Lee Marcus (December 7, 1893 – January 30, 1969), also known as Lee S. Marcus, was an American film producer of the 1930s and 1940s. During his fifteen-year career he produced over 85 films, most of them between 1934 and 1941 while he was at

RKO Studios RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith ...

. Prior to his production career, Marcus worked for FBO and then RKO as a sales executive, reaching the level of vice president in both organizations. At RKO, he was head of production of the studio's

b-film A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...

s during the late 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. He was also responsible for producing what many consider to be the first

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

, 1940's ''

Stranger on the Third Floor A stranger is a person who is unknown or unfamiliar to another person or group. Because of this unknown status or unfamiliarity, a stranger may be perceived as a threat until their identity and character can be ascertained. Different classes of ...

''.

Early life

Marcus was born on December 7, 1893, in Buffalo, New York. His father was Albert L. Marcus. During World War I Marcus served with the

American Expeditionary Force The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) was a formation of the United States Armed Forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I, composed mostly of units from the United States Army, U.S. Army. The AEF was establis ...

(AEF), and in 1918 was stationed in Vitry, France.

Career

Early career

Growing up in Buffalo, Marcus was an avid theater-goer, attending the performances of many stock theater companies who passed through the city. Early in his career, he worked for various film distributors. In 1921, he represented W.A.S. Douglas who directed a film for Jawitz Pictures, entitled ''Watered Stock'' (later retitled ''Beware of the Law''), in the sale of its domestic and international rights. By the beginning of 1924 he was working for

Film Booking Offices of America Film Booking Offices of America (FBO), registered as FBO Pictures Corp., was an American film studio of the Silent film, silent era, a midsize producer and distributor of mostly low-budget films. The business began in 1918 as Robertson-Cole, an ...

(FBO). In July 1925 it was announced that he would be the head of sales at FBO, following the death of Harry Berman. In December 1925 Marcus penned an article for ''

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informati ...

'' extolling the virtues of film shorts, and warning exhibitors against the dangers of overlooking the use of shorts. In 1927 Marcus was one of three film industry executives who formed a committee to produce a trailer meant to show the industry in a good light. The other members of the committee were

Al Lichtman Alexander Lichtman (April 9, 1888 – February 20, 1958) was a film salesman, occasionally working as a film producer. He was president of United Artists in 1935. He proposed the process of block booking to Adolph Zukor, which became industry sta ...

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

and Edmund Grainger of

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

. Also in 1927, Marcus continued his championing of the film short. In June he announced a list of well-known writers who would be responsible for penning the shorts for FBO. The list included cartoonists Bill Nolan and

Fontaine Fox Fontaine Talbot Fox Jr. (June 4, 1884 – August 9, 1964) was an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for writing and illustrating his ''Toonerville Folks'' comic panel, which ran from 1913 to 1955 in 250 to 300 newspapers across North ...

, and short story writer

H. C. Witwer Harry Charles Witwer (March 11, 1890 – August 9, 1929), more commonly known as H. C. Witwer, was an American short-story author. Some 60 comedy film shorts were based on his works, most from the mid-1920s to 1930, the year after Witwer's deat ...

. Marcus began reorganizing the sales management and districts within FBO in September 1927. First he promoted his future partner, Charles Rosenzweig, to head the district overseeing FBO's New York State district, and then completely reorganized the mid-west districts. In February 1928 FBO planned a jubilee in honor of the second anniversary of Joseph Kennedy's involvement as owner of FBO. As part of that event, Marcus took the rare step of giving authority to his sales force to directly approve contracts with exhibitors.

Producing film shorts

In June 1928 Marcus created a separate department to focus on selling film shorts. To lead the new division, Marcus put Cleve Adams in charge. Before the year was out Marcus was promoted to Vice President of FBO, and he predicted that 1929 would be the turning point of the motion picture industry, with the advent of sound. He felt that every theater in the country would be equipped to show the new talking pictures before the end of the decade. With the integration of FBO into the new RKO Radio Pictures in 1929, Marcus became the executive vice-president for the new company. He, along with Joseph I. Schnitzer and

William LeBaron William LeBaron (February 16, 1883February 9, 1958) was an American film producer, lyricist, librettist, playwright, and screenwriter. LeBaron authored several plays for Broadway; including the books and lyrics for several musicals in addit ...

, were the triumvirate which ran the new company. In February, Marcus announced that the new RCA Photophone process of sound on film was the direction the studio would go in, rather than the alternative of sound on disc. He stated, "Our synthesis of sound to action is all that we would want in accuracy, and certainly the exhibitor's projection and sound problem is, to our mind, a much simplified one with sound-on-film." With sound films becoming the norm, Marcus announced that RKO would still produce 40–50 per cent of their sound films with silent versions as well in 1929. Later in 1929 Marcus was one of the film executives on a committee representing film distributors in their negotiations with exhibition houses in trying to iron out a deal regarding splitting the revenue from movie showings. Hiram S. Brown, head of RKO, named Marcus as his liaison officer, splitting his time between Hollywood and New York at the beginning of January 1932. He moved from being RKO's general sales manager. By April 1932 Marcus was a vice-president of RKO Radio Pictures, in charge of east coast production, as well as being the liaison between the distribution and production departments. Marcus, along with his partner, Charles Rosenzweig, began to organize a film distributing company in March 1933, intending to distribute 26 independent films during the 1933–34 season. In March 1933 Marcus became the assistant to Lou Brock, who was an associate producer at RKO. Marcus had been a sales executive for RKO. In March 1934 Marcus graduated from being an assistant producer to producing shorts, succeeding Brock.

Bert Gilroy Bert Gilroy (May 7, 1899 – January 16, 1973) was an American film producer of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Arizona in 1899, he began his Hollywood career behind the scenes on the 1926 silent film ''Pals in Paradise''. In 1934, he began produc ...

, who would eventually become a producer in his own right, was made Marcus' assistant. For his first season in his new role, he would handle the production of eight different short series for the studio, each short consisting a "two-reeler", for a total of 42 short films. Five of the series would consist of six shorts each: ''Edgar Kennedy Comedies'', ''Blondes and Redheads'', ''Headliners'', ''Four Star Comedies'', and ''Chick Chandlers''. The other three series would each have 4 installments: ''Clark and McCulloughs'', ''Ruth Ettings'', and ''Radio Musicals''. At his first national meeting for RKO, Marcus declared his intent to increase the quality of production for short films.

Move to producing feature films

However, in addition to being the head of Radio's comedy shorts division, Marcus was given the title of associate producer for features by the end of the summer of 1934. Associate producers during this time were the supervising producers for film production at RKO, and were given on-screen credit as either an associate producer, or simply, producer. Marcus' first feature was ''

Kentucky Kernels ''Kentucky Kernels'' is a 1934 American comedy directed by George Stevens and starring the comedy duo of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. The screenplay was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, and Fred Guiol, from a story by Kalmar and Ruby. ...

'', starring the comedy duo of

Wheeler and Woolsey Wheeler & Woolsey were an American vaudeville comedy double act who performed together in comedy films from the late 1920s. The team comprised Bert Wheeler (1895–1968) of New Jersey and Robert Woolsey (1888–1938) of Illinois. Collaboration T ...

, and directed by

George Stevens George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''A Place in the Sun (1951 film), A Place in the Sun'' (1951) ...

. He would work with the comedy team again the following year, once more with Stevens at the helm, on ''

The Nitwits ''The Nitwits'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by George Stevens George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Bes ...

''. The film's original title was ''Mellodicks'', which Marcus found repugnant. He offered $50 to any employee of RKO who could come up with a better title. While he received numerous suggestions, he finally settled on the picture's final title, which had been a generic title around the RKO lot for years. In all, Marcus produced the final six films made by duo between 1934 and 1937, the others being '' The Rainmakers'' (1935), ''

Silly Billies ''Silly Billies'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Fred Guiol from a screenplay by Al Boasberg and Jack Townley, based on a story by Guiol and Thomas Lennon. The film was the twentieth feature for the comedy duo of Wheeler and Wools ...

'' (1936), ''

Mummy's Boys ''Mummy's Boys'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by Fred Guiol and written by Jack Townley, Philip G. Epstein and Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, Barbara Pepper, Moroni Olsen, Frank M. Thomas and Willie ...

'' (1936), and '' High Flyers'' (1937). Marcus would continue in his dual role at the studio for the 1935–36 season, scheduled to produce 36 shorts as well as three feature films. In May 1936, RKO exercised their option on Marcus, extending his contract. He was one of eight producers featured in RKO promotional features for the studio, heralding their upcoming film schedule. One of the first films Marcus produced in the new season was the next Wheeler and Woolsey comedy, '' The Rainmakers'', this picture directed by

Fred Guiol Fred Guiol (February 17, 1898 – May 23, 1964), pronounced "Gill," was an American film director and screenwriter. Career Guiol worked at the Hal Roach Studios for many years, first as a property man, later as assistant director and finally wri ...

. That season also saw Marcus produce a "tone film", ''Metropolitan Nocturne'', wherein there was no dialogue, instead a musical composition, in this instance the symphony of the same name by

Louis Alter Louis Alter (June 18, 1902 – November 3, 1980) was an American pianist, songwriter and composer. At 13, he began playing piano in theaters showing silent films. He studied at the New England Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Stuar ...

, was interpreted on the screen using all pantomime. Shortly after it was announced that the RKO film shorts program for 1936-37 would consist of 36 films, including 12 musicals, Marcus' contract was renewed by Sam Briskin, head of the studio. Before the end of the year Marcus was promoted to Briskin's assistant, wherein he was responsible for overseeing the work of several producers' output, primarily handling the studio's

B-film A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, s ...

output. With this promotion Marcus finally relinquished his direct control over the RKO short film production. While overseeing other producers, Marcus continued to be the supervising producer on his own pictures during 1936 and 1937, such as '' We're on the Jury'' (1937), and '' High Flyers'' (1937), another Wheeler/Woolsey film. ''High Flyers'' was originally titled ''The Kangaroos'' (the name of the play on which it was based), and initially had a relatively unknown

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

as the female lead. Grable was eventually replaced by

Marjorie Lord Marjorie Lord (née Wollenberg; July 26, 1918 – November 28, 2015) was an American television and film actress. She played Kathy "Clancy" O'Hara Williams, opposite Danny Thomas's character on ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (''Make Room for Dadd ...

in the picture, which was the final film for the duo of Wheeler and Woolsey, due to

Robert Woolsey Robert Rollie Woolsey (August 14, 1888 – October 31, 1938) was an American stage and screen comedian and half of the 1930s comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey. Early life Robert Rollie Woolsey (sometimes spelled Rolla or even Raleigh) was born o ...

's death less than a year later. Marcus' work on the 1936 romantic comedy ''

Love on a Bet ''Love on a Bet'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Leigh Jason using a screenplay by P. J. Wolfson and Philip G. Epstein, based on a story by Kenneth Earl. The film stars Gene Raymond, Wendy Barrie, and Helen Broderick, and ...

'' was singled out for its production value. At the studio's annual sales meeting in June 1937, Briskin announced that Marcus' position within the organization would remain unchanged for the upcoming 1937–38 season. Marcus was responsible for overseeing about half of the overall production for RKO. Briskin, rather than giving Marcus a budgeted amount for each picture, simply gave Marcus an overall lump sum with which he was responsible for completing all his filming assignments. This was an effort to do away with the practice of grading pictures as either "A" or "B" films. When Briskin departed RKO in the fall of 1937, Marcus retained his position, although there was some discussion of him replacing Berman. His name was on a short list, along with

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

Mervyn LeRoy Mervyn LeRoy (; October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director and producer. During the 1930s, he was one of the two great practitioners of economical and effective film directing at Warner Bros., Warner Brothers studios, ...

, Ben Kahane, and

Jesse L. Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life Born in to ...

. When that didn't materialize, by the beginning of 1938 there was talk that he would split the head production activities of the studio with

Pandro S. 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 American Jews, Jewish family in Pittsburgh in 1905. His father Henry was general manager of Universal ...

, with Marcus in charge of B-films and Berman in charge of A-films. By the end of February 1938 that arrangement was made official by Leo Spitz, the new president of RKO, and in August Marcus was given a new three-year contract with the studio. In 1938 RKO created a new type of motion picture, the

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that seeks commercial success by capitalizing on current trends, niche genres, or sensational content. Exploitation films often feature themes such as suggestive or explicit sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudi ...

, in response to potential issues from the Hays commission and the

National Legion of Decency The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency, was an American Catholic group founded in 1934 by the Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content i ...

about the number of crime dramas which were being produced by the studios. One of the first was ''

Smashing the Rackets ''Smashing the Rackets'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Lew Landers, written by Lionel Houser, and starring Chester Morris, Frances Mercer, Rita Johnson, Bruce Cabot and Edward Pawley. It was released on August 19, 1938, by RKO Pictu ...

'' (1938), after which Marcus suggested two other exploitation films, ''Clip Joint'' and ''Strip Tease''. Neither had either social significance or artistic value, but were conceived solely to drive viewers through the turnstiles. While they perfectly fit the bill of what Spitz was looking for, he passed on making either film. When Berman was replaced by Harry Eddington in December 1939 as the head of A-film production, Marcus remained in charge of RKO's B product. In 1940, Marcus produced what many consider the first

, ''

''. Marcus remained in charge of the low-budget films at RKO until February 19, 1941, when studio head George J. Schaefer assumed total control of production, demoting both Eddington and Marcus. Marcus was relegated to being simply a studio producer. Marcus lasted three months in his new position, resigning from RKO at the end of April, 1941.

Post RKO

After leaving RKO, Marcus only worked on a single film during the remainder of 1941 and all of 1942. In early 1942 he was the associate producer on '' The Spoilers'' for

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

, which starred

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

, and

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. Later that year, in August, Marcus signed a long-term contract to produce for

. His first assignment at 20th Century was supposed to be ''Bad Men of Texas'', written by

Frank Gruber Frank Gruber (born February 2, 1904, Elmer, Minnesota, died December 9, 1969, Santa Monica, California) was an American writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Included in his work are stories for pulp fiction magazines, dozens of ...

, however that project does not appear to have been completed. His first completed project for Fox was ''

Crash Dive A crash dive is a maneuver by a submarine in which the vessel submerges as quickly as possible to avoid attack. Crash diving from the surface to avoid attack has been largely rendered obsolete with the advent of nuclear-powered submarines, as th ...

'', which he finished producing after

Milton Sperling Milton Sperling (July 6, 1912 – August 26, 1988) was an American film producer and screenwriter for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., where he had his own independent production unit, United States Pictures. Biography Sperling, who was of ...

was called up to join the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

in September 1942. This was followed by ''

They Came to Blow Up America ''They Came to Blow Up America'', also known as ''School for Sabotage'' and ''School for Saboteurs'', is a 1943 American war spy film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring George Sanders and Anna Sten. It is based on the World War II Operation P ...

'', a spy thriller starring

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous charac ...

, for which Marcus' production quality received positive reviews. In June 1943, Marcus resigned from 20th-Century, to work for Edward Small at his independent production company. The final two films he produced for Fox, ''

The Dancing Masters ''The Dancing Masters'' is a 1943 black and white American comedy film directed by Malcolm St. Clair, produced by 20th Century-Fox, and featuring Laurel and Hardy. A young Robert Mitchum has a small, uncredited role as a gangster posing as an ...

'', a

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

comedy, and ''

Roger Touhy, Gangster ''Roger Touhy, Gangster'' is a 1944 American gangster film based on the life of Chicago mob figure Roger Touhy, directed by film noir specialist Robert Florey. Parts of the film were shot at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinoi ...

'', a gangster film with

Preston Foster Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor of stage, film, radio, and television, whose career spanned nearly four decades. He also had a career as a vocalist. Early life Born in Ocean City, New Jerse ...

in the titular role, were not released until after his departure from the studio. His tenure with Small was short-lived, however, and he resigned in March 1944, due to an unspecified illness. At the end of 1944, he co-produced, with

, a musical short for his old studio, RKO, ''Songs of the Colleges''. In 1946 he rejoined forces with Small, this time along with

Joseph Fields Joseph Albert Fields (February 21, 1895 – March 4, 1966)According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, Californiaancestry.com/ ...

, in forming an independent production company. In 1946 Marcus produced a compilation film for

Astor Pictures Astor Pictures was a film distribution, motion picture distribution company in the United States from 1930 to 1963. It was founded by Robert M. Savini (29 August 1886 – 29 April 1956). Astor specialized in film re-releases. It later release ...

. Titled ''Hollywood Bound'', it consisted of three film shorts featuring Betty Grable, which Marcus had produced in the 1930s. In early 1947, Marcus produced his final film, ''

Lost Honeymoon ''Lost Honeymoon'' is a 1947 American screwball comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Franchot Tone, Ann Richards (actress), Ann Richards and Tom Conway. The working title of the film was ''Amy Comes Across''. Plot Soon after the ...

'', which was written by Fields. Starring

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

Ann Richards Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, ...

, and

Tom Conway Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders; 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor. He is remembered for playing suave adventurer The Falcon in a series of 1940s films; and his appearances in three h ...

, the picture was produced and released by

Eagle-Lion Films Eagle-Lion Films was the name of two distinct, though related, companies. In 1944, UK film magnate J. Arthur Rank created an American distribution company with the name to handle his British films. The following year, under a reciprocal distrib ...

Filmography

(Per

AFI AFI may refer to: * Actual flip-angle imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2017 album), the tenth ...

database) *''

'' (1934) *'' Lightning Strikes Twice'' (1934) *''

'' (1935) *'' The Rainmakers'' (1935) *''

'' (1936) *''

Grand Jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...

'' (1936) *'' Second Wife'' (1936) *'' We're on the Jury'' (1937) *''

On Again-Off Again ''On Again-Off Again'' is a 1937 American musical comedy film released by RKO Radio Pictures and starring the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey. Plot William Hobbs and Claude Horton own a drug-manufacturing company and continuously bicker with ...

'' (1937) *'' High Flyers'' (1937) *''

Annabel Takes a Tour ''Annabel Takes a Tour'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Lew Landers and starring Lucille Ball, Jack Oakie and Ruth Donnelly. Annabel (Lucille Ball) is on a promotional tour and, as a publicity stunt, leaks a story that she is having ...

'' (1938) *''

Tarnished Angel ''Tarnished Angel'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Leslie Goodwins from a screenplay by Jo Pagano, based on a story by Saul Elkins. Starring Sally Eilers, Lee Bowman, Ann Miller, and Alma Kruger, the film was produced and distr ...

'' (1938) *''

The Law West of Tombstone ''The Law West of Tombstone'' is a 1938 Western film. It was an early Western for Tim Holt. Plot A Judge Roy Bean figure dispenses justice in Arizona. He teams up with the Tonto Kid to fight the McQuinn gang. Cast * Harry Carey as Bill Barker ...

'' (1938) *''

Next Time I Marry ''Next Time I Marry'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin and written by John Twist and Helen Meinardi. The film stars Lucille Ball, James Ellison, Lee Bowman, Granville Bates and Mantan Moreland. The film was released on Dec ...

'' (1938) *'' Lawless Valley'' (1938) *''

A Man to Remember A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'' (1938) *'' The Fighting Gringo'' (1939) *'' The Girl from Mexico'' (1939) *''

The Rookie Cop ''The Rookie Cop'' is a 1939 film directed by David Howard and starring Tim Holt as a rookie cop who wants to prove his friend wasn't involved with a robbery. The film also stars Virginia Weidler, Janet Shaw, Frank M. Thomas, and Muriel Evans ...

'' (1939) *''

Conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

'' (1939) *''

They Made Her a Spy ''They Made Her a Spy'' is a 1939 American spy drama film produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It was the first film directed by Jack Hively, who after toiling as an editor for RKO for the prior five years, was given the opportunity t ...

'' (1939) *''

Twelve Crowded Hours ''Twelve Crowded Hours'' is a 1939 film directed by Lew Landers and starring Richard Dix and Lucille Ball. Plot When the brother of his girlfriend Paula Sanders is accused of murder, reporter Nick Green tries to clear him. He suspects gangster ...

'' (1939) *''

Full Confession ''Full Confession'' is a 1939 United States proto film-noir, crime drama film made by RKO Radio Pictures. It was directed by John Farrow from an adaptation by Jerome Cady of Leo Birinski's story. The film stars Victor McLaglen, Sally Eilers, B ...

'' (1939) *'' Pacific Liner'' (1939) *'' Panama Lady'' (1939) *''

Beauty for the Asking ''Beauty for the Asking'' is a 1939 film drama produced by RKO Pictures, and starring Lucille Ball and Patric Knowles. Plot Jean Russell is a beautician who is jilted by her boyfriend so he can marry an older but wealthy woman. Russell invents ...

'' (1939) *''

Five Came Back ''Five Came Back'' is a 1939 American black-and-white melodrama from RKO Radio Pictures produced by Robert Sisk, directed by John Farrow, written by Jerry Cady, Dalton Trumbo, and Nathanael West, and starring Chester Morris and Lucille Ball. ...

'' (1939) *''

Career A career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work (human activity), work and other aspects of personal life, life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ...

'' (1939) *''

The Saint in London ''The Saint in London'' is a 1939 British crime film, the third of eight films in RKO's film series featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It stars George Sanders as Templar and was produced by William Sistrom. John Pad ...

'' (1939) *''

Sorority House North American fraternity and sorority housing refers largely to the houses or housing areas in which fraternity and sorority members live and work together. In addition to serving as housing, fraternity and sorority housing may also serve to ...

'' (1939) *''

Arizona Legion ''Arizona Legion'' is a 1939 American Western (genre), Western film directed by David Howard (director), David Howard from a screenplay by Oliver Drake (filmmaker), Oliver Drake, based on Bernard McConville's story. Produced and distributed by R ...

'' (1939) *''

The Day the Bookies Wept ''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 ...

'' (1939) *'' Fixer Dugan'' (1939) *'' Racketeers of the Range'' (1939) *'' Almost a Gentleman'' (1939) *'' The Marshal of Mesa City'' (1939) *''

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

'' (1939) *''

Three Sons ''Three Sons'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Jack Hively using a screenplay by John Twist, based on the novel, ''Sweepings'' by Lester Cohen. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, and released on October 13, 1939, it is a r ...

'' (1939) *'' Sued for Libel'' (1939) *'' Two Thoroughbreds'' (1939) *''

The Saint Strikes Back ''The Saint Strikes Back'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by John Farrow. It marks the second cinematic incarnation of the antihero crimefighting character Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". George Sanders replaced Louis Hayward, who had ...

'' (1939) *''

The Girl and the Gambler ''The Girl and the Gambler'' is a 1939 Western film, from RKO Radio Pictures, starring Tim Holt. It was an early starring Western for Holt, who soon replaced George O'Brien as the studio's main Western star. The film was based on a play which ...

'' (1939) *''

The Spellbinder ''The Spellbinder'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Jack Hively, written by Thomas Lennon (screenwriter, born 1896), Thomas Lennon and Joseph Fields, and starring Lee Tracy, Barbara Read, Patric Knowles, Allan Lane and Linda Hayes (actr ...

'' (1939) *'' Timber Stampede'' (1939) *'' Trouble in Sundown'' (1939) *''

Mexican Spitfire Out West ''Mexican Spitfire Out West'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts and Jack Townley. It is the sequel to the 1940 film ''Mexican Spitfire''. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Leon Errol, Donald Wo ...

'' (1940) *''

Mexican Spitfire ''Mexican Spitfire'' refers to a series of eight comedy films released by RKO Pictures between 1940 and 1943 starring Lupe Vélez and Leon Errol. The movies featured the character of Carmelita Fuentes (Lupe Vélez), a sympathetic but temperamen ...

'' (1940) *''

Anne of Windy Poplars ''Anne of Windy Poplars''—published as ''Anne of Windy Willows'' in the UK, Australia and Japan—is an epistolary novel by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. First published in 1936 by McClelland and Stewart, it details Anne Shirley's experie ...

'' (1940) *''

Men Against the Sky ''Men Against the Sky'' is a 1940 drama starring Richard Dix, Kent Taylor, Edmund Lowe and Wendy Barrie. Directed by Leslie Goodwins, it is based on a story by John Twist about the challenges of aircraft development and the dangers of test piloti ...

'' (1940) *''

'' (1940) *'' The Marines Fly High'' (1940) *''

Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...

'' (1940) *'' You Can't Fool Your Wife'' (1940) *'' Millionaires in Prison'' (1940) *'' Cross-Country Romance'' (1940) *''

Bullet Code ''Bullet Code'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by David Howard and starring George O'Brien, Virginia Vale and Slim Whitaker. The screenplay was written by Doris Schroeder from a story by Bennett Cohen.. Plot In the Old West, cowha ...

'' (1940) *'' Little Orvie'' (1940) *'' Laddie'' (1940) *'' I'm Still Alive'' (1940) *''

The Fargo Kid ''The Fargo Kid'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Edward Killy starring Tim Holt. It was the second in Holt's series of Westerns for RKO. The film was shot in Kanab Canyon, Cave Lakes, and Johnson Canyon. The script was based on a s ...

'' (1940) *''

Married and in Love ''Married and in Love'' is a 1940 American film directed by John Farrow. Plot A doctor, Leslie Yates, and a writer, Doris Wilding, once romantically involved, run into each other after a long time apart. Both are now married to other people. Lesl ...

'' (1940) *''

Pop Always Pays ''Pop Always Pays'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins using a screenplay by Charles E. Roberts (writer), Charles E. Roberts, based on a story by Arthur J. Beckhard. Although not credited in the film, news reports of the t ...

'' (1940) *'' Prairie Law'' (1940) *''

The Saint Takes Over ''The Saint Takes Over'', released in 1940 by RKO Pictures, was the fifth of eight films in RKO's film series about Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter created by Leslie Charteris. George Sanders played ...

'' (1940) *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' (1940) *''

Wildcat Bus ''Wildcat Bus'' is a 1940 American action film directed by Frank Woodruff and written by Lou Lusty. The film stars Fay Wray, Charles Lang, Paul Guilfoyle, Don Costello and Paul McGrath. The film was released on August 23, 1940, by RKO Pictures. ...

'' (1940) *'' Millionaire Playboy'' (1940) *''

The Saint's Double Trouble ''The Saint's Double Trouble'' is a 1940 action-adventure film produced by RKO Pictures. The film stars George Sanders as Simon Templar, a.k.a. "The Saint", a master criminal turned crime-fighter, and features horror film legend Bela Lugosi as " ...

'' (1940) *'' Legion of the Lawless'' (1940) *'' A Bill of Divorcement'' (1940) *'' Triple Justice'' (1940) *''

Stage to Chino ''Stage to Chino'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Edward Killy from a screenplay by Morton Grant and Arthur V. Jones, based on a story by Norton S. Parker. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on July 26, 1940, who also pr ...

'' (1940) *''

One Crowded Night ''One Crowded Night'' is a 1940 drama film directed by Irving Reis. Plot In a motor court in the Mojave Desert we are introduced to the Matthews consisting of Mae, the wife of a convict, Annie, her sister, Ma and Pa, their parents, and Mae's yo ...

'' (1940) *'' Along the Rio Grande'' (1941) *''

Father Takes a Wife ''Father Takes a Wife'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Jack Hively and starring Gloria Swanson, Adolphe Menjou and John Howard. Silent screen queen Gloria Swanson returned to films after a seven-year absence. Eight years later, Swanso ...

'' (1941) *'' Play Girl'' (1941) *''

The Saint in Palm Springs ''The Saint in Palm Springs'' is a 1941 American mystery crime film directed by Jack Hively and starring George Sanders, Wendy Barrie and Jonathan Hale. It was produced and released by Hollywood studio RKO Pictures. The film continued the screen ...

'' (1941) *''

Let's Make Music ''Let's Make Music'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by Leslie Goodwins and starring Bob Crosby, Jean Rogers and Elisabeth Risdon. It was produced by RKO Pictures and written by Nathanael West. The film's songs include the classic " B ...

'' (1941) *'' The Spoilers'' (1942) *''

'' (1943) *''

'' (1944) *'' Hollywood Bound'' (1946) *''

'' (1947)

Personal life

On October 17, 1927, Marcus married Claire S. Warner. The two were married at the restaurant, Sherry's, before leaving on their three-week honeymoon in Bermuda. Marcus died on January 30, 1969, at the age of 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marcus, Lee 1893 births 1969 deaths Film producers from New York (state) Businesspeople from Buffalo, New York 20th-century American businesspeople