139-596: Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer , a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the Screen Producers Guild . During his first stay in Hollywood in the early to mid-1930s, Hecht
278-400: A 1986 documentary produced by Scottish Television featuring interviews with director Alexander Mackendrick , actor Burt Lancaster, producer James Hill, and others. James Wong Howe: Cinematographer , a 1973 documentary about the film's director of photography, featuring lighting tutorials with Howe, a new video interview with film critic and historian Neal Gabler (Winchell: Gossip, Power and
417-447: A 98% "Certified Fresh" rating based on 61 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes ; the critical consensus explains, " Sweet Smell of Success boasts a top-notch cast, sharp direction, atmospheric cinematography, and an appropriately jazzy score, making it one of the best noir crime thrillers ever made." At Metacritic it has a weighted average score rating of 100 out of 100 based on 5 reviews. According to The Guardian , British press assessed it
556-611: A budding jazz guitarist. Later, at the Elysian Room, where Steve performs with his group, the Chico Hamilton Quintet, Sidney argues with his uncle and Steve's manager, Frank D’Angelo, who has promised him that Steve and Susan will part. Upon learning from his girlfriend Rita, a cigarette girl , that Susan is awaiting Steve behind the club, he interrupts the pair's celebration. Steve, who mainly values integrity, angrily accuses him of “scratching for information like
695-463: A corrupt police lieutenant, who is long indebted to J. J. for petitioning the mayor to save his job after Kello beat a suspect severely. When Sidney reveals Steve's and Susan's engagement, J.J. gives him an ultimatum to destroy their relationship. Desperate to salvage his career, he vows not to disappoint J.J. Sidney attempts to blackmail Leo at Toots Shor's Restaurant and Lounge by threatening to expose his marital infidelity with Rita unless Leo prints
834-446: A deal at Paramount Pictures. Stories are told about the time Hecht was introduced to Lancaster on the last night of the play. The actor said he'd been courted by the big agencies. Hecht told him, "If you sign with a big agency, you'll be assigned to a junior agent who gets a salary, and has two dozen unknowns to find work for." Hecht opted for honesty. "I know everybody, but I have only a few clients. If you signed with me, you'd be at
973-772: A decade later in Fantasia . The short was based on a romantic perspective of the Russian Gypsies' lives, with dance numbers by Hecht and music by Burton Lane and Harold Adamson . The cast featured Mary Jo Mathews, Perry Askam , Joseph Mario and Ilia Khmara. Gypsy Night opened on Friday, May 24, 1935, at the Capitol Theater in New York City. It was considered avant-garde by some but received generally praising reviews towards its artistic aspect. Hecht later claimed that his initial departure from Hollywood
1112-422: A defamatory gossip item stating that Steve is a Communist who smokes marijuana. Instead, Leo chooses exposure over compromising his journalistic integrity, which even his wife Loretta praises as his first decent act in years. Sidney then bribes another columnist, Otis Elwell, who agrees to print the item if Sidney will arrange for him to receive a sexual favor from an "available" woman. At his apartment, Rita balks at
1251-425: A dog.” Inside, Rita appeals to Sidney to help her retain her job, which is at risk because she refused to sleep with J. J.’s main competitor, the prominent columnist Leo Bartha, who then ordered her dismissal. After Sidney secures a date with Rita, Susan questions his relationship with J.J. inside a cab, but he reassures her that J.J. is a close friend of his. Outside the 21 Club , J.J. greets his informer, Harry Kello,
1390-527: A general interest in the party, he was apparently never a devoted Communist and did not seek higher placement or positions. In 1937 he became employed at the Federal Theatre Project and was put in charge of producing the musical revue Sing for Your Supper . It took Hecht two years to get the play together, compiling songs, lyrics, sketches, seeking out writers and hiring the cast, designing costumes, choreographing dances and other aspects of
1529-487: A higher level of responsibility. In the commercial world of Broadway , New York City and West End , London and touring, both nationally and internationally, producers are expected to be active members of the team, and their names appear above the show title. However, many "producers" are really investors or the theatre owner, and claim no say in running the production. A producer credit occasionally applies to people who perform special important services, such as finding
SECTION 10
#17328024465131668-567: A member of the Communist Party but informed the Committee that he was no longer of that state of mind. Because of his cooperation with the Committee and his testimony of known Communists from his past, Hecht was not blacklisted and was allowed to resume his position as a successful producer in Hollywood. In the summer of 1953 Hecht co-founded another Norma Productions subsidiary, Hecht-Lancaster Productions, with Burt Lancaster and signed
1807-436: A much better picture. I ought to beat you up.' I said, 'Go ahead – I could use the money. ' " Variety estimated the film lost at least $ 400,000 on its initial run. Although he and Hecht would fire Mackendrick from The Devil's Disciple for the same painstaking (and costly) approach, Lancaster was quoted as saying that he felt Mackendrick had done a fantastic job for Sweet Smell of Success and that it wasn't his fault
1946-480: A new director, quite a generous one. Gypsy Night (known under the working title Song of the Gypsies ) was produced by Harry Rapf from a story by Richard Goldstone. The short was filmed throughout March and April. Through cinematography and lighting Hecht and Berne "emphasized on particular colors which most effectively carried out the moods of the music in each scene", a concept that Disney somewhat recreated half
2085-638: A noted film trailer producer). He attended PS 169 , graduating in spring 1923 at the age of sixteen. Hecht is reported to have frequented the Union Settlement house on East 104th Street in East Harlem . Just as Hecht was looking for his vocation, the very field he wanted to be in was interviewing students for a new school. In November 1923, Richard Boleslavsky , a Russian immigrant and former student of Konstantin Stanislavsky , opened
2224-514: A number that included a line of 36 girls for the Mark Sandrich film starring Charlie Ruggles and Phil Harris . However, after two weeks of working on Maiden Cruise , Paramount recalled him claiming the RKO production had been delayed and that Hecht's work on Paramount's own International House was a priority. Dave Gould took over Hecht's work on the RKO film and received screen credits for
2363-521: A perfect 10/10 based on reviews from multiple British newspapers. A. O. Scott wrote in March 2002 for The New York Times : "Courtesy of Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets, a high-toned street vernacular that no real New Yorker has ever spoken but that every real New Yorker wishes he could". Andrew Sarris in the New York Observer , again in 2002, wrote, "the main incentive to see this movie
2502-415: A position they would keep for five years. Vera Cruz was later considered as one of the potential TV shows that Hecht-Lancaster Productions was to produce and they hired a young western TV writer, Sam Peckinpah , to write a teleplay. But the pilot was never produced. Theatrical producer A theatrical producer is a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre production . The producer
2641-406: A potential property. In mid-March 1932 Hecht signed a one-year agreement and became a contract choreographer and dance director for Paramount Pictures . Stories exist that it was his friend Busby Berkeley who helped him get in touch with the right people at Paramount, where the two are said to have worked on films together. Hecht's first assignment at Paramount was directing two dance ensembles in
2780-504: A reputation for firing their directors for any or even no reason at all. The filmmaker was used to extensive rehearsals before a scene was shot and often found himself shooting a script page one or two hours after Odets had written it. Lancaster's presence proved to be intimidating for numerous individuals involved with the production; at one point, Lehman had been approached to direct the film, but declined due to his fear of Lancaster, although Hecht maintained that Lehman had never been offered
2919-446: A screenwriting career in Hollywood, writing Executive Suite , Sabrina , North by Northwest , The Sound of Music , West Side Story , The King and I , and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? . By the time Hecht-Hill-Lancaster acquired Success , Lehman was in position to not only adapt his own novelette but also produce and direct the film. After scouting locations, Lehman was told by Hecht that distributor United Artists
SECTION 20
#17328024465133058-543: A seven-year contract, the longest term a studio was legally allowed to keep an actor under contract at the time, with Hal B. Wallis' Paramount-financed, independent production company, Hal Wallis Productions. The exclusive contract gave Lancaster an option for one outside, independent picture a year, giving the agent/actor room to produce a yearly film, thought they initially never believed the clause would be used. A few months later, in April 1946, Hecht and Lancaster were sitting in
3197-534: A shocked Sidney balks, saying he can accept a dog collar but not a noose, but once J. J. offers to let Sidney write his column for three months while he vacations with Susan in Europe, he acquiesces. At the Elysian Room, Sidney slips the cigarettes into the pocket of Steve's coat. Once Steve finishes work that evening, Kello accosts him outside and so assaults him that he is hospitalized. At a bar, surrounded by his industry cohorts, Sidney celebrates his accomplishment but
3336-541: A short period of time. Hecht first went to Warner Bros. to choreograph a Vitaphone Technicolor two-reeler short, produced by Gordon Hollingshead . Morocco Nights was directed by Edward Cline and starred Fuzzy Knight , Shirley Ross and future Hecht client Francis McDonald . Morocco Nights was initially to be included in Warner's Broadway Brevities but was never added. Scheduled to make an undisclosed Columbia film in 1934 (it has not been established if this plan
3475-594: A show-going holiday in New York City in late November 1945, Lillian Schary, Dore Schary 's sister, suggested to Hecht that he go see a new Broadway play at the Lyceum Theater . A Sound of Hunting , which had opened off-Broadway a couple of weeks earlier, was showcasing a brand new actor, Burt Lancaster. Hecht was immediately impressed with Lancaster's performance. He later said of that night "When I saw Burt Lancaster in A Sound of Hunting on Broadway (in 1945), I knew he had it. I don't know how you could miss it. He
3614-546: A singing supporting character. Other supporting roles were scheduled for George Frank, Tiny Sandford and Gertrude Astor . Hecht left by plane from New York City to Hollywood on Monday, November 2, his position on the film already confirmed. Once in California, he interviewed 200 girls and 150 men, in order to find the twelve girls and six men necessary for the dance numbers. Hecht hired Frances Grant , fresh from assisting Larry Ceballos at Fanchon and Marco, to help him with
3753-474: A single day. Steiner also composed three original songs and the score for the film adaptation, while the movie's producer, William LeBaron , wrote the lyrics. Humphrey Pearson was brought in for additional dialogue but eventually re-wrote the entire screenplay. Chi Chi and Her Papas was to be a starring vehicle for actress Lili Damita , her third film at RKO. Her leading man was scheduled to be John Warburton , loaned out from Fox Films , with Hugh Herbert as
3892-610: A theatre or a star—but normally, the credit for such roles is associate producer . The producer works closely with the production team and cast to make all final decisions. The producer, ultimately, is one of the most important roles in a theatrical production. Sweet Smell of Success Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir drama film directed by Alexander Mackendrick , starring Burt Lancaster , Tony Curtis , Susan Harrison , and Martin Milner , and written by Clifford Odets , Ernest Lehman , and Mackendrick from
4031-475: A thin layer of vaseline on the lenses, preventing Lancaster from focusing his eyes and giving him a perpetually blank gaze. Assisted by cinematographer James Wong Howe , Mackendrick intentionally filmed scenes with JJ from a low angle using a wide-angle lens and with overhead lighting directly above Lancaster, so that the spectacle frames cast shadows on his face. Shooting on location in New York City also added to Mackendrick's anxieties. Exteriors were shot in
4170-464: A two-picture deal with United Artists (the deal would be renegotiated and extended several times over the next few years). Their first production for UA was Apache (released in the summer of 1954), a western told from the perspective of a Native American Apache . It starred Lancaster and Jean Peters with a feature role by John McIntire and an early appearance by Charles Bronson (credited under his real name, Charles Buchinsky). Robert Aldrich
4309-481: Is a high risk business. Another kind of producer is the non-independent, or line producer , who facilitates other people's projects. A repertory or repertoire or festival or non-profit or amateur organization, in most cases, uses a managing director , and creative decisions fall to the artistic director . In theatres with no managing director , artistic directors often use the title producing artistic director or managing artistic director, to indicate
Harold Hecht - Misplaced Pages Continue
4448-559: Is its witty, pungent and idiomatic dialogue, such as you never hear on the screen anymore in this age of special-effects illiteracy". In 1993 (the year Mackendrick passed away), the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2002, Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical
4587-406: Is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backing, and hires personnel for creative positions (writer, director, designers, composer, choreographer—and in some cases, performers). The term "producer" is American in origin, referring to the person responsible for the financial aspects of producing a play, including acquiring
4726-567: Is said to have worked on the Edmond Goulding film Hollywood Party (at the time known under the title Star Spangled Banquet ) at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in March 1934, though no official credit has surfaced to confirm this. In the fall of 1934 Hecht started working on a series of shorts, which he was to direct, under the title Goonies . The shorts were to be based on errors made by college students in filing out official forms, hence making them "goonies". Hecht's new production unit, formed for
4865-426: Is then summoned to J.J.'s penthouse apartment. He arrives to find a distraught Susan in her nightgown, about to commit suicide by jumping off the balcony. He barely rescues her, and takes her into her bedroom to rest. Upon arriving to find the two holding each other, J.J. harshly scolds him. Realizing that Susan set him up, Sidney irately reveals to her that J.J. conspired to frame Steve; he then departs, vowing to reveal
5004-524: The New York Herald included the film on their ten-best lists for films released in 1957. The film's critical reputation increased in subsequent decades. David Denby in New York magazine later called it "the most acrid, and the best" of all New York movies because it captured, "better than any film I know the atmosphere of Times Square and big-city journalism". Sweet Smell of Success holds
5143-869: The 11th Tony Awards ceremony in April 1957 In November 1959 Hecht was chosen by United States President Dwight Eisenhower to accompany the cultural exchange program committee in a trip to Russia when Marty was selected by the USSR as the first American film to be screened in that country since World War II. Fourteen of Hecht's film productions (and an additional three on which he was a choreographer) have won and been nominated for several awards and prizes at various ceremonies and film festivals, including; Academy Awards , Golden Globe Award , British Academy Film Awards , Bodil Awards , Directors Guild of America Award , Writers Guild of America Award , National Board of Review Awards, New York Film Critics Circle Award, Laurel Awards , David di Donatello Award, Bambi Award and
5282-622: The American Laboratory Theatre , the first school in the United States to teach Stanislavski's system of acting. Hecht was among the first students accepted to attend the new school in late 1923. While there he studied and appeared in plays with Lee Strasberg (who later took Stanislavski's system and Americanized it into the method acting system), Stella Adler , Harold Clurman , Anne Revere , Lenore Romney and Francis Fergusson . Hecht excelled at The Lab and
5421-563: The Fraternity Stomp , which Oakie and Lorna Andre performed in the film. The new dance was well advertised in newspapers and magazines with a depiction of steps and moves for people to learn it at home. Hecht later stated that he worked with director Frank Tuttle during his days at Paramount. Though no evidence has been found, it is likely that the film he was referring to was The Big Broadcast , starring Bing Crosby, Stuart Erwin , Leila Hyams and George Burns. The Big Broadcast
5560-678: The French Foreign Legion during the Rif War in Morocco . It was written and directed by Willis Goldbeck , co-written by Roland Kibbee and starred Lancaster, Jody Lawrance and Gilbert Roland . It also featured memorable parts by character actors George Tobias , Nick Dennis , Mike Mazurki and Robert Clary . But the real turning point was when Columbia allowed Hecht and Lancaster to produce their first film without Lancaster acting in it. The First Time (released in early 1952)
5699-576: The Gulf of Naples , Italy and at Teddington Studios in England. Released in the fall of 1952, it also went on to be a top-grosser for Warner Brothers. Years later Hecht attempted to develop a sequel, Jolly Roger: Son of the Crimson Pirate , but this film was never made. Before completing their contract at Warner Brothers, Hecht and Lancaster signed a two-picture deal with Columbia Pictures through
Harold Hecht - Misplaced Pages Continue
5838-531: The Metropolitan Opera . In October 1931 Richard Boleslavsky invited Hecht to join him in Hollywood to choreograph the dance numbers on an upcoming project he was set to direct at RKO Radio Pictures . Chi Chi and Her Papas , a 1924 German comedic play originally written by Armin Friedmann and Fritz Lunzer under the title Sie und ihr Zimmerherr , had been translated into English by Max Steiner in
5977-531: The Mexican Revolution . This was another top-budget Technicolor picture and one of the earliest films to use the widescreen format, using the SuperScope process. Hecht's production company traveled to Mexico and filmed entirely on location, including scenes at the famous Chapultepec Castle . Robert Aldrich and James R. Webb returned as director and writer with Roland Kibbee coming in to help with
6116-595: The New Orleans Mardi Gras carnival in the film, was taken on the road to help promote the picture, with the girls performing it on stage. Meanwhile, Hecht put on a new play for the "Symphonies Under the Stars", a week-long festival beginning on July 25. Skyscrapers opened on Saturday July 29 at the Hollywood Bowl to a cast of over one hundred dancers. Hecht directed the play and choreographed
6255-497: The New York Globe for the column of the immensely popular journalist J.J. Hunsecker, an influential media kingpin whose journalistic contributions and associated radio show both dominate the entertainment world. For the fifth consecutive day, J.J. has neglected to publicize any of Sidney's clients, as he is overly protective of his 19-year-old younger sister Susan and has asked Sidney to end her recent affair with Steve Dallas,
6394-618: The United States Army Air Corps on August 29, 1942, in support of World War II. His army serial number was 19126700. He was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant and placed in Special Services, the entertainment department. He produced live shows for servicemen with in person appearances by some of the biggest stars of the day: including songwriter Johnny Mercer, vocalist Francis Langford, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and personal friend, actor John Garfield. Hecht
6533-434: The director and pursues the primary goals, to balance and coordinate business and financial aspects in the service of the creative realization of the playwright's vision. This may include casting, but often only includes casting approval. The producer may secure funds for the production, either through their own company or by bringing investors into the production in a limited partnership agreement. In this business structure,
6672-783: The first season of Breaking Bad — " Cat's in the Bag... " and " ...And the Bag's in the River " — are a direct quote from Sweet Smell of Success , which has been described by the show's creator, Vince Gilligan , as his all-time favorite movie. (*) designates unordered lists. 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains -- #35 Villain (J.J. Hunsecker) Sweet Smell of Success was released on DVD (Region 1) and Blu-ray (Region A) as part of The Criterion Collection in February 2011. The release includes new audio commentary featuring film scholar James Naremore , Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away ,
6811-489: The 1940s, every actor, producer and director wanted to start their own production company but few were able to accomplish it due to contractual obligations. The few that did manage to venture into productions of their own, most often did not last long enough to make an impact and rarely made more than a handful of movies. Rantz and Hecht also managed actresses Edith Barrett , Frances Rafferty and Karen Morley and actors Roman Bohnen and Phil Brown in 1945 and 1946. In 1946
6950-509: The Columbia Theater in California. In late November 1932 Hecht became involved in a series of Mae West projects, which all eventually culminated into a single picture. Earlier that year Paramount had signed Mae West to a contract and the actress was eager to step up from the lower-billed role she received in her first picture, Night After Night . She was billed fourth, after George Raft , Constance Cummings and Wynne Gibson. West
7089-533: The Culture of Celebrity) about legendary columnist Walter Winchell, inspiration for the character J. J. Hunsecker, and a new video interview with filmmaker James Mangold about Mackendrick, his instructor and mentor. There is also a booklet featuring an essay by critic Gary Giddins , notes about the film and two short stories introducing its characters by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, and an excerpt about Clifford Odets from Mackendrick’s book On Film-making , introduced by
SECTION 50
#17328024465137228-601: The Gilmor Brown production. The production featured music by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Don Hartman. Hullabaloo opened on May 26 at the Pasadena Community Playhouse and ran until June 19, with a cast featuring Sterling Holloway , Frank Atkinson , Leonard Sillman and his sister June Carroll . In the fall of 1932, Hecht worked on another theater play, a revised and modernized version of Franz Lehár 's operetta, The Merry Widow . The play
7367-482: The Goldstone Agency to head Harold Hecht Productions' literary staff. In the summer of 1947 Hecht co-founded Norma Productions with Burt Lancaster, who named the company after his second wife, Norma Anderson. They worked out a deal with Universal- International , for whom Lancaster had already done The Killers and Brute Force , both for Mark Hellinger Productions . Hecht and Lancaster's first production
7506-560: The Hecht-Rantz Agency. Hecht also signed new talents such as actors Art Smith and Francis McDonald and writers Walter Bernstein , Roland Kibbee and Meta Rosenberg . During this time Hecht became an officer at Irving Mills ' music publishing company, Mills Music Inc., though little is known of his work there. By 1947, Harold Hecht Productions was doing very well as a talent agency and Hecht started hiring staff from other noted Hollywood agencies. In May 1947, E. Henry Lewis left
7645-615: The Marion Davies film Blondie of the Follies (then known under the title Good Time Girl ). The film was produced by Davies who sought out Hecht herself and was directed by Edmund Goulding , who would later reunite with Hecht. The film also starred Robert Montgomery , Billie Dove and Jimmy Durante . Immediately after Lucky Day , Hecht started working on the play Hullabaloo , which took several months of preparation. Hecht co-directed it with Paul Gerard Smith and choreographed
7784-516: The Marx Brothers' college football comedy film Horse Feathers . One of the numbers Hecht directed was I'm Against It , a scene where Groucho Marx , playing Quincy Adams Wagstaff, is first installed as the new headmaster of Huxley College. Hecht trained Groucho alongside twenty elder actors, aged 61 to 77 years old, with naturally grown beards and dressed in academic gowns . Considering that his first known assignment at Paramount Pictures
7923-479: The Norma Productions subsidiary, Halburt Productions. The two moderate-budget Columbia films were shot back-to-back at Columbia Studios and marked the beginning of a professional relationship between Hecht, Lancaster and Robert Aldrich , who was Hecht's assistant producer at the studio. Halburt Productions' first film, Ten Tall Men (released in late 1951) was another Technicolor adventure flick about
8062-970: The Online Film & Television Association Award; and at the Cannes Film Festival , the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival . Four of the films Harold Hecht was associated with have been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States National Film Preservation Board and have been selected for preservation in the Library of Congress ' National Film Registry ; Duck Soup in 1990, Sweet Smell of Success in 1993, Marty in 1994 and She Done Him Wrong in 1996. Harold Adolphe Hecht
8201-671: The Workers Alliance of America and entire production of Sing for Your Supper at an anti-communist hearing in Washington, D.C. Sing for Your Supper eventually opened on either March 15 or April 24 (the date is debated) 1939 at the Adelphi Theatre. It was reasonably successful, running forty-four performances and closing on June 30. Feeling that his employment at the Federal Theatre would not be renewed after
8340-406: The advent of talking pictures". The film was directed by Wesley Ruggles and starred Bing Crosby, Richard Arlen , Mary Carlisle , Jack Oakie , George Burns and Gracie Allen . In addition to working with the main stars, Hecht trained The Ox-Road Co-Eds, a group of sixty chorus line dancers, for several original music sequences. He teamed up with Jack Oakie and Boris Petroff to create a new dance,
8479-537: The balcony as she strides into the coming dawn to start life afresh with her lover. Faced with potential unemployment from the sale of Ealing Studios to the BBC in 1954, director Alexander Mackendrick began entertaining offers from Hollywood . He rejected potential contracts from Cary Grant and David Selznick and signed with independent production company Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, enticed by their offer to adapt George Bernard Shaw ’s play The Devil's Disciple . After
SECTION 60
#17328024465138618-503: The bar of the Barbizon-Plaza Hotel in New York City, having a last drink before Lancaster was off for the filming of The Killers for Mark Hellinger Productions. Lancaster was worried about the kind of movies he'd be getting in Hollywood when Hecht jokingly told him "Well Burt, if you don't like what you get into out there, we'll just produce our own films. That's the one way you're sure to get what you want!". Throughout
8757-458: The basis for the Hunsecker character in the novelette. Lehman made the distinction in an interview that Winchell was the inspiration for the version of the character in the novelette, and that this differs from the character in the film version. United Artists wanted Burt Lancaster in the role because of his box office appeal and his successful pairing with Curtis on Trapeze . Robert Vaughn
8896-576: The biggest and most important independent production units in Hollywood. Following the end of the Hecht-Hill-Lancaster partnership, Hecht continued as one of the top three independent producers in Hollywood, a position he shared with Stanley Kramer and the Mirisch brothers , for the next ten years. At the 28th Academy Awards ceremony in 1956, Hecht received a Best Picture Oscar for the 1955 Hecht-Lancaster Productions film Marty . He
9035-754: The biggest names from the Warner Brothers lot at the time, including Virginia Mayo (fresh from White Heat ) as the leading lady and Max Steiner (famous for Casablanca and Gone with the Wind ) who was hired to compose the soundtrack. The Flame and the Arrow was released in the summer of 1950 and became one of the year's top grossers, earning two nominations at the 23rd Academy Awards ceremony in March 1951; one for Best Dramatic or Comedy Score (Max Steiner), another for Best Color Cinematography ( Ernest Haller ). Hecht's next production for Warner Brothers
9174-426: The budget, sets ticket prices, chooses performance dates and times, and develops a marketing and advertising strategy for the production. Hiring a publicist and marketing team is one of the most important responsibilities of the producer. These teams are generally in place before the show is cast. The producer collaborates with the director and all staff to plan a production timeline and deadlines for various aspects of
9313-422: The budget. The theatre owner provides box office services and turns over net ticket sales revenue. If sales fall under a set minimum level, the unprofitable show may close. If ticket sales are good and the show makes a profit, the producer may get 50% of the net profit, the other 50% going to the investors. Statistically, highly successful shows with big profits are the exception. Independent commercial production
9452-476: The busiest, noisiest areas with crowds of young Tony Curtis fans occasionally breaking through police barriers. Mackendrick remembered, "We started shooting in Times Square at rush hour, and we had high-powered actors and a camera crane and police help and all the rest of it, but we didn’t have any script. We knew where we were going vaguely, but that’s all". A preview screening of Sweet Smell of Success
9591-429: The chance to direct. Mackendrick and composer Elmer Bernstein both found Lancaster intimidating, with Bernstein later recalling, "Burt was really scary. He was a dangerous guy. He had a short fuse". Mackendrick decided to use Lancaster's volatility to work for the character of JJ, asking that Lancaster wear his own browline glasses , which Mackendrick felt gave him the presence of "a scholarly brute". Mackendrick smeared
9730-488: The company dissolved and Rantz formed the Louis Rantz Agency. In 1946 Hecht formed his own company, Harold Hecht Productions, and set up his new office at 8747 Sunset Boulevard West in Hollywood. The new name reflected what he and Lancaster hoped to accomplish; producing movies. However, Harold Hecht Productions also had an agency division and he retained many of the actors and writers already under contract with
9869-564: The crew headed to Viti Levu in the Republic of Fiji , where production costs skyrocketed. The film was directed by Byron Haskin and starred Lancaster, Joan Rice and André Morell . It was scored by Dimitri Tiomkin and was the first time that Hecht and Lancaster collaborated with writer James Hill who later became a partner in the company. In December 1952 Hecht joined the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Harold Hecht's name
10008-442: The dance routines. Once Hecht was free from his Paramount contract in April 1933, RKO hired him again, this time to direct the dance numbers on Bed of Roses , a film directed by Gregory La Cava starring Constance Bennett , Joel McCrea , Pert Kelton and John Halliday . For this picture, Hecht trained two hundred girls for the dances and selected the best nine to appear in the film. One number in particular, which took place at
10147-474: The dances to music originally composed by John Alden Carpenter . Hecht refashioned the work into an eight-scene ballet with the help of Blanding Sloane, who worked on the sets, lights and made the masks, and Kay Otteson who designed the costumes. Richard Lert , husband of Vicki Baum , conducted the orchestra. In October 1933, Hecht was offered opportunities to direct dance numbers at Warner Brothers , Universal Pictures , Fox Films and Columbia Pictures within
10286-529: The film also features jazz performances by the Chico Hamilton Quintet . Mary Grant designed the costumes. The film tells the story of powerful and sleazy newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker (portrayed by Lancaster and based on Walter Winchell ) who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems unworthy of her. Despite a poorly received preview screening, Sweet Smell of Success has greatly improved in stature over
10425-479: The film is unknown. Following Horse Feathers , Hecht worked on Lady and Gent (at the time known under the title The Challenge ), directed by Stephen Roberts and starring George Bancroft and Wynne Gibson , and Devil and the Deep , directed by Marion Gering and starring Tallulah Bankhead , Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton and Cary Grant. In June and July 1932, Hecht was loaned out from Paramount to M-G-M for
10564-560: The film lost money. He also believed that Curtis should have gotten an Oscar for his role as Falco. Sweet Smell of Success premiered in New York at Loew's State in Times Square on June 27, 1957. Critical reaction was much more favorable. Time magazine said the movie was "raised to considerable dramatic heights by intense acting, taut direction ... superb camera work ... and, above all, by its whiplash dialogue". Time and
10703-488: The film. In an early scene from Levinson's 1988 movie, Rain Man , Sweet Smell of Success is seen playing on television. The Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Contract" is an homage to the film, with Mo Rocca playing a gossip columnist who is clearly based on J.J. (in both appearance and attitude) and other characters from the episode quoting the film's lines many times. The titles of episodes two and three from
10842-612: The four weeks of pre-production but neither Selznick nor Schnitzer liked the idea of the film and felt it was too racy and non-conducive to the American taste. A few weeks later Hecht found work in the Los Angeles theater business. LeRoy Prinz was producing and directing the Edmunt Joseph and Nat Perrin story Lucky Day with financial backing from Rodney Pantages, Arthur Silber and Harold Morehouse. Prinz had clashed with
10981-702: The implications of getting acquainted with Otis, but ultimately assents to Sidney's plan in order to stay employed. The next morning, the smear appears in Otis's column and the Chico Hamilton Quartet is fired. As planned, J.J. theatrically gets Steve rehired with a phone call in front of Susan, but Steve rebukes him for being a malignant influence on society. Forced to choose between them, an overwhelmed Susan breaks up with Steve, hoping to save him from J.J.'s vengeance. Planning to destroy Steve's career, an incensed J.J. orders Sidney to plant marijuana on Steve;
11120-417: The movie. In Notes on Sweet Smell of Success , Mackendrick said, "One of the characteristic aspects of New York, particularly of the area between 42nd Street and 57th Street , is the neurotic energy of the crowded sidewalks. This was, I argued, essential to the story of characters driven by the uglier aspects of ambition and greed". He took multiple photographs of the city from several fixed points and taped
11259-524: The new routines on Chi Chi and Her Papas . But a week after Hecht's arrival, the film was put on hold. Earlier that fall, RKO had acquired the Pathé Exchange film studio and a number of issues had come of it. New studio head, David O. Selznick clashed with equally positioned Charles Rogers and similar arguments went on between producer William LeBaron and former vice-president Joseph I. Schnitzer. Not only were crew positions scheduled to be cut (as
11398-581: The new trend", to which he answered in her favor; "Dangerous curves are not only ahead, but actually with us. Present-day chorus girls must be slightly more round and more curved than those of a few years ago. Girls with thin, boyish figures definitely are out." Following the Mae West projects, Hecht became one of the more prominent choreographers in Hollywood and was well-in-demand at Paramount and other studios. In January 1933, Paramount scheduled Hecht for three of their upcoming features: A Bedtime Story (at
11537-499: The novelette by Lehman. The shadowy noir cinematography filmed on location in New York City was shot by James Wong Howe . The picture was produced by James Hill of Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists . The supporting cast features Sam Levene , Barbara Nichols , Joe Frisco , Edith Atwater , David White , and Emile Meyer . The musical score was arranged and conducted by Elmer Bernstein and
11676-455: The only plausible ones that were made during the remainder of his first venture in Hollywood were Duck Soup at Paramount in 1933 and A Night at the Opera at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1935. The exact shooting dates for Duck Soup have not been established, but it is known to have been filmed during the summer of 1933, after Hecht's contract at Paramount had expired. It is always possible that
11815-484: The original choreographer, Billy Grant and Hecht came in to replace him. Other crew members included Earl Dancer staging the choir with music by Otis René and Leon René and lyrics by Ben Eilleon. Lucky Day opened at the Mayan Theater in L.A. on December 27 starring Alex Lovejoy, Eddie Anderson , Alma Travers, LeRoy Broomfield and Aurora Greeley. The play was relatively successful, gaining interest from RKO as
11954-472: The picture were lauded by critics. In January 1934, Hecht was approached by Universal again, this time for Glamour a film produced by B. F. Zeidman , directed by William Wyler and starring Constance Cummings and Paul Lukas . In May he was approached by Stanley Bergerman for another Roger Pryor film, Romance in the Rain . This time Hecht provided the dances in the film directed by Stuart Walker . Hecht
12093-409: The pictures into a series of panoramas that he stuck on a wall and studied once he got back to Hollywood. Cellist Fred Katz and drummer Chico Hamilton , who briefly appear in the film as themselves, wrote a score for the movie, which was ultimately rejected in favor of one by Elmer Bernstein . Mackendrick shot the film in late 1956, and was scared the entire time because Hecht-Hill-Lancaster had
12232-500: The play, Hecht left New York in either July or August 1939. In either July or August 1939 Hecht returned to Hollywood and found it difficult to secure employment. He was then living with writer Roland Kibbee and the two became good friends. Kibbee later collaborated with Hecht and Lancaster as a writer for their production companies, and became an equal partner of Lancaster's post-Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions venture, Norlan Productions. In late 1939, after months of unemployment, Hecht
12371-761: The plays that the school produced and Hecht was most drawn by choreography. He also worked under Boleslavsky, both in The Lab's productions and on other Broadway productions, as stage assistant. In 1929 Boleslavsky left for Hollywood and Hecht continued to attend The Lab headed by Maria Ouspenskaya and Maria Germanova. After the American Laboratory Theatre closed in the spring of 1930, Hecht continued working on Broadway as either dancer or choreographer until late 1931. During this period he worked with Mikhail Mordkin , Martha Graham , George White and Albertina Rasch . He also worked on Les noces at
12510-497: The playwright whose reputation as a left-wing hero had been tarnished after he named names before the House Un-American Activities Committee . Mackendrick assumed that Odets would need only two or three weeks to polish the script, but he took four months. The director recalled, "We started shooting with no final script at all, while Clifford reconstructed the thing from stem to stern". The plot
12649-449: The producer becomes the general partner with unlimited liability, and because of this, often brings in other general partners. The producer probably has optioned the play from the playwright , which includes rights to future production for film and television. The producer earns the right to future ventures because the original theatrical production enhances the value of an artistic property. This right to further options may be included in
12788-408: The production team, including the general manager, production manager , house manager, stage manager , etc., at their discretion. In many cases, contracts require that the producer use front of house staff (such as the house manager, box office , ushers, etc.) and backstage personnel ( stage hands , electrician, carpenter, etc.) supplied by the theatre. The producer creates, builds on and oversees
12927-546: The production to Manhattan and continued rewriting while they shot there. Returning to the city that had shunned him for going to Hollywood made Odets very neurotic and obsessed with all kinds of rituals as he worked at a furious pace, with pages often going straight from his typewriter to being shot the same day. Mackendrick said, "So we cut the script there on the floor, with the actors, just cutting down lines, making them more spare – what Clifford would have done himself, really, had there been time". Tony Curtis had to fight for
13066-413: The production to ensure a successful show opening and run. The producer and director oversee this timeline, with periodic re-assessment and modifications as needed. The producer hires accountants, and perhaps already has legal representation. This is important, because of the liability issues mentioned above. All bills, including payroll, must be paid on time, and taxes must be paid. The producer oversees
13205-470: The production. Sing for Your Supper featured an elaborate cast of different ethnicity, nationalities, religious and political beliefs and Hecht showed no discrimination when hiring actors or crew members. During one of the rehearsals, on May 30, 1938, one of the African American cast members approached one of the leading ladies of the play, Viennese actress Sally Saunders, for a date. The actress
13344-491: The project Ruby Red . But the censors found far too many similarities between Ruby Red and Diamond Lil and blocked the production completely. West and Paramount decided to merge Ruby Red into another West film in the writing stages, She Done Him Wrong , using the cast and crew already hired for Ruby Red . This final version of the script made it into production. Producer LeBaron, who had left RKO to work for Paramount, hired Hecht to work on She Done Him Wrong back when it
13483-416: The project collapsed during pre-production, Mackendrick asked to be released from his commitment. Harold Hecht refused and asked him to start work on another project – adapting Ernest Lehman’s novellette Sweet Smell of Success into a film. Lehman’s story had originally appeared in the April 1950 issue of Cosmopolitan , renamed "Tell Me About It Tomorrow!" because the editor of the magazine did not want
13622-514: The purpose of making these shorts in December 1934, was called Goonies Inc. However, the Goonies shorts were never produced, for reasons unknown. In January 1935, Hecht and his friend Josef Berne were given the go ahead to direct their own Technicolor (using the three-strip process) short at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The color process was still considered a novelty at the time, making this deal, for
13761-402: The rights to produce it; renting a theatre; hiring actors and staff; and selling tickets. In Britain, these functions were carried out by the manager, while the person responsible for staging the play (now called the "director") was traditionally referred to as the producer. The independent producer usually initiates the production—finding the script and starting the process. The producer finds
13900-400: The role of Sidney Falco because Universal , the studio to which he was contracted, was worried that it would ruin his career. Tired of doing pretty-boy roles and wanting to prove that he could act, Curtis got his way. Orson Welles was originally considered for the role of J. J. Hunsecker. Mackendrick wanted to cast Hume Cronyn because he felt that Cronyn closely resembled Walter Winchell ,
14039-456: The royalty agreement. In other duties, the producer may work with theatrical agents, negotiate with unions, find other staff, secure the theatre and rehearsal hall, obtain liability and workers' compensation insurance, and post bonds with unions. The producer handles the business and legal end of employing staff, as in any business entity. Hiring creative staff and teams generally involves the director and playwright's approval. The producer hires
14178-458: The script. It starred Lancaster and Gary Cooper with featured roles by Denise Darcel , Sara Montiel , Cesar Romero , George Macready , Ernest Borgnine , Charles Bronson (again credited as Charles Buchinsky), Jack Elam and Jack Lambert . Vera Cruz became Norma Productions' top grosser and one of UA's best box office success, earning over $ 11 million and boosting Hecht and Lancaster to the top as Hollywood's most prominent independent producers,
14317-429: The studio reached out to Hecht, though no screen credits were provided for the dance numbers (no screen credits were provided for Horse Feathers either). As for A Night at the Opera , it was filmed at M-G-M Studio in the summer of 1935, during a time when Hecht was associated with the studio. However, the film gives screen credits to Chester Hale for the choreography. Whether Hale worked alone or if Hecht had any input in
14456-454: The time known under the title The Way to Love ), directed by Norman Taurog and starring Maurice Chevalier and Helen Twelvetrees , International House , directed by A. Edward Sutherland starring W. C. Fields, Bela Lugosi and George Burns and the highly anticipated blockbuster College Humor . College Humor , another William LeBaron production, was proclaimed by Paramount's publicity department as "the most lavish musical picture since
14595-456: The top of my list and I have to eat so I'd have to keep you working". Lancaster signed with Hecht and they went out to celebrate at a restaurant. There Hecht said, "You know, I really don't like being an agent. I want to produce pictures". Lancaster replied that he wanted the same, which led to Hecht's famous retort, "Come with me and in five years maybe we can make it". The actual time was 19 months. Through Hecht's negotiations, Lancaster signed
14734-418: The truth and informing J.J. that Susan is permanently lost to him. J.J. then calls Kello and tells him Steve is innocent, ordering Sidney to be arrested for planting the evidence. As Sidney exits the building, Kello stops and brutally beats him. As Susan packs her belongings, J.J. unsuccessfully begs her to stay; she coolly informs him that death is preferable to living with him. An overwrought J.J. watches from
14873-435: The two studios merged into a single location), but some of the pictures too were cancelled. As part of the agreement, all 20 Pathé pictures in production at the time of the acquisition were to be made at RKO's studio. However, the 16 films on RKO's production schedule were not given the same security and for a variety of reasons, Chi Chi and Her Papas was one of the few to get shut down. LeBaron had already spent $ 100,000 within
15012-463: The word "smell" in the publication. It was based on his own experiences working as an assistant to Irving Hoffman, a New York press agent and columnist for The Hollywood Reporter . Hoffman subsequently did not speak to Lehman for a year and a half. Hoffman then wrote a column for The Hollywood Reporter speculating that Lehman would make a good screenwriter, and within a week Paramount called Lehman, inviting him to Los Angeles for talks. Lehman forged
15151-501: The writers, actors and directors that Hecht and Lancaster had worked with through Norma Productions and Halburt Productions had been named as known or suspected Communists and the Committee was eager to hear Hecht's side of the story. Hecht cooperated with the Committee on every aspect, feeling no shame about his past and answering all their questions regarding his affiliation with the Communist Party . Hecht admitted to once being
15290-618: The years. It grew to become highly acclaimed by film critics, particularly for its cinematography and screenplay. In 1993, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Sweet Smell of Success: The Musical was created by Marvin Hamlisch , Craig Carnelia , and John Guare in 2002. One night in Manhattan, slick, up-and-coming press agent Sidney Falco scans
15429-561: Was Kiss the Blood Off My Hands , a film noir based on British author Gerald Butler 's best-selling novel. The movie starred Lancaster, Joan Fontaine and Robert Newton and was directed by Norman Foster , famous for the Mr. Moto crime series starring Peter Lorre , with a soundtrack by Miklós Rózsa , a noted film noir composer. Kiss the Blood Off My Hands , a co-production through Norma Productions and Harold Hecht Productions,
15568-573: Was The Crimson Pirate , another Technicolor swashbuckler starring Lancaster and Nick Cravat , a close friend since boyhood, and former acrobat who had worked with Lancaster in the circus (he had also co-starred in The Flame and the Arrow ). It was directed by Robert Siodmak , written by Roland Kibbee and featured an early appearance by Christopher Lee . The Crimson Pirate was made entirely in remote locations, with filming in Ischia , an island off
15707-437: Was a Marx Brothers film, it is quite possible that Hecht found his way to that studio through Nat Perrin, whom he had just worked with on Lucky Day and was Groucho's close friend and collaborator. Hecht was reported to have worked on additional Marx Brothers films, though no specific titles have surfaced to confirm this (i.e.: "Hecht worked on Marx Brothers films", in plural form). If he did work on additional Marx Brothers films,
15846-404: Was a box-office failure, and Hecht blamed his producing partner Hill. "The night of the preview, Harold said to me, 'You know you've wrecked our company? We're going to lose over a million dollars on this picture, ' " Hill recalled. According to Lehman, Lancaster blamed him, claiming that: "Burt threatened me at a party after the preview. He said, 'You didn't have to leave – you could have made this
15985-469: Was a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin starring Robert Cummings and Barbara Hale , based on a short story by Hugo Butler and Jean Rouverol as first-time parents. Hecht's final Warner Brothers commitment was His Majesty O'Keefe , filmed in mid-1952 but only released in early 1954. His Majesty O'Keefe was granted another large budget for remote location shooting in Technicolor. This time
16124-697: Was accepted into its Auxiliary Acting Group, granting him the privilege of appearing in the school's produced plays, while remaining under Boleslavsky's teachings beyond the two years required to graduate. While attending The Lab, Hecht appeared in The Straw Hat (October–November 1926), Big Lake (April 1927, from a story by Rollie Lynn Riggs ), Much Ado About Nothing (November–December 1927), Dr. Knock (February–March 1928), Grand Street Follies (May–October 1928, with dances staged by James Cagney ) and The Wild Duck (November 1928 – January 1929). Many of The Lab's students worked on additional aspects of
16263-531: Was again nominated three years later at the 31st Academy Awards ceremony for the 1958 Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions film Separate Tables . The film did not win but Hecht did accept the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in place of Wendy Hiller who could not be present. The Broadway play version of Separate Tables , produced by Hecht-Lancaster Productions, was nominated for the Best Play Award at
16402-756: Was born on June 1, 1907, in Yorkville , New York City, to Joseph Hecht and Rose (née Loewy) Hecht. His father was born on November 17, 1882, in Austria. While employed as a sailor at the age of seventeen, he immigrated to New York City in January 1899. Once in New York he worked in construction and eventually made it up to the position of a building contractor. His mother was born on January 18, 1882, in [Austria]. Joseph and Rose were married in 1906 in New York City and had two children; Harold (born 1907) and Janet Hecht (b. 1910, later Janet Garfield, mother of Warren Garfield,
16541-479: Was brought up to date by J. Keirn Brennan with dance numbers by Hecht and vocal numbers by H. L. Heidecker. Karl Hajos composed and conducted the 30-piece orchestra and the cast included Herbert Evans , Ruth Gillette, Alex Callam, Florinne McKinney, Franklin Record, Roland Woodruff, Diane Warfield, Paul Sauter, Rolloe Dix, William Jeffries, Harold Reeves and Evelyn Cunningham. The play opened on Monday November 14 at
16680-462: Was caused by a lack of work in the fast-paced, constantly evolving musical pictures business. His style of dances were refreshing when he arrived in 1931. But by 1935 they had been adapted and used by other choreographers and had been well-used at all the major studios. In November 1935, exactly four years after leaving, Hecht returned to New York City and took employment at the Summer Hotel. He
16819-539: Was created by Marvin Hamlisch , Craig Carnelia and John Guare . It was not considered a critical or commercial success. In its " 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains " list, the American Film Institute (AFI) named J. J. Hunsecker number 35 of the top 50 movie villains of all time in 2003. Filmmaker Barry Levinson paid tribute to Sweet Smell of Success in his 1982 film Diner , with one character wandering around saying nothing but lines from
16958-614: Was during this time that Hecht became a member of the Communist Party, subscribing to the Daily Worker and attending select meetings at the New York City Communist Party headquarters on 4th Avenue and the Workers Alliance of America . He also studied five hours a week, taking classes like labor studies, political economy, current events and the rise of Marxism and Leninism . Even though he had
17097-634: Was fulfilled), Hecht made plans to work at Universal in October 1933 with Stanley Bergerman on I Like It That Way . The film was directed by Harry Lachman and starred Gloria Stuart and Roger Pryor . But shortly before starting production on I Like It That Way in November, Hecht instead opted to go to work on Buddy DeSylva 's film Bottoms Up at Fox. The large production was directed by David Butler and starred Spencer Tracy and Pat Paterson with music and lyrics by Gus Kahn . Hecht's numbers in
17236-655: Was given to the House Un-American Activities Committee by Martin Berkeley on September 19, 1951. At the time that Hecht's name was brought up, he was in Italy working on Norma Productions' The Crimson Pirate for Warner Brothers and a subpoena for his testimony was only procured two years later. On March 23, 1953, Hecht appeared in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, represented by his lawyer Edward Bennett Williams. Many of
17375-477: Was having second thoughts about going with a first-time director, so Hecht offered the film to Mackendrick. Initially, the director had reservations about trying to film such a dialogue-heavy screenplay, so he and Lehman worked on it for weeks to make it more cinematic. As the script neared completion, Lehman became ill and had to resign from the picture. James Hill took over and offered Paddy Chayefsky as Lehman's replacement. Mackendrick suggested Clifford Odets ,
17514-422: Was hired as director and James R. Webb wrote the script from an original novel by Paul Wellman . Apache was another box office success for the company and despite the controversy that both leading actors had striking blue eyes, the film met with the approval of Native Americans, who were consulted at private screenings prior to the opening dates. Apache was followed by Vera Cruz , another western, based on
17653-497: Was hired by Nat Goldstone as a talent agent for the Goldstone Agency. The Goldstone Agency initially dealt with actors and Hecht established for them a literary department , first becoming head of the new division and then being promoted to a partner in the company. He worked two years for the Goldstone Agency, eventually handling up to thirty-six writers. Hecht hired one of these writers, George Willner, to be his assistant. Willner later formed his own literary agency. Hecht enlisted in
17792-688: Was honorably discharged on September 3, 1945. After his service in World War II, Hecht returned to Hollywood with plans to head his own talent agency. In the fall of 1945 he formed the Hecht-Rantz Agency with friend and former Goldstone Agency employee, Louis Rantz. Rantz had also worked in Hollywood during the mid-1930s, as an associate producer, mostly with Metropolitan Pictures , George A. Hirliman Productions and B.F. Zeidman Productions. Hecht and Rantz set up their office at 324 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills , California. During
17931-485: Was largely intact, but in Mackendrick's biography he is quoted from Notes on Sweet Smell of Success : "What Clifford did, in effect, was dismantle the structure of every single sequence in order to rebuild situations and relationships that were much more complex, had much greater tension and more dramatic energy". This process took time, and the start date for the production could not be delayed. Odets had to accompany
18070-553: Was one of the leading dance directors in the movie industry, working with the Marx Brothers , Mae West , Bing Crosby , Cary Grant , W. C. Fields , Gary Cooper , Maurice Chevalier and Marion Davies . In 1947, he co-founded Norma Productions , an independent film production company , with his business partner and managed actor Burt Lancaster . From 1954 to 1959, the Norma Productions subsidiaries Hecht-Lancaster Productions and later Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, were
18209-407: Was poorly received, as Tony Curtis fans were expecting him to play one of his typical nice guy roles and instead were presented with the scheming Sidney Falco. Mackendrick remembered seeing audience members "curling up, crossing their arms and legs, recoiling from the screen in disgust". Burt Lancaster's fans were not thrilled with their idol either, "finding the film too static and talky". The film
18348-494: Was produced by Benjamin Glazer , who had written A Bedtime Story , and featured music by Ralph Rainger, who had also worked on A Bedtime Story and International House , as well as Hecht's play, Hullaballoo . Shortly before Hecht's Paramount contract expired, producer Lou Brock at RKO borrowed him to direct the dance numbers on the musical Melody Cruise (at the time known under the title Maiden Cruise ). Hecht put together
18487-434: Was released in late 1948 to moderate success. Following this, Hecht worked exclusively through Norma Productions for the next ten years. In early 1949 Norma Productions made a three-picture deal with Warner Brothers Pictures , all to be produced by Hecht and to star Lancaster. The inaugural picture was The Flame and the Arrow , a Technicolor swashbuckler directed by Jacques Tourneur . The big-budget film featured some of
18626-631: Was signed to a contract with Lancaster's film company and was to have played the Steve Dallas role but was drafted into the Army before he could begin the film. Ernest Borgnine , contracted to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster since Marty (1955) was offered a role in the film but turned it down as his role was only seven pages long in the script. His refusal led him to be put on suspension from Hecht-Hill-Lancaster. Hecht-Hill-Lancaster allowed Mackendrick to familiarize himself with New York City before shooting
18765-478: Was so dominating, so much larger than life". Hecht attended the play many more times before it closed after twenty-three performances on December 8. When nearly all the major Hollywood studios starting coming at Lancaster with offers, his friend and co-star in the play, Sam Levene , an established stage and film actor, offered to represent him. Together they were invited to restaurants, hearing offers from David O. Selznick, 20th Century-Fox and Hal B. Wallis , who had
18904-517: Was so insulted that she rushed to Hecht, asking for the man to be fired. Hecht gloriously championed the rights of blacks by responding to her "Sally, I'm surprised at you. He has just as much right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as you and I have". Saunders was horrified by Hecht's approval of racial equality and in August of that same year testified against him, the Federal Theater,
19043-432: Was still a separate entity from Ruby Red . Hecht was also hired for dance routines on Ruby Red . Ultimately, all of Hecht's material was merged into a single film and used on She Done Him Wrong . The film was directed by Lowell Sherman and starred West, Cary Grant, Owen Moore and Noah Beery . Hecht was interviewed by Motion Picture Magazine in 1933, in response to Mae West's media comments regarding "curvy women being
19182-635: Was then hired by the Theatre Guild and positioned as assistant director and assistant stage manager for the Leonard Lawrence Atlas play But for the Grace of God in 1936. The play was produced by Sidney Harmon and directed by Benno Schneider. Hecht was not the original stage manager of the play and only came in through Schneider's insistence. But for the Grace of God opened on January 12, 1937, and ran for forty-two performances. It
19321-416: Was working to adapt her notoriously banned play, Diamond Lil , into a film, initially titled Honky Tonk . But the censors objected and Paramount worked quickly to change a few scenes, re-title the film to Diamond Lil and tried again to get it into production. The censors objected again, Paramount went back to work and, hoping to fool the censors into thinking they were submitting an all-new film, re-titled
#512487