Irving Allen
Encyclopedia
Irving Allen was a theatrical and cinematic producer and director. He won an Academy Award
in 1948 for producing the short movie Climbing the Matterhorn
. In the early 1950s he formed Warwick Films
with partner Albert "Cubby" Broccoli
and relocated to England to leverage film making against a subsidy offered by the British government. Through the 1950s they each became known as one of the best independent film producers of the day, as the two would sometimes work in tandem, but more often than not on independent projects for their joint enterprise producing multiple projects in a given year.
Born in Poland
, he entered film as an editor at Universal
, Paramount
and Republic
in 1929. During the 1940s, he made a number of superb shorts, including the Academy Award
-nominated Forty Boys and a Song 1941, which he directed. His short films often won more acclaim than his low-budget features. In the late 40s, Allen started concentrating more fully on being a producer
.
In the early 50s, he led Warwick Films
as the 'name producer', making films in both the USA and England, with Albert R. Broccoli
something of a junior partner slowly emerging from Allen's hefty shadow, despite their joint ownership and close affection. In 1957-1958, his partnership with Broccoli was strained both by Broccoli's family health crises (His second wife became terminally ill, soon after adopting one child and with a newborn) and to a lesser extent their disagreement over the film potential of the James Bond
novel series. Broccoli was very interested, believing the novel series could lead to a high quality series of films, and Allen was not, eschewing the potential of Broccoli's vision of what became the action-adventure genre which was established by the advent of Bond in favor of older established forms. The pair met with Bond author Ian Fleming
separately in 1957, Cubby from New York where he'd retreated to care for his wife, but in the London meeting with Fleming arranged by Broccoli, Allen all but insulted Fleming, declaring that Fleming's novels weren't even "good enough for television”. Broccoli mired in his troubles in New York, only knew that no deal had occurred until pre-production meetings with Fleming for which resulted with the decision to make the Dr. No (film)
, as the first film project by EON Productions
.
In 1959, captivated by the historical importance and a good script Warwick undertook the risky project of producing, funding, and distributing the controversial film The Trials of Oscar Wilde
, which was released in 1960. Ahead of the times its frank unprejudiced depiction of homosexual issues ran into a ratings stone wall in the United States all but preventing any sort of advertising, and the company lost its large investment, Broccoli and Allen fell out, and the partnership became moribund, being dissolved officially in a 1961 bankruptcy liquidation.
Thus the two partners each turned into solo producer in late 1960. Broccoli went onto found Danjaq, S.A. and Eon Productions
with Harry Saltzman
beginning the Bond films on a shoestring budget, and Allen occupied himself with other projects.
Some years later, Allen, with egg on his face, cast about for his own spy series. He acquired the rights to Donald Hamilton
's Matt Helm series. Allen was responsible for the Matt Helm
series, The Silencers
(1966), Murderers' Row
, The Ambushers
, (1967) and The Wrecking Crew
(1969).
Allen's Helm series had one major effect on Broccoli's Bond movies (produced at the time in partnership with Harry Saltzman
). To get Dean Martin
on board as Matt Helm, Allen had to make the actor a partner in the enterprise. Dean Martin ended up making more money on The Silencers (1966) than Sean Connery
made on Thunderball
(1965). This did not go unnoticed by Connery.
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
in 1948 for producing the short movie Climbing the Matterhorn
Climbing the Matterhorn
Climbing the Matterhorn is a 1947 short documentary film directed by Irving Allen. It won an Academy Award at the 20th Academy Awards in 1948 for Best Short Subject ....
. In the early 1950s he formed Warwick Films
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...
with partner Albert "Cubby" Broccoli
Albert R. Broccoli
Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE , nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer, who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career, most of them in the United Kingdom, and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and EON Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the...
and relocated to England to leverage film making against a subsidy offered by the British government. Through the 1950s they each became known as one of the best independent film producers of the day, as the two would sometimes work in tandem, but more often than not on independent projects for their joint enterprise producing multiple projects in a given year.
Born in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, he entered film as an editor at Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
in 1929. During the 1940s, he made a number of superb shorts, including the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-nominated Forty Boys and a Song 1941, which he directed. His short films often won more acclaim than his low-budget features. In the late 40s, Allen started concentrating more fully on being a producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
In the early 50s, he led Warwick Films
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...
as the 'name producer', making films in both the USA and England, with Albert R. Broccoli
Albert R. Broccoli
Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE , nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer, who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career, most of them in the United Kingdom, and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and EON Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the...
something of a junior partner slowly emerging from Allen's hefty shadow, despite their joint ownership and close affection. In 1957-1958, his partnership with Broccoli was strained both by Broccoli's family health crises (His second wife became terminally ill, soon after adopting one child and with a newborn) and to a lesser extent their disagreement over the film potential of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novel series. Broccoli was very interested, believing the novel series could lead to a high quality series of films, and Allen was not, eschewing the potential of Broccoli's vision of what became the action-adventure genre which was established by the advent of Bond in favor of older established forms. The pair met with Bond author Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
separately in 1957, Cubby from New York where he'd retreated to care for his wife, but in the London meeting with Fleming arranged by Broccoli, Allen all but insulted Fleming, declaring that Fleming's novels weren't even "good enough for television”. Broccoli mired in his troubles in New York, only knew that no deal had occurred until pre-production meetings with Fleming for which resulted with the decision to make the Dr. No (film)
Dr. No (film)
Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
, as the first film project by EON Productions
EON Productions
Eon Productions is a film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1959, captivated by the historical importance and a good script Warwick undertook the risky project of producing, funding, and distributing the controversial film The Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Trials of Oscar Wilde also known as The Man with the Green Carnation and The Green Carnation, is a 1960 British film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. It was produced by Irving Allen, written by Allen and Ken Hughes and...
, which was released in 1960. Ahead of the times its frank unprejudiced depiction of homosexual issues ran into a ratings stone wall in the United States all but preventing any sort of advertising, and the company lost its large investment, Broccoli and Allen fell out, and the partnership became moribund, being dissolved officially in a 1961 bankruptcy liquidation.
Thus the two partners each turned into solo producer in late 1960. Broccoli went onto found Danjaq, S.A. and Eon Productions
EON Productions
Eon Productions is a film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom...
with Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman was a Canadian theatre and film producer best known for his mega-gamble which resulted in his co-producing the James Bond film series with Albert R...
beginning the Bond films on a shoestring budget, and Allen occupied himself with other projects.
Some years later, Allen, with egg on his face, cast about for his own spy series. He acquired the rights to Donald Hamilton
Donald Hamilton
Donald Bengtsson Hamilton was a U.S. writer of novels, short stories, and non-fiction about the outdoors. His novels consist mostly of paperback originals, principally spy fiction but also crime fiction and Westerns such as The Big Country...
's Matt Helm series. Allen was responsible for the Matt Helm
Matt Helm
Matt Helm is a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton. He is a U.S. government counter-agent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers.-The character and the series:The...
series, The Silencers
The Silencers (film)
The Silencers is the title of an American spy film spoof motion picture produced in 1966 and starring Dean Martin as agent Matt Helm. It is only loosely based upon the novel The Silencers by Donald Hamilton, as well as another of Hamilton's Helm novels, Death of a Citizen.The film was the first of...
(1966), Murderers' Row
Murderers' Row (film)
Murderers' Row is a 1966 American comedy-spy-fi film starring Dean Martin and very loosely based upon the Matt Helm spy novel Murderers' Row by Donald Hamilton, which was published in 1962....
, The Ambushers
The Ambushers (film)
The Ambushers is a 1967 spy comedy film filmed in Acapulco starring Dean Martin, Senta Berger and Janice Rule. It is loosely based upon the novel of the same title by Donald Hamilton....
, (1967) and The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (1969 film)
The Wrecking Crew, released in 1969 and starring Dean Martin, Elke Sommer, and Sharon Tate is the fourth and final film in a series of American comedy-spy-fi theatrical releases featuring Martin as secret agent Matt Helm....
(1969).
Allen's Helm series had one major effect on Broccoli's Bond movies (produced at the time in partnership with Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman was a Canadian theatre and film producer best known for his mega-gamble which resulted in his co-producing the James Bond film series with Albert R...
). To get Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
on board as Matt Helm, Allen had to make the actor a partner in the enterprise. Dean Martin ended up making more money on The Silencers (1966) than Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
made on Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965). This did not go unnoticed by Connery.