Warwick Films

Warwick Films was the name of a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London. [Broccoli, Albert R. & Zec, Donald "When the Snow Melts" Boxtree 1998] Their films were released throughout the world by Columbia pictures.

History and Productions

The reason for the creation of Warwick Films was a successful combination of several economic factors in the 1950s.

* American film companies were forbidden by the Marshall Plan to take their film profits in the form of foreign exchange out of European countries.

* To use these profits in England, film companies would set up production companies using the required amount of British film technicans and actors to qualify as British Productions in order to take advantage of the Eady Levy.

* At the same time Americans working the USA outside for 510 days during a period of 18 months would not be taxed on their earnings by the Internal Revenue Service. Though this scheme was developed for the aid of American humanitarian workers redeveloping nations destroyed in World War II, agents discovered that Hollywood actors, directors, and screenwriters would qualify for the tax break by working outside the USA for the same period. [ [http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/309/309.F2d.51.17759_1.html 309 F.2d 51 ] ]

* Albert R. Broccoli, who wanted to become a producer and Irving Allen who had both produced and directed several films discovered that they would have more creative freedom and control over their films by being based outside Hollywood. [ibid]

* British labour and thespians were not only of high quality but also more economical to use than the conditions and salaries set by American film unions. Columbia Pictures agreed to match Allen and Broccoli's funding dollar for dollar; in other words for every dollar/pound the producers raised, Columbia would provide the same amount. [Walker, Alexander "Hollywood U.K.: The British Film Industry in the Sixties" Stein and Day Publishers 1974]

Broccoli was a former agent who knew that Alan Ladd had left Paramount Pictures over monetary disputes. Ladd and his agent wife agreed to a three picture contract with Warwick films on condition that Ladd's personal screenwriter Richard Maibaum co-write the films. [ibid] . Their first film based on a best selling book was "The Red Beret" (1953) that was titled "Paratrooper" in the USA. Based on Operation Biting and economically filmed with Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) extras (actors) at their installations in England and Wales, the film cost US$700,000 to make and grossed US$8 million worldwide ["p.55 Chapman, James "Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films" Columbia University Press 2001] leading to more Warwick films.

Warwick made their first Cinemascope film Jose Ferrer's "The Cockleshell Heroes" a story of the Royal Marines based on Operation Frankton filmed at RM establishments and in Portugal in 1955.

In 1956 Warwick negoitated producing nine films in three years for a cost of 6 Million Pounds for Columbia Pictures. Warwick also arranged the shooting of several 30 minute films for television that would advertise Warwick's cinema releases. [p. 129 Harper, Sue and Porter, Vincent "British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference" Oxford University Press 2003]

Warwick later took advantage of an Empire development scheme that provided British grants to producers who filmed on location in British Commonwealth nations. The company filmed in Kenya ("Safari" and "Odongo" (1956) were scripted and cast in five weeks in order to shoot them back to back on location [p. 129 Harper, Sue and Porter, Vincent "British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference" Oxford University Press 2003] ), Trinidad and Tobago ("Fire Down Below (1957 film)"), and India ("Zarak" (1956)). Warwick also filmed in non Commonwealth nations such as Portrugal and Morocco that had suitable climates for outdoor filming and low costs.

Warwick's people

The director of the initial Warwick Film was Terence Young who not only directed several more films for the company but acted as an uncredited story editor for Warwick. "The Red Beret" also used Ted Moore as a camera operator and Bob Simmons as a stuntman who both would work on more Warwick productions as cinematographer and stunt arranger.

Mark Robson directed several films for Warwick. John Gilling wrote and directed several Warwick films as did Ken Hughes.

As a condition of doing his final film "The Black Knight" with Warwick, Alan Ladd insisted on Warwick employing his friend Euan Lloyd ["Cinema Retro" #1 Euan Lloyd Interview] who worked as a publicity agent for the company and directed the 1954 short "April in Portugal". Later, Warwick used Victor Mature, Bonar Colleano, and Anthony Newley in several films.

Other British film technicians getting their start at Warwick were future art director Syd Cain, story editor Peter Barnes and sound editor Alan Bell.

The end of Warwick

Though successful, Allen and Broccoli had a disagreement about filming the James Bond series that Allen thought was beneath him. Broccoli was prevented from meeting Ian Fleming's representatives due to his wife's serious illness with Allen meeting them and insulting the Bond properties. [Broccoli, Albert R. & Zec, Donald "When the Snow Melts" Boxtree 1998]

After filming many successful action films, Warwick failed at the box office with the critically acclaimed "The Trials of Oscar Wilde" (1960). Warwick had had several disagreements with Columbia and attempted to distribute their films by taking over Eros Films, a British film distributor that distributed that film as well as "Johnny Nobody".

Allen and Broccoli went their separate ways with Broccoli forming Eon Productions with Harry Saltzman to film the Bond series using many of the same crew from "The Red Beret".

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/company/co0103268/ Warwick Films at IMDB ]