease Murder'' (also known as ''Striptease Murder'') is a low budget 1961 British second feature film thriller directed by Ernest Morris and starring John Hewer and Ann Lynn. It was written by Paul Tabori and produced by The Danzige ...
'' (1961) *''
The Nudist Story ''The Nudist Story'' (U.S. title: ''Pussycat's Paradise;'' also known as ''Five Acres'' and ''For Members Only'') is a 1960 British second feature ('B') film directed by Ramsey Herrington and starring Shelley Martin and Brian Cobby. It was writt ...
'' (1961) aka ''For Members Only'' *''
The Court Martial of Major Keller ''The Court Martial of Major Keller'' is a 1961 British second feature ('B') film directed by Ernest Morris and written by Brian Clemens. It stars Laurence Payne, Susan Stephen and Austin Trevor. The film recounts the court martial for murder ...
'' (1961) *''
Fate Takes a Hand ''Fate Takes a Hand'' is a 1961 British anthology drama film directed by Max Varnel and starring Ronald Howard and Christina Gregg. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. Plot The recovery of a post bag stolen in a ro ...
'' (1961) *''
Middle Course ''The Middle Course'' is a 1961 British low budget second feature ('B') war film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Vincent Ball, Lisa Daniely and Peter Illing. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. Plot During ...
'' (1961) *'' Part-Time Wife'' (1961) *'' Return of a Stranger'' (1961) *''
So Evil, So Young ''So Evil, So Young'' is a 1961 British Technicolor reform school prison film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Jill Ireland and Ellen Pollock. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by The Danzigers. Synopsis Lucy and Claire ...
'' (1961) *'' Tarnished Heroes'' (1961) *''
The Spanish Sword ''The Spanish Sword'' is a low budget 1962 British second feature ('B') adventure film directed by Ernest Morris and starring Ronald Howard, June Thorburn and Nigel Green. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. A ...
'' (1961) *''
The Silent Invasion ''The Silent Invasion'' is a 1962 British second feature ('B') film directed by Max Varnel and starring Eric Flynn and Petra Davies. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers. Plot During WW II, a German garrison is stati ...
'' (1962) *'' What Every Woman Wants'' (1962) *''
She Always Gets Their Man ''She Always Gets Their Man'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Sally Smith and William Fox. It was written by Mark Grantham and produced by The Danzingers. Plot The ladies of the Kensington Residential Clu ...
'' (1962)


TV series

*'' Calling Scotland Yard'' (1952) - two compilation features (each consisting of three episodes) were released to UK cinemas as ''
Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder ''Adventure Theater'' is a dramatic anthology series that aired on NBC from June 16, 1956, through September 1, 1956. The series was produced in England in 1953, but was never broadcast there as a series. It was also known as ''Calling Scotlan ...
'' (1953) and '' A Tale of Three Women'' (1954) * ''
The Vise ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (1954) * '' The Vise: Mark Saber'' / ''Saber of London'' (1955–1960) *''
The Man from Interpol ''Man from Interpol'' is a 1960 TV series produced by The Danzigers. The NBC series was filmed in England and the music was scored by jazz musician Tony Crombie. Premise Anthony Smith, an agent based at Britain's Interpol Division at Scotl ...
'' (1960) *'' The Cheaters'' (1960) *''
Richard the Lionheart Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...
'' (1960)


References


External links


The Danzingers
at
BFI Screenonline Screenonline is a website about the history of British film, television and social history as documented by film and television. The project has been developed by the British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and tele ...

The Danzingers
at Movie Gems Films * *

at CTVA
Edward J. Danziger
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Harry Lee Danziger
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danzigers, The 1909 births 1913 births 1999 deaths 2005 deaths Film producers from New York City Television producers from New York City British film producers British television producers American emigrants to England American people of Jewish descent British people of American-Jewish descent