Login
Login

Samuel Bronston Productions

{{Short description|Independent American film production company}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Samuel Bronston Productions

| logo =

| type =

| foundation = 1943

| defunct = 1964

| fate = Bankruptcy, Closed

| founder = Samuel Bronston

| location_city =

| location_country =

| key_people = {{Plainlist|

  • Paul Lazarus (executive VP, New York){{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1964-03/page/n2/mode/1up |title=Half of Bronstonians Exit Manhattan Office on Return from Lunch |magazine=Variety |date=March 4, 1964 |page=2 |via=Internet Archive}}
  • Michael Waszynski (executive producer)

}}

| industry = Entertainment

| products = Motion pictures

| revenue =

| operating_income =

| parent =

| homepage =

}}

Samuel Bronston Productions was an independent American film production company, founded by Samuel Bronston in 1943.

History

=1943–1945: Origins=

=1955–1959: Return from dormancy=

=1960–1964: Successful releases and bankruptcy=

The company produced several epic films, the most notable of which are, John Paul Jones (1959), King of Kings (1961), El Cid (1961), 55 Days at Peking (1963) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964).

The films were made in Spain in the company's newly created studios in Las Rozas, near Madrid.

Due to financial difficulties, the company ceased its business activities in 1964. During the ensuing bankruptcy proceedings, Bronston's answer that the company had once had a bank account in Zurich in response to a question under oath about whether he personally had had a Swiss bank account led to his prosecution for perjury. He was convicted, and the case was ultimately appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Bronston v. United States that literally truthful, but technically misleading, answers cannot be prosecuted.

List of Samuel Bronston Productions films

class="wikitable sortable"
rowspan="2" |Year

! rowspan="2" |Title

! rowspan="2" |Distributor

! rowspan="2" |Producer

! rowspan="2" |Director

! rowspan="2" |Star(s)

! colspan="2" |Academy Awards

! rowspan="2" |Notes

|Wins

! |Nominations

1943

|Jack London

|United Artists

|Samuel Bronston

|Alfred Santell

|Michael O'Shea & Susan Hayward

|

|Best Original Score (Freddie Rich)

|

1959

|John Paul Jones

|Warner Bros.

|Samuel Bronston

|John Farrow

|Robert Stack & Marisa Pavan

|

|

|Filmed in Technirama

1961

|King of Kings

|MGM

|Samuel Bronston

|Nicholas Ray

|Jeffrey Hunter

|

|

|Filmed in Super Technirama 70; Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Original Score (Miklós Rózsa)

1961

|El Cid

|Allied Artists

|Samuel Bronston

|Anthony Mann

|Charlton Heston & Sophia Loren

|

|Best Art Direction; Best Original Song (Miklós Rózsa & Paul Francis Webster); Best Original Score (Miklós Rózsa)

|Filmed in Super Technirama 70; Won Golden Globe Special Merit Award (Samuel Bronston); Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama; Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Director (Anthony Mann); Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Original Score (Miklós Rózsa)

1963

|55 Days at Peking

|Allied Artists

|Samuel Bronston

|Nicholas Ray

|Charlton Heston & Ava Gardner

|

|Best Original Song (Dimitri Tiomkin & Paul Francis Webster); Best Original Score (Dimitri Tiomkin)

|Filmed in Super Technirama 70

1964

|The Fall of the Roman Empire

|Paramount

|Samuel Bronston

|Anthony Mann

|Sophia Loren & Stephen Boyd

|

|Best Original Score (Dimitri Tiomkin)

|Filmed in Ultra Panavision 70; Won Golden Globe for Best Original Score (Dimitri Tiomkin)

1964

|Circus World

|Paramount

|Samuel Bronston

|Henry Hathaway

|John Wayne & Rita Hayworth

|

|

|Filmed in Super Technirama 70; Won Golden Globe for Best Original Song (Dimitri Tiomkin & Ned Washington); Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (Rita Hayworth)

List of unproduced films

class="wikitable"
style="width:150pt;"| Series || style="width:100pt;"| Title || Description
Feature filmThe Story of NelsonAccording to The New York Times, John Farrow had signed a three picture-deal with Bronston, which included John Paul Jones and King of Kings. The third unproduced project was The Story of Nelson, a biography of Horatio Nelson written by William Henry Giles Kingston.{{cite news |last=Weiler |first=A. H. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/06/15/archives/passing-picture-scene-bigscale-features-slated-by-samuel-bronston.html |title=Passing Picture Scene: Big-Scale Features Slated by Samuel Bronston |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 15, 1958 |page=X7 |url-access=subscription}}
Feature filmThe Sad Knight of La ManchaIn April 1960, Variety announced that Bronston was producing an adaptation of Don Quixote, tentatively titled The Sad Knight of La Mancha. Hugo Fregonese was to direct, with the final script revisions being made by Carlos Blanco, a Spanish screenwriter. Filming was reported to begin in the same year.{{cite news |last=Werba |first=Hank |url=https://archive.org/details/variety218-1960-04/page/n316/mode/1up |title='Kings' Rolls, 1st of 3 Big Ones for Bronston |magazine=Variety |date=27 April 1960 |pages=3, 17 |access-date=15 August 2024 |via=Internet Archive}}
Feature filmCarmenAlso, in April 1960, the Los Angeles Times reported Bronston was also producing a film adaptation of the opera Carmen.{{cite news |last=Scheuer |first=Philip K. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/380820289/ |title=Bronston Readies String of Classics |work=Los Angeles Times |at=Part IV, p. 11 |date=20 April 1960 |access-date=15 August 2024 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}
Feature filmCaptain KiddIn the same Los Angeles Times report, Bronston was stated to be developing a biographical film of Captain William Kidd.
Feature filmThe French RevolutionIn September 1961, Bronston announced he was planning a trilogy of historical epics in Spain, which included 55 Days at Peking and The Fall of the Roman Empire.{{cite news|last=Archer|first=Eugene|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1961/09/12/archives/bronston-plans-3-film-spectacles-boxer-rebellion-romes-fall-french.html|title=Bronston Plans 3 Film Spectacles: Boxer Rebellion, Rome's Fall, French Revolt on Agenda|work=The New York Times|page=36|date=12 September 1961|access-date=15 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} The third unproduced film was tentatively titled The French Revolution. According to The New York Times, the project was to chronicle "the events and international consequences of the uprising from the beginning until the arrival of Napoleon upon the scene." Pre-production was scheduled to begin in the summer of 1962, with Nicholas Ray to direct and Philip Yordan to write the script. However, both men decided instead to work on 55 Days at Peking.{{sfn|Eisenschitz|1993|p=378}}
Feature filmDear and Glorious PhysicianIn September 1962, it was announced Bronston and Frank Capra had partnered to produce a film adaptation of Taylor Caldwell's 1959 biography of Luke the Evangelist.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/11/12/archives/glorious-physician-will-be-made-a-film.html |title='Glorious Physician' Will Be Made a Film |newspaper=The New York Times |page=35 |date=November 12, 1962 |access-date=August 15, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}
Feature filmParis 1900In 1962, Bronston had hired Vittorio De Sica to film an historical drama titled Paris 1900.{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/96309810/ |title=Sam Bronston's Hollywood Lumps Turn into Sugar As Production |work=Los Angeles Times |at=Calendar, pp. 4–[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/96309831/ 5] |date=21 July 1963 |access-date=31 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731145424/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/96309810/ |archive-date=31 July 2024 |url-status=live}} {{Open access}} In December 1962, David Niven, who had co-starred in 55 Days at Peking, had been cast in a lead role.{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381473514/ |title=Gypsy Likes Leisure, Writing, Royalties |work=Los Angeles Times |at=Part V, p. 12 |date=4 December 1962 |access-date=15 August 2024 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}} Details about the project are scarce, but it was to center on the Belle Époque period.{{cite magazine|title=Bronston circus|magazine=Films and Filming|date=March 1964|volume=10|issue=6|page=16}} The title also alludes to the 1900 Paris Exposition.
Feature filmNightrunners of BengalIn May 1963, the Los Angeles Times reported that John Wayne was slated to film another project for Bronston Productions, titled Nightrunners of Bengal, which chronicled the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Henry Hathaway, who was directing Wayne in Circus World, was reportedly set to direct.{{cite news |last=Hopper |first=Hedda |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/120100473/ |title=Hathaway to Direct John Wayne Film |work=Los Angeles Times |at=Part V, p. 14 |date=30 May 1963 |access-date=30 July 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Hathaway later dropped out, and was replaced by Richard Fleischer.{{sfn|Fleischer|1993|p=229}} A limited partnership company called Bronston–Bengal had been formed for the film's production, with Pierre S. du Pont III as a partner. By February 1967, the project had stalled in development for nearly three years due to Bronston's bankruptcy problems.{{sfn|Fleischer|1993|pp=231–232}}
Feature filmThe Blue and Grey Line on the NileIn 1963, Bronston announced he was developing The Blue and Grey Line on the Nile, an adaptation of the 1961 historical book by William B. Hesseltine and Hazel C. Wolf. It tells of Union and Confederate veterans of the Civil War who were enlisted to fight for the Egyptian government.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/935740146/ |title=Bronston Will Produce Six More Epics |newspaper=Columbia Daily Tribune |page=13 |date=August 10, 1963 |access-date=August 15, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}} In December 1963, Bronston Productions partnered with Paramount Pictures on a four-film distribution deal, which included producing and releasing the project.{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1963-12/page/n4/mode/1up?q=bronston |title=4 Bronston Pix And the Pitch Via Paramount |magazine=Variety |page=5 |date=December 4, 1963 |via=Internet Archive}}
Feature filmThe Great CyrusIn the same report, Bronston was stated to be developing a film adaptation of the book The Great Cyrus written by Harold Lamb.
Feature filmBrave New WorldBy 1964, Bronston had planned to adapt Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World into a feature-length epic, with Jack Cardiff hired to direct.{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/variety-1964-04/page/n520/mode/1up |title=Bronston Says I'll Be Producing Again'; Madrid Echoes 'Amen' |magazine=Variety |date=April 29, 1964 |page=120 |via=Internet Archive}} Nigel Kneale had written a script adaptation. However, plans were shelved after Bronston filed for bankruptcy protection in June 1964.{{cite book |last=Murray |first=Andy |title=Into The Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OI5XDwAAQBAJ |location=Los Angeles |publisher=SCB Distributors |year=2017 |pages=178–179 |isbn=978-1-909-39447-6}}
Feature filmIsabella of SpainIn 1971, Bronston announced he was developing a biographical epic of Isabella of Spain. Ronald Neame was hired to direct and John Peebles had written a script. Glenda Jackson was cast in the title role while John Philip Law was to portray her spouse and co-ruler Ferdinand II.{{cite news |last=Haber |first=Joyce |author-link=Joyce Haber |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/90670303/ |title=Rita's Fast Burn Over 'Slow Study' |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |at=Part IV, p. 12 |date=May 17, 1971 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} However, by June 1971, the film's development had been halted, and Bronston was forced to auction all assets from within his studios.{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Patricia |date=June 3, 1971 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51844904/the-los-angeles-times/ |title=Studio Sales Ends Project for Bronston |newspaper=Los Angeles Time |at=Part II, p. 6 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

Works cited

{{Refbegin|30em}}

  • {{cite book|last=Barzman|first=Norma|author-link=Norma Barzman|title=The Red and the Blacklist: The Intimate Memoir of a Hollywood Expatriate|publisher=Nation Books|year=2003|isbn=978-1-560-25617-5}}
  • {{cite book|last=Besas|first=Peter|title=Behind the Spanish Lens: Spanish Cinema under Fascism and Democracy|url=https://archive.org/details/behindspanishlen0000besa|location=Denver, Colorado|publisher=Arden Press|year=1985|isbn=0912869062|url-access=registration}}
  • {{cite book |last=Darby |first=William |title=Anthony Mann: The Film Career |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q_5PAwAAQBAJ |year=2009 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-786-43839-6}}
  • {{cite book|last=Eisenschitz|first=Bernard|title=Nicholas Ray: An American Journey|year=1993|publisher=Faber and Faber|isbn=978-0-571-17830-8}}
  • {{cite book|last=Eyman|first=Scott|author-link=Scott Eyman|url=https://archive.org/details/johnwaynelifeleg0000eyma|title=John Wayne: The Life and Legend|year=2014|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-1439199589|url-access=registration}}
  • {{cite book|last=Fleischer|first=Richard|title=Just Tell Me When to Cry: A Memoir|url=https://archive.org/details/justtellmewhento00flei|publisher=Carroll & Graf|year=1993|isbn=978-0-881-84944-8|url-access=registration}}
  • {{cite book|last=Gordon|first=Bernard|author-link=Bernard Gordon (writer)|title=Hollywood Exile: or How I Learned to Love the Blacklist|publisher=University of Texas Press|year=1999|isbn=978-0-292-72827-1}}
  • {{cite book|last=Martin|first=Mel|title=The Magnificent Showman: The Epic Films of Samuel Bronston|year=2007|publisher=BearManor Media|isbn=978-1-593-93129-2}}
  • {{cite book |last=Millichap |first=Joseph R. |title=Lewis Milestone |url=https://archive.org/details/lewismilestone0000mill/ |year=1981 |location=Boston |publisher=Twayne Publishers |isbn=978-0-805-79281-2 |url-access=registration}}
  • {{cite thesis|last=Rosendorf|first=Neal|title=The Life and Times of Samuel Bronston, Builder of 'Hollywood in Madrid': A Study in the International Scope and Influence of American Pop Culture|year=2000|degree=PhD|publisher=Harvard University}}
  • {{cite journal|last=Rosendorf|first=Neal|title=Hollywood in Madrid: American Film Producers and the Franco Regime, 1950–1970|journal=Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television|volume=27|issue=1|date=March 2007|pages=77–109|doi=10.1080/01439680601177155|s2cid=191616477 }}
  • {{cite book |last=Rubin |first=Steven Jay |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uHNvAeD4yR4C |title=Combat Films: American Realism, 1945–2010 |edition=Second |year=2011 |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-0-786-48613-7}}
  • {{cite book |last1=Stack |first1=Robert |last2=Evans |first2=Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/straightshooting00stac/ |title=Straight Shooting |year=1980 |location=New York |publisher=Macmillan |url-access=registration |isbn=0-02-613320-2}}

{{Refend}}

Category:1943 establishments in California

Category:American companies established in 1943

Category:American companies disestablished in 1964

Category:Entertainment companies established in 1943

Category:Entertainment companies based in New York City

Category:Film production companies of the United States

Category:Samuel Bronston Productions films

Category:Long stubs with short prose

{{US-film-company-stub}}