Benedict Bogeaus
Encyclopedia
Benedict Bogeaus born Chicago
4 May 1904 died of a heart attack Hollywood 23 August 1968 was an independent film producer
and former owner of General Service Studios.
When AT&T
's Western Electric
unit that manufactured sound equipment for film was forced by an antitrust
action to divest itself of the General Service Studio
complex, Bogeaus outbid producer Edward Small
to acquire the studio. He allowed the United States Government to use his complex for film work and leased it out to various independent film producers, keeping his eye on their progress.
Forming Benedict Bogeaus Productions in 1944, his first films were The Bridge of San Luis Rey
followed by Dark Waters
, Diary of a Chambermaid
and Captain Kidd
.
Though these films were critically acclaimed, they didn't set the box office on fire. Realising the public's attaction to low and middle budget films with star power, Bogeaus signed George Raft
on for a few films, beginning with Mr. Ace
.
In 1950 Bogeaus formed a partnership with director Allan Dwan
making several films including Silver Lode
and Slightly Scarlet both starring John Payne
.
Bogeaus was married from 1939-1944 to actress Mimi Forsythe and from 1944 to 1962 to actress Dolores Moran
.
His last production was Most Dangerous Man Alive directed by Dwan that was filmed in 1958 but not released until 1961. Dwan and Bogeaus cooperated in three unfilmed projects, a remake of The Bridge at San Luis Rey, Will You Marry Me, written by Dwan, and The Glass Wall.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
4 May 1904 died of a heart attack Hollywood 23 August 1968 was an independent film 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...
and former owner of General Service Studios.
Biography and filmography
After careers in real estate, zipper manufacture, and inventing a portable film developing unit, Bogeaus arrived in Hollwood in 1940.When AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
's Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
unit that manufactured sound equipment for film was forced by an antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
action to divest itself of the General Service Studio
Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood Center Studios is a company based in Los Angeles, California that provides stage facilities to television and movie production companies. Its sound stages, located at 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood, California, are steeped in Hollywood history...
complex, Bogeaus outbid producer Edward Small
Edward Small
Edward Small was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970....
to acquire the studio. He allowed the United States Government to use his complex for film work and leased it out to various independent film producers, keeping his eye on their progress.
Forming Benedict Bogeaus Productions in 1944, his first films were The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944 film)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a 1944 drama film made by Benedict Bogeaus Productions and released by United Artists. It was produced and directed by Rowland V. Lee with Benedict Bogeaus as co-producer. The screenplay by Howard Estabrook and Herman Weissman was adapted from the novel The Bridge of...
followed by Dark Waters
Dark Waters (1944 film)
Dark Waters is a 1944 Gothic horror film based on the novel of the same name by Francis and Marian Cockrell. It was directed by André De Toth and starred Merle Oberon, Franchot Tone and Thomas Mitchell.-Plot:...
, Diary of a Chambermaid
The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946 film)
The Diary of a Chambermaid is a drama film about a newly-hired servant who severely disrupts a wealthy family. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Octave Mirbeau and the play Le journal d'une femme de Chambre by André Heuse, André de Lorde, and Thielly Nores, was directed by Jean...
and Captain Kidd
Captain Kidd (1945 film)
Captain Kidd is a film starring Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, and John Carradine, directed by Rowland V. Lee, produced by Benedict Bogeaus and James Nasser, music conduced by Werner Janssen, and released by United Artists. The film has entered the public domain since the...
.
Though these films were critically acclaimed, they didn't set the box office on fire. Realising the public's attaction to low and middle budget films with star power, Bogeaus signed George Raft
George Raft
George Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s...
on for a few films, beginning with Mr. Ace
Mr. Ace
Mr. Ace is a 1946 film about a society woman who taps a gangster for his political support. The movie was written by Fred F. Finkelhoffe and directed by Edwin L...
.
In 1950 Bogeaus formed a partnership with director Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:...
making several films including Silver Lode
Silver Lode (1954 film)
Silver Lode is a color 1954 western film directed by Allan Dwan.The film, with a similar plot to High Noon, tells the story of Dan Ballard and Rose Evans who are about to be married when Marshal Fred McCarty and his deputies ride into town looking for Ballard...
and Slightly Scarlet both starring John Payne
John Payne (actor)
John Payne was an American film actor who is mainly remembered as a singer in 20th Century Fox musical films, and for his leading roles in Miracle on 34th Street and the NBC western television series The Restless Gun.-Background:Payne was born in Roanoke, Virginia...
.
Bogeaus was married from 1939-1944 to actress Mimi Forsythe and from 1944 to 1962 to actress Dolores Moran
Dolores Moran
Dolores Moran was an American film actress and model.Moran's brief career as a film actress began in 1942 with some uncredited roles in such films as Yankee Doodle Dandy. By 1943 she had become a popular pin-up girl and appeared on the cover of such magazines as Yank...
.
His last production was Most Dangerous Man Alive directed by Dwan that was filmed in 1958 but not released until 1961. Dwan and Bogeaus cooperated in three unfilmed projects, a remake of The Bridge at San Luis Rey, Will You Marry Me, written by Dwan, and The Glass Wall.
Quotes
"All independent producers go broke sooner or later. It's because they try and make artistic pictures. I make good commercial ones. It pays off".External links
- Benedict Bogeaus and The General Service Studio http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/benedict_bogeaus.htm