Producers Releasing Corporation
Early Television Rights
Producers Releasing Corporation's film library was always a mystery to me. The little studio, much maligned, just seemed like a staple of the public domain world, never defined like Republic and, to a lesser degree, Monogram. Curious as I was, the best way to document what happened to the library was to follow the trail of television distributors. The filmography presented is simple. Each title has the year of release and what company handled its distribution, with the odd comment here and there. These distributors are summarized by the following chain: Ziv > Hygo > M. C.: Ziv Television Programs, Inc., then Hygo Television Films, Inc., then M. C. Pictures, Inc. Film Vision is Film Vision Corp. (sometimes spelled Film-Vision). Wilton/AAP > MPTV: Wilton Pictures, Inc./Associated Artists Productions, Ltd., then Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. Essex/Flamingo > MPTV: Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc., then Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. MPTV is Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. Madison is Madison Pictures, Inc., which reissued the majority of the PRC library. Formed in late December 1945, Madison was helmed by Armand Schneck, a former supervisor of branch operations for PRC, and previously an executive with Pathé Laboratories, a subsidiary of Pathé Industries. PRC was incorporated as a Pathé subsidiary in November 1943 but had the purse strings previously, the company's Pathé Laboratories having acquired the controlling interest in PRC by early 1942. At one time PRC was owned and operated by its franchise holders, with Pathé helping out financially after each film was completed. Schneck purchased from Pathé various distribution rights in perpetuity to PRC's 1940–1941 and 1941–1942 programs in late 1945, just before the formation of Madison Pictures; the 1942–43 and 1943–44 programs in 1947; and the 1944–1945 and 1945–1946 programs in 1949, which unlike the first two contracts did not include TV rights. TV rights to the 1944–1945 and 1945–1946 programs were under license from Pathé in perpetuity to Wilton Pictures, Inc., distributed exclusively by Eliot Hyman's Associated Artists Productions, Ltd. In 1948 Hyman had formed Telinvest, Inc., a New York financing syndicate created to acquire film rights for TV distribution by AAP, and Wilton Pictures was probably a Telinvest subsidiary. A lawsuit in 1951 divulged that Telinvest had acquired 81 features in the deal with Eagle-Lion. In October 1949, Walter Batchelor, a New York agent who also handled radio and TV packages before his death in 1950, contended that an oral agreement was made to purchase the films' TV rights for $90,000, and shortly after were instead sold to Telinvest. Hyman sold the majority of Telinvest-AAP's film library for $1.5 million in June 1951 to David Baird's non-profit Lansing Foundation, which then immediately sold it to Matthew Fox to form the core of Motion Pictures for Television, Inc., the company joining forces with an established TV distributor, Flamingo Films, Inc. Matthew “Matty” Fox was a Universal vice-president who in 1947 was instrumental in the formation of the company's 16mm subsidiary, United World Films, Inc., which made available some of its shorts to TV the same year. Fox resigned from Universal at the start of 1951, soon to form MPTV with help from Erwin H. Ezzes, former vice-president in charge of sales of United World. PRC's 1946–47 and 1947–48 programs were also acquired by Matthew Fox, shortly after his management team saved the privately-held, near-bankrupt United Artists, which in April 1951 had purchased Eagle-Lion Classics, Inc., a Pathé subsidiary encompassing the old PRC. Eagle-Lion had purchased Film Classics, Inc. in June 1950, hence the company's new name. United Artists acquired 226 films from Eagle-Lion: 177 American and 49 foreign features, with Pathé retaining ownership to about 20 of the total. Eight or nine had yet to be released, and four or five were still in production. The deal entailed much of Eagle-Lion's inventory of features, past, present and future, the total greatly diminished, however, since Madison Pictures had PRC's large pre-1946–47 backlog. Pathé did retain rights to a batch of Eagle-Lion “oldies” that were left over after the sale, unrelated to the 20 or so they kept, but these were not PRC titles. The bulk of PRC-Eagle Lion's 1946–47 and 1947–48 programs, as mentioned, would go to Matthew Fox who personally negotiated the UA deal with Pathé. Before Fox's MPTV had the films, many were already on the tube by April 1950, and most by March 1951, distributed by Essex Films, Inc. Essex was a short-lived company formed in early 1950, helmed by former PRC president Harry H. Thomas, who left the company in 1947 to pursue independent production and, with his theater interests, distribution. The firm had 51 PRC-Eagle Lion titles, 41 of which are listed herein. Essex initially planned to reissue the films but there was more money to be made with TV, especially with skyrocketing prices for broadcast rights. The 51 films were actually purchased outright from Eagle-Lion by Flamingo Films in the latter part of 1950 for $250,000, Essex apparently operating as a subsidiary company of Joseph Harris, a millionaire-industrialist who bankrolled and was advisor of MPTV during its inception, and the co-founder of Flamingo in March 1949. Flamingo's origins go back to 1946 with the formation of Film Highlights, Inc., which acquired domestic 16mm rights to 50 features, four serials and a large number of shorts and cartoons from Universal Pictures. In 1948, with Joseph Harris as board chairman, Film Highlights set up a TV division, Television Highlights, Inc. Helmed by Seymour Weintraub, Television Highlights initially acquired a group of British shorts that Joseph Harris was planning to sell in the 16mm field. Along with Weintraub's friends, David Wolper and James Harris (Joseph's son), the three sold the films to the 15 stations operating at the time. By mid-1950, Flamingo had 14 features, 10 serials, and various shorts and cartoons. Film Highlights, it should be noted, was formed by Martin Ross, who co-founded National Television Associates, Inc. in 1954. The Eagle-Lion, non-PRC titles in the Essex/Flamingo block were: “Adventures of Casanova,” “Assigned to Danger,” “Behind Locked Doors,” “The Cobra Strikes,” “In This Corner,” “It's a Joke, Son!,” “Love From a Stranger,” “Out of the Blue,” “Red Stallion of the Rockies,” and “Repeat Performance.” Not part of the Eagle-Lion sale was their Hollywood studio, which PRC had purchased in August 1943 from a subsidiary of Western Electric, the plant previously known as the Fine Arts Studio, and before that the Grand National Studio. Chesapeake Industries, the new name for Pathé Industries in April 1952, would sell the 4½-acre, six-stage studio in late 1953. Previous to selling their studio, the company incorporated a subsidiary in February 1952, Pathé TV Corp., with plans of producing, distributing and financing syndicated film programs. Tentative production plans were announced but the company quickly faded. In December 1953, MPTV bought out Flamingo and the two companies parted ways; Eliot Hyman revived AAP on his own in August 1954. Matthew Fox's MPTV now owned Flamingo's PRCs and much of AAP's library, including the Telinvest PRCs, the films all part of his Western Television Corp., a holding company formed in 1952 as an offshoot of Flamingo Films Western Division Corp. The founders of Flamingo Films, who reportedly made a bid to take over Eliot Hyman's Telinvest in 1951 before merging with AAP, aligned itself for a few months in 1954 with the fledgling National Telefilm Associates. Flamingo was then revived in April as a subsidiary of Joseph Harris' newly formed Essex Universal Corp., or The Harris Group as it was also known. MPTV's name would more or less disappear when Guild Films Company, Inc. became the sub-distributor of the library in early 1955, through its MPTV Films, Inc. subsidiary, under license by Western Television Corp. In 1958 the latter became a division of Matthew Fox's Television Industries, Inc., formerly C. & C. Television Corp. Film Vision Corp. was created by Jerome Balsam, the son-in-law of Armand Schneck. Very much a family affair, Balsam was also supervisor of Madison Pictures' state rights exchanges, formed to reissue the company's 228 PRC titles. Other companies involved in the corporately entwined family of Schneck-Balsam, which included Jules B. Weill and Alexander J. Beck (another son-in-law of Armand Schneck): B. & B. Pictures Corp., J. & J. Pictures Corp., and Commodore Pictures Corp. In early 1948 Balsam assigned TV rights to the 1940–1941 and 1941–1942 PRC programs to Budd Rogers, who leased them to Ziv Television Programs, Inc., a newly formed subsidiary of the Frederic W. Ziv Company, which previously handled only radio transcriptions. Radio Daily Tenth Annual Edition of “Shows of Tomorrow” — 1949–50:
Radio Daily, March 1, 1948, reported Ziv's acquisition of the PRCs in one short sentence, devoid of any fanfare, stating the company “acquired tele rights to 76 full-length movie features.” Film Daily, February 27, 1948, erroneously reported Ziv's 76-film acquisition as “from several distributors.” Ziv granted ABC the right to “transmit” 41 of the films to their stations on an 18-month lease, the first film debuting at 8:30pm, October 2, 1948, on WJZ-TV, New York, ABC's first owned-and-operated station. In 1952 Ziv, which was concentrating on TV production, then turned the leased rights over to the newly formed Hygo Television Films, Inc. With the agreement's seven-year expiration the films returned from Hygo to Jerome Balsam, who formed M. C. Pictures, Inc. in 1955 with Jules B. Weill, a seasoned TV distributor. Billboard, February 19, 1955, unbiased by the little studio, called it “One of the history-making packages of features and Westerns in TV.” Almost all the Madison reissue dates have been culled from the National Screen Service Poster and Accessories Number Log, referenced as NSS herein. Of the 228 films that Madison acquired from the 1940–1946 programs, 224 were listed. I have used the IMDb—“a modern source” as the American Film Institute likes to call it—for the other four missing from the NSS log. Keep in mind that the IMDb is rife with omissions when it comes to PRC's TV distributors, but someone entered generally accurate information on the Madison reissues. The only notable mistakes in the IMDb are “The Fighting Vigilantes,” listed with a 1951 reissue by Madison but the film was from the 1947–48 program, part of the Essex/Flamingo package, and the omission of “Sheriff of Sage Valley,” which appeared in the NSS log as Madison. After “Texas Renegades” was completed in late December 1939, productions by Producers Pictures ceased due to a financial crisis, and resumed as Producers Releasing Corporation in mid-April 1940 with “I Take This Oath.” With the financial crisis, Pathé Laboratories held first lien on the seven features made by the bankrupt Producers Pictures Corp. All but one of these films, the entirety of their short 1939–1940 program, are a mystery, however, when it comes to their TV distributors. Listed by order of production, released by Producers Distributing Corporation, the films are “Torture Ship,” “Hitler—Beast of Berlin” (and its variants), “Buried Alive,” “The Invisible Killer,” “Mercy Plane,” “The Sagebrush Family Trails West,” and “Texas Renegades.” After Madison acquired the first block of films in 1945, Film Daily reported, “Included among the product are the 1940–1941 and the 1941–1942 programs of PRC,” perhaps inferring there were other titles. When the 1940–1941 and 1941–1942 programs—41 features and 35 westerns according to the contract—returned to Jerome Balsam in 1955, the trades reported 80 titles in the package: 45 features and 35 westerns. The four additional titles were “Convention Girl,” “Flirtation,” “White Heat,” and “Hell's Devils,” the first three released in 1934, unrelated to PRC. “Hell's Devils” was the retitled “Hitler—Beast of Berlin,” which Armand Schneck reissued in 1947. The Billboard, June 21, 1952:
A. S. Productions would have been Armand Schneck Productions, another one of his corporate entities, although apparently never mentioned in any other trade journal. A 1963 edition of the TV Feature Film Source Book, published by the Broadcast Information Bureau, lists the four releases by A. S. Productions as part of the M. C. Pictures library. The total, 80 features, is reflected in the advert above, published in the 1956 International Television Almanac. As listed in the advert, 39 of the PRC titles were edited into 30-minute featurettes. Four titles were listed in the NSS log as Armand Schneck instead of Madison: “Hell's Devils,” “Mercy Plane,” “The Sagebrush Family Trails West,” and “Texas Renegades,” evidence that Schneck had in the least most of the 1939–1940 program. All but “Hell's Devils” were listed in the NSS log with their original release dates for some reason. The other three films, “Torture Ship,” “Buried Alive,” and “The Invisible Killer,” were not listed but it starts from 1940 onwards. The 1963 edition of the TV Feature Film Source Book lists the distributors of “Torture Ship,” “Buried Alive,” “The Invisible Killer,” “Mercy Plane,” “The Sagebrush Family Trails West,” and “Texas Renegades” with question marks or the films are simply not included. A 1972 edition, the only other I have access to, provides few clues also. Most of the 1939–1940 program was on TV by 1950, and all by 1951, coinciding with the formation of Film Vision Corp. Film Vision is listed in the 1952 Motion Picture Production Encyclopedia, published by The Hollywood Reporter, with 51 features and 37 westerns. The contract, however, was for 40 features and 34 westerns. Sponsor's Fall Facts Basics, July 1956, lists Film Vision with 48 features and 36 westerns, those numbers repeated in the 1965 International Television Almanac. Yet the 1963 TV Feature Film Source Book lists, with titles, only the 40 features and 34 westerns in the contract. So Film Vision was distributing at least 10 additional titles, which I suspect could possibly include the other six features in the 1939–1940 program. But TV rights could have been with a company not affiliated with Schneck. What is apparent, from doing searches in New York City TV listings, is that the films were out of general circulation by the end of the 1950s. Their distribution remains a gray area. Commonly listed as 1939 releases, “The Invisible Killer” was released on January 31, 1940 (filming started October 31, 1939), and “Mercy Plane” on April 5, 1940 (filming started November 15, 1939). Film Vision's two-page advert in the September 1950 issue of Television Magazine, which listed many of the company's PRC titles. The contract was for 40 features and 34 westerns. Sponsor, September 2, 1950, stated the company had 36 westerns, and I can not help but think the extra two were “The Sagebrush Family Trails West” and “Texas Renegades.” An advert for Associated Artists Productions, Ltd. in the April 17, 1950, issue of Broadcasting-Telecasting. The fine print states “Also sole distributor for WILTON PICTURES, INC.,” the holding company for the TV rights of Madison Pictures' third contract, although corporately unrelated. Wilton acquired three additional features from Eagle-Lion than Madison's third contract of 78 titles, but I do not know what they were. Likely the TV rights expired and did not end up in Western Television's library. The majority of AAP's library was from Monogram and PRC, advertised in February 1950 as “the largest catalog of Hollywood-produced-film for television.” Sponsor, July 17, 1950, listed the company with 270 features and 98 westerns, a number that would grow to about 500 features by early 1951. In April 1950, WPTZ, Philadelphia, purchased over 200 features from AAP, in what Billboard called “the largest film deal ever consummated by a local television station.” The total was 232 features (32 were westerns), excluding 66 westerns previously sold to the station by AAP. Associated Artists was formed in 1949 by Eliot Hyman, but he had been making sales to New York stations previously under the Telinvest name. Hyman entered the motion picture business through International Theatrical and Television Corp., formed in 1944 by George Hirliman in association with a group headed by the former. ITTC was created to exploit what would be a post-war boom in 16mm activities, with plans of forming a state rights exchange system, manufacturing projectors and pre-fabricated theaters, and acquiring various film libraries for TV and their 16mm outlets. In January 1946 the company was advertised as having “the largest 16mm sound library in the world,” with 3,000 titles of shorts, serials and features. In 1945 ITTC acquired Walter O. Gutlohn, Inc., formed in 1933, a prominent 16mm distributor which handled Monogram and a few other studios' product. With the Gutlohn purchase, ITTC renamed the new subsidiary Film-Tel, Inc., both companies providing early TV stations with film product. They would weather financial problems early on and disappear in 1948. Eliot Hyman's initial library was 18 Monogram westerns from the 1930s, featuring Bob Steele, Bill Cody and Rex Bell, the TV rights purchased for $12,000. Coincidentally, perhaps, almost all the films were handled on 16mm by the former Walter O. Gutlohn, Inc. Hyman, a friend of Steve Broidy, Monogram president, would soon purchase domestic and theatrical rights to a total of 199 Monogram titles, all owned outright by 1955. Hyman's Telinvest would also acquire short-term TV rights to other films from Monogram before the studio pursued TV distribution in late 1951 through its Interstate Television Corp. (although formed in 1949). Much of the PRC library played on New York television years before Ziv acquired the first block in 1948. These broadcasts are not related to the distributors listed herein. Steve Broidy, former Allied Artists president, stated in a 1974 interview that PRC “sold 171 negatives for $1,750 apiece,” which may be related to the Armand Schneck purchase. The 228 PRC pictures, however, cost Schneck $850,000—about $3,700 apiece. Even before the April 21, 1949 contract for the 1944–1945 and 1945–1946 programs, many of the films were on TV, as reported in this news item from the Television Daily section of Radio Daily, December 29, 1948:
April 21, 1949 was the execution date of Madison's third contract, but it was signed on December 31, 1948, the only one where Madison did not receive TV rights. With the contract's execution in 1949, Pathé assigned such rights to KTTV, Inc., and then in perpetuity to Wilton Pictures, Inc. It is unknown who contracted the PRCs to the CBS outlets, but at the time KTTV, Inc. was co-owned by CBS. Feature films on early television was summarized by Television Daily, April 3, 1947:
Advance Television Picture Service, Inc., New York, incorporated in 1941 (but advertised itself as “serving the television industry since 1936”), was probably the first distributor created specifically for TV. In 1942 the company, representing various film entities, had over 500 features—many of them silent—and 1,000 shorts available for telecasting, including at least two from PRC: “Billy the Kid Outlawed” and “Hold That Woman!” Another early distributor was Equity Film Exchanges, Inc., formed in 1940 by Bernard H. Mills, a former Republic franchise holder in Upstate New York and Michigan. Equity operated as a state rights theatrical distributor, with exchanges in New York, Albany and Buffalo, but made some of its library available to what were experimental stations at the time. The first Hollywood studio to release its backlog to TV was Monogram Pictures, which in November 1941 contracted with NBC's WNBT, New York, for the company's entire 1937–1938 program of 42 features. More would follow. There were an estimated 5,000 sets—half of the 10,000 in the country—in use within the area served by WNBT, with between 450 and 600 in public places. The audience was estimated at 40,000 in the New York metropolitan area. PRC would follow suit en masse in early 1945, the films likely handled directly through New York's PRC exchange, a common practice at the time, since many features were booked through standard film exchanges. Except for Monogram, none of the companies were Hollywood studios. WNBT was equipped with both 16mm and 35mm projection. Insight into feature film programming on early TV: Television, May 1946:
The Televiser, November-December 1946:
Radio Daily, May 20, 1947:
The Televiser, July-August 1947, published a survey of film distributors and film production organizations of New York, Chicago, Detroit and Hollywood. In part, the article stated:
With the proliferation of new TV stations, feature film availability blossomed. Before the Hollywood majors began to release their backlogs to TV, the Broadcast Information Bureau, October 1954, reported the numbers. Sponsor, December 13, 1954:
At the end of 1963, BIB reported 10,427 features available to TV, including 1,228 westerns and 149 tele-features. BIB was formed in 1951 by Joseph M. Koehler and his wife, Judy Dupuy, its various publications available only to those in the TV industry. In mid-August 1947, Eagle-Lion acquired all of the exchanges of PRC, the name retained solely as a production trademark for Pathé's lower-budgeted productions. Earlier, in April, E-L and PRC's publicity and advertising departments were merged, the first move in their consolidation. Ultimately some of PRC's last films were released under the E-L banner but PRC appeared on the prints and advertising accessories. Conversely, four films were released as E-L but made for PRC, with no known reference to the company on the prints and accessories. These were made during or before the August 1947 transition and are listed in an addendum. PRC would continue on into 1948, with Film Bulletin, January 5, 1948, commenting: “PRC, while still an autonomous group, recedes more and more into the background as Eagle-Lion expands its program. This unit may disappear altogether, or will finally come to be the permanent unit for the programmers which will be needed to fill out E-L's schedule of releases.” Although “The Tioga Kid” is regarded as the final PRC production, “Prairie Outlaws” appears to be the company's swan song. Showmen's Trade Review, October 18, 1947, reported “Red River Renegades” now before the cameras, and then on January 3, 1948 reported that specific title had been changed to “The Tioga Kid.” Showmen's Trade Review, November 1, 1947, reported PRC had started work on “Prairie Outlaws”; Daily Variety, November 3, 1947, reported a record fast shoot for “Prairie Outlaws,” noting it as the final Eddie Dean for PRC; and Film Bulletin, November 10, 1947, reported “PRC put an Eddie Dean western into work this week for E-L release,” the same issue reporting: PRAIRIE OUTLAW (PRC) That short synopsis matches “The Tioga Kid,” although its start date certainly was not the week of November 10. The fast shoot for “Prairie Outlaws” was probably because additional scenes were filmed for inclusion into PRC's “Wild West” (1946), a 71-minute Cinecolor production. The 57-minute, colorless, “Prairie Outlaws”—which is not listed in the AFI Catalog—was always treated as an entirely separate film, with no mention of its origins even in its copyright registration, press book and other accessories. “Prairie Outlaws” had the production number 857, and “The Tioga Kid,” 858. The former was released May 12, 1948, and the latter, June 16, 1948. Regardless of the confusion, and what is exactly fact, these were the final films under the PRC name. PRC Productions, Inc., formed in September 1943, would continue on as a Pathé subsidiary into the 1950s. Trans America Film Corporation, formed in 1965 by Elvin Feltner, acquired rights to the majority of the PRC library in 1966 from the Armand Schneck-Jerome Balsam affiliate, B & B Pictures Corp. The deal involved 156 features. National Telefilm Associates had 116 of the 282 titles listed herein as PRC, acquired in 1964, all once owned by Matthew Fox's Western Television Corp. Feltner also claimed foreign TV rights to at least 45 of NTA's titles. Note that Associated Artists Productions, Inc. briefly distributed these PRCs just before being acquired by NTA. Despite reports that the entire PRC library is in the public domain, 81 of the PRC titles acquired by NTA in 1964 had their copyrights renewed. They are all now owned by Films Around the World, Inc. NTA also renewed the copyright of “Strange Holiday,” now owned by Paramount. Those films with renewals are noted with the copyright symbol (©). Foreign rights to most, if not all, of Western Television's PRC library were owned by Bon Ami Film Distributing Corp. How Bon Ami acquired those rights is a convoluted story related to the household cleaner. Foreign rights to 170 films were acquired by Chatham Corp. from foreign interests represented by Satiris G. Fassoulis, whose Panamanian corporation, Icthyan Associates, S.A., purchased them from Matthew Fox in 1955. Chatham Corp. was controlled by Alexander L. Guterma, a Siberian-born industrialist who purchased the Hal Roach Studios, including its TV and film properties, in 1958. In a series of complicated transactions involving TV spot time with Guild Films Company, Inc., which handled Matthew Fox's MPTV library beginning in early 1955, Bon Ami Company ended up owning the rights. Those did not include the U.S. and Canada, which Western Television held in perpetuity. Bon Ami Film Distributing Corp. was run by Jackson E. Dube, someone previously experienced in TV distribution. In 1959 he was in charge of TV and radio time-buying for the advertising agency representing Bon Ami Company, and acquired their film interests. Dube's foreign and remake rights, later handled under his J.E.D. Productions Corp., were purchased in 2010 from his widow and children by Films Around the World. Foreign rights to the Schneck titles were handled in-house by Commodore Pictures Corp. An advert from October 20, 1956. The inset is enlarged for legibility, showing the extent of MPTV Films' feature film library at the time. The Johnny Mack Brown westerns, 21 in all, belonged to Vitapix, Inc., along with 6 starring Whip Wilson (not mentioned), the TV rights purchased from Monogram. All the other features were MPTV's, including the John Wayne westerns made for Monogram in the 1930s. The 65 WOMEN'S FEATURES are actually weight-loss half-hours. With the PRC and Eagle-Lion titles, MPTV's library had 323 features in the advert's generalized account. The assets of Guild Films, what little remained, were sold at a bankruptcy auction in 1961. MPTV's library, which had 268 features and 72 westerns in 1957, greatly diminished over the years as rights expired, was still with Matthew Fox. Madison Pictures' first two contracts, which included TV rights, totaled 150 titles but 156 were involved in the Trans America Film Corporation sale. Four additional titles were those mentioned earlier, “Convention Girl,” “Flirtation,” “White Heat,” all unrelated to PRC, and “Hell's Devils,” leaving two unaccounted. Elvin Feltner, who was not involved in TV distribution previous to the 1960s, claimed all seven titles in the 1939–1940 program. As an interesting side note, Alexander J. Beck, who was involved in the Schneck-Balsam companies, also had his own entity: Alexander Beck Films, Inc. The company, formed no later than 1956, would eventually have TV rights to most of the Grand National Pictures' library. Those rights appear to have been acquired from a group of companies helmed by Patrick E. Shanahan: Skibo Productions, Inc., Acus Pictures Corp., and International 16mm Corp. Shanahan, who headed the creditors' committee for Grand National's bankruptcy in 1940, ended up owning TV and theatrical rights to the former Mohawk Film Corp., created for disposing of Grand National's assets. Almost all the films handled by Alexander Beck Films would later be in the hands of Feltner's Trans America Film Corp. Alternate 16mm titles used by Pictorial Films, Inc., a Pathé subsidiary from 1945–1951, are included. Pathé announced in early 1947 that the sales and distribution of its 16mm product would be handled through PRC's exchange system, which by that time the company owned outright its 31 domestic outlets. Above is a poster from Pictorial Films showing PRC's retitled “Frontier Crusader.” Generally associated with home users, most people saw 16mm releases in institutions or communities not served by a local theater, the films often presented by itinerant roadshowmen. Six films appear without a post-1960 TV distributor: “Blonde Savage,” “Danny Boy,” “Follies Girl,” “Rodeo Rhythm, “Swing Hostess,” and “The Return of Rin Tin Tin.” Discounting the 1980s, when the copyrights had long-expired, and omissions on my part, “Blonde Savage” disappeared from TV after 1958; “Danny Boy” was edited into a half-hour 16mm release, “Adventures of Danny Boy”; “Follies Girl, made at the Ideal Studios, New Jersey, seems to have never been released to TV; “Rodeo Rhythm” disappeared after 1953; “Swing Hostess” disappeared after 1959; and “The Return of Rin Tin Tin” disappeared after 1960. Post-1960, however, Elvin Feltner claimed “Danny Boy,” “Rodeo Rhythm,” and foreign rights to “Swing Hostess,” which has a number of songs still under copyright, not unusual for the few PRC musicals but perhaps a factor. The far-right column is the TV distributor in the 1960s and/or 1970s: TAFC (Trans America Film Corp.); NTA (National Telefilm Associates, Inc.); SG (Screen Gems, Inc.); TVCSC (TV Cinema Sales Corp.); and WRDC (Winters/Rosen Distribution Corp.). If someone stumbles upon this page and has access to an early edition of a Broadcast Information Bureau publication, listing the distributor of the other six films in PRC's 1939–1940 program, or any other pertinent information, please send me an email.
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Accomplice | 1946 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Along the Sundown Trail | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Ambush Trail | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Apology for Murder | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Arizona Gang Busters | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Gang Busters. | TAFC |
Arson Squad | 1945 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Avalanche | 1946 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Baby Face Morgan | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Bad Men of Thunder Gap | 1943 | Madison '53 | Film Vision. Reissued in 1947 by PRC as Thundergap Outlaws, a 40-minute streamliner. |
TAFC |
Behind Prison Walls | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Big Fix, The | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Billy the Kid in Santa Fe | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid in Texas | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Battling Outlaw. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid Outlawed | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid Trapped | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid Wanted | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid's Fighting Pals | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Trigger Men. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid's Gun Justice | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Range Justice. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid's Range War | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Texas Trouble. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid's Round-Up | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Billy the Kid's Smoking Guns | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Black Hills | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Black Raven, The | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Blazing Frontier | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Blonde Comet | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Blonde for a Day | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Blonde Savage | 1947 | Indie reissued in 1952 by Favorite Films Corp. TV rights were with Unity Television Corp. |
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Bluebeard | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Bombs Over Burma | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Border Badmen | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Border Buckaroos | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Border Feud | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Border Roundup | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Born to Speed | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. Reissued in 1961 by Gibraltar Motion Picture Distributors, Inc. |
NTA | |
Boss of Big Town, The | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Boss of Rawhide | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Brand of the Devil | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Broadway Big Shot | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Brute Man, The | 1946 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. Produced by Universal Pictures. © | NTA | |
Buried Alive | 1939 | TV distributor unknown. 1939–1940 program. | ||
Bury Me Dead | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. Released in a few exchanges as The Feuding Sisters. © |
NTA | |
Caravan Trail, The | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Career Girl | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Cattle Stampede | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Caught in the Act | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Boss Foreman. | TAFC |
Check Your Guns | 1948 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Cheyenne Takes Over | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
City of Silent Men | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Club Havana | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Colorado Serenade | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Contender, The | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Corregidor | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Crime, Inc. | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Criminals Within | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Army Mystery. | TAFC |
Danger! Women at Work | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Dangerous Intruder | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Dangerous Lady | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Beware the Lady. | TAFC |
Danny Boy | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | |
Dawn Express, The | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. Released in some exchanges as Nazi Spy Ring. |
TAFC |
Dead Men Walk | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Dead or Alive | 1944 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Death Rides the Plains | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Delinquent Daughters | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Desperate Cargo | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: S.O.S. Clipper. | TAFC |
Detour | 1945 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Devil Bat, The | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Killer Bats. | WRDC |
Devil Bat's Daughter | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Devil on Wheels, The | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. Reissued in 1961 by Gibraltar Motion Picture Distributors, Inc. |
NTA | |
Devil Riders | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Dixie Jamboree | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Don Ricardo Returns | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Double Cross | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Motorcycle Squad. | TAFC |
Down Missouri Way | 1946 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Drifter, The | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Driftin' River | 1946 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Duke of the Navy | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Emergency Landing | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Robot Pilot. | TAFC |
Enchanted Forest, The | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Enemy of the Law | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Federal Fugitives | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: International Spy. | TAFC |
Fighting Bill Carson | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Fighting Valley | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Fighting Vigilantes, The | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Flaming Bullets | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Flying Serpent, The | 1946 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Fog Island | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Follies Girl | 1943 | Madison '48 | Indie pickup. No evidence of a TV release, yet reissued by Madison. |
|
Frontier Crusader | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Fighting Crusader. | TAFC |
Frontier Fugitives | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Frontier Outlaws | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Fugitive of the Plains | 1943 | Madison '53 | Film Vision. Reissued in 1947 by PRC as Raiders of Red Rock, a 40-minute streamliner. |
TAFC |
Fuzzy Settles Down | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Gallant Lady | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. Reissued by Madison as Prison Girls. | TAFC |
Gambling Daughters | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: The Professor's Gamble. | TAFC |
Gangster's Den | 1945 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Gangsters of the Frontier | 1944 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Gas House Kids | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Gas House Kids Go West | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Gas House Kids “in Hollywood”, The | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Gentlemen with Guns | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Ghost and the Guest, The | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Ghost of Hidden Valley | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Ghost Town Renegades | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Girl from Monterrey, The | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Girls in Chains | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Girls' Town | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Great Mike, The | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Gun Code | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Guns of the Law | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Gunsmoke Mesa | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Hard Guy | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Adventure in Hearts. | TAFC |
Harvest Melody | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Hawk of Powder River, The | 1948 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Heading for Heaven | 1948 | MPTV. Made for PRC but released under the Eagle-Lion banner. The film has Producers Releasing Corporation on the print. |
TVCSC | |
Heartaches | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV | NTA | |
Her Sister's Secret | 1946 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
His Brother's Ghost | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Hitler—Beast of Berlin | 1939 | Madison '47 | Reissued by PRC (1943) as Beast of Berlin; Madison as Hell's Devils. Released to TV by A.S. [Armand Schneck] Productions. 1939–1940 program. |
TAFC |
Hold That Woman! | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Skip Tracer. | TAFC |
Hollywood and Vine | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
House of Errors | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
How Doooo You Do!!! | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
I Accuse My Parents | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
I Ring Doorbells | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
I Take This Oath | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Police Rookie. | TAFC |
I'm from Arkansas | 1944 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Inside the Law | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Invisible Killer, The | 1940 | TV distributor unknown. 1939–1940 program. | ||
Isle of Forgotten Sins | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision. 16mm title: Monsoon. | TAFC |
Jive Junction | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Jungle Man | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Drums of Africa. | TAFC |
Jungle Siren | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Kid Rides Again, The | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Kid Sister, The | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Killer at Large | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Lady Chaser | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Lady Confesses, The | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Lady from Chungking | 1942 | Madison '50 | Film Vision. Reissued by Madison as Guerrilla Command. | TAFC |
Lady in the Death House | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Larceny in Her Heart | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Law and Order | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Law of the Lash | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV | NTA | |
Law of the Saddle | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Law of the Timber | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Lighthouse | 1947 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Lightning Raiders | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Lone Rider Ambushed, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Trapped in the Badlands. |
TAFC |
Lone Rider and the Bandit, The | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: The Bandit. | TAFC |
Lone Rider Crosses the Rio, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Across the Border. |
TAFC |
Lone Rider Fights Back, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Lawless Town. | TAFC |
Lone Rider in Cheyenne, The | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Cheyenne. | TAFC |
Lone Rider in Frontier Fury, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Rangeland Racket. |
TAFC |
Lone Rider in Ghost Town, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Ghost Mine. | TAFC |
Lone Rider in Texas Justice, The | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Lone Rider Rides On, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Rider of the Plains. | TAFC |
Machine Gun Mama | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision. Released to TV under its original title,
then renamed Tropical Fury. |
TAFC |
Mad Monster, The | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Man of Courage | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Man Who Walked Alone, The | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Marked for Murder | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Marked Men | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Desert Escape. | TAFC |
Mask of Diijon, The | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Men of San Quentin | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Men on Her Mind | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Mercy Plane | 1940 | TV distributor unknown. 1939–1940 program. | TAFC | |
Minstrel Man | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Miracle Kid, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Misbehaving Husbands | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Dummy Trouble. | TAFC |
Miss V from Moscow | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision. Released to TV as Intrigue in Paris. | TAFC |
Missing Corpse, The | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Monster Maker, The | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Mr. Celebrity | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Turf Boy. | TAFC |
Murder Is My Business | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
My Son, the Hero | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Mysterious Rider, The | 1942 | Madison '53 | Film Vision. Reissued in 1947 by PRC as Panhandle Trail, a 40-minute streamliner. |
TAFC |
Nabonga | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Navajo Kid | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Night for Crime, A | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Oath of Vengeance | 1944 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Outlaw Roundup | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Outlaws of Boulder Pass | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Outlaws of the Plains | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. Advertised as Outlaw of the Plains. © | NTA |
Outlaws of the Rio Grande | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Border Marshal. | TAFC |
Overland Riders | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Overland Stagecoach | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Panther's Claw, The | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Paper Bullets | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. Reissued by PRC (1943) and Madison as Gangs, Inc. 16mm title: Ballot Blackmail. |
TAFC |
Pay Off, The | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Phantom of 42nd Street, The | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Philo Vance Returns | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Philo Vance's Gamble | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Philo Vance's Secret Mission | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Pinto Bandit, The | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Pioneer Justice | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Prairie Badmen | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Prairie Outlaws | 1948 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. Re-edited black-and-white version of Wild West (1946). © |
NTA | |
Prairie Pals | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Prairie Rustlers | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Prisoner of Japan | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Queen of Broadway | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Queen of Burlesque | 1946 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Raiders of Red Gap | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Raiders of the West | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Railroaded! | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Range Beyond the Blue | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Rangers Take Over, The | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Reg'lar Fellers | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Renegades, The | 1943 | Madison '53 | Film Vision. Reissued in 1947 by PRC as Code of the Plains, a 40-minute streamliner. Advertised as The Renegade. |
TAFC |
Return of Rin Tin Tin, The | 1947 | Indie released to TV by George Bagnall & Associates, Inc. | ||
Return of the Lash | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Return of the Rangers | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Riders of Black Mountain | 1940 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Black Mountain Stage. | TAFC |
Rodeo Rhythm | 1942 | Indie pickup reissued in 1948 by Devonshire Film Company. On TV in 1951 (distributor unknown). |
||
Rogues Gallery | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Rolling Down the Great Divide | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Romance of the West | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Rustler's Hideout | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Sagebrush Family Trails West, The | 1940 | TV distributor unknown. 1939–1940 program. | ||
Secret Evidence | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Secrets of a Co-ed | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Secrets of a Sorority Girl | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Seven Doors to Death | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Shadow of Terror | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Shadow Valley | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Shadows of Death | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Shake Hands with Murder | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Sheriff of Sage Valley | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Six Gun Man | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Song of Old Wyoming | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
South of Panama | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Panama Menace. | TAFC |
Spook Town | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Stage to Mesa City | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Stagecoach Outlaws | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Stars Over Texas | 1946 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Step-Child | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Strange Holiday | 1946 | Indie pickup released to TV by NBC Film Syndication, then M & A Alexander Productions, Inc. © |
NTA | |
Strange Illusion | 1945 | Madison '49 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. Copyrighted as Out of the Night. | NTA |
Strangler of the Swamp | 1946 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Submarine Base | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Swamp Woman | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. Also released to TV as Swamp Lady. | TAFC |
Swing Hostess | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | |
Terrors on Horseback | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Texas Manhunt | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Texas Marshal, The | 1941 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. 16mm title: Lone Star Marshal. | TAFC |
Texas Renegades | 1940 | TV distributor unknown. 1939–1940 program. | ||
They Raid by Night | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Three in the Saddle | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Three on a Ticket | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Thunder Town | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Thundering Gun Slingers | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Tiger Fangs | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Tioga Kid, The | 1948 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Today I Hang | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Tomorrow We Live | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Too Many Winners | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Too Many Women | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Tornado Range | 1948 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Torture Ship | 1939 | TV distributor unknown. 1939–1940 program. | WRDC | |
Town Went Wild, The | 1944 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Trail of Terror | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Tumbleweed Trail | 1946 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. Released to TV as Tumbleweed Trails. © |
NTA | |
Tumbleweed Trail | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Underdog, The | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Untamed Fury | 1947 | Indie reissued in 1951 by Classic Pictures, Inc. TV rights were with Hygo Television Films, Inc., then Screen Gems, Inc. |
SG | |
Valley of Vengeance | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Waterfront | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
West of Texas | 1943 | Madison '53 | Film Vision. Reissued in 1947 by PRC as Shootin' Irons, a 40-minute streamliner. |
TAFC |
West to Glory | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Western Cyclone | 1943 | Madison '53 | Film Vision. Reissued in 1947 by PRC as Frontier Fighters, a 40-minute streamliner. |
TAFC |
Westward Trail, The | 1948 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
When the Lights Go On Again | 1944 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Whispering Skull, The | 1944 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
White Pongo | 1945 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Why Girls Leave Home | 1945 | Madison '49 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Wife of Monte Cristo, The | 1946 | Madison '51 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV. © | NTA |
Wild Country | 1947 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV | NTA | |
Wild Horse Phantom | 1944 | Madison '50 | Wilton/AAP > MPTV | NTA |
Wild Horse Rustlers | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Wild West | 1946 | Essex/Flamingo > MPTV. © | NTA | |
Wolves of the Range | 1943 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
Yank in Libya, A | 1942 | Madison '46 | Ziv > Hygo > M. C. | TAFC |
Yanks Are Coming, The | 1942 | Madison '48 | Film Vision | TAFC |
The following list comprises American-made Eagle-Lion titles completed from 1946 to mid-January 1948 (to reflect those started in December 1947), in order of production start as best determined with sometimes conflicting sources. This addendum simply completes the Pathé film library up to the end of 1947, including a few made for PRC but released under the E-L banner. Technically the first three were PRC releases, since E-L had not yet assumed control of their exchanges. “Sword of the Avenger” seems to have disappeared from TV after 1958, so has no post-1960 distributor listed. The same for “Linda, Be Good,” which was on TV up to the early 1960s. NTA (National Telefilm Associates, Inc.); AE (Alan Enterprises, Inc.); SATC (Schnur Appel Television Corp.); SG (Screen Gems, Inc.); TVCSC (TV Cinema Sales Corp.); UA-TV (United Artists Television, Inc.). |
It's a Joke, Son! | 1947 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. | NTA |
Red Stallion, The | 1947 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films,
Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. Made for PRC but released under the Eagle-Lion banner. © |
NTA |
Lost Honeymoon | 1947 | Hygo Television Films, Inc. > Screen Gems, Inc. Reissued
in 1954 by Carroll Pictures, Inc. |
SG |
Repeat Performance | 1947 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. © | NTA |
Out of the Blue | 1947 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. © | NTA |
Love from a Stranger | 1947 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films,
Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. Reissued in 1952 as Hideout for Horror (distributor unconfirmed but probably Essex Films). © |
NTA |
Man from Texas | 1948 | Hygo Television Films, Inc. > Screen Gems, Inc. Reissued
in 1954 by Carroll Pictures, Inc. |
SG |
Adventures of Casanova | 1948 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. © | NTA |
Northwest Stampede | 1948 | Film Division of General Teleradio > National Telefilm
Associates, Inc. Reissued in 1953 by Favorite Attractions, Inc. © |
NTA |
Linda, Be Good | 1947 | Quality Films, Inc. Made for PRC but released under the
Eagle-Lion banner. Re-edited with new scenes in 3-D and released as I Was a Burlesque Queen in 1954. |
|
T-Men | 1948 | Peerless Television Productions, Inc. > Television
Programs of America, Inc. > Independent Television Corp. Reissued in 1954 by Favorite Films Corp. © |
AE |
Enchanted Valley, The | 1948 | Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. Made for PRC but
released under the Eagle-Lion banner. |
TVCSC |
Open Secret | 1948 | Associated Artists Productions, Inc. (the new AAP, no
longer associated with MPTV) > Trans-Lux Television Corp. Made for PRC but released under the Eagle-Lion banner. Reissued in 1955, probably by AAP. |
SATC |
Ruthless | 1948 | Film Division of General Teleradio > National Telefilm
Associates, Inc. Reissued in 1953 as Ruthless Men by Favorite Attractions, Inc. © |
NTA |
Mickey | 1948 | Hygo Television Films, Inc. > Screen Gems, Inc. Reissued
in 1954 by Carroll Pictures, Inc. |
SG |
Noose Hangs High, The | 1948 | United Artists Television, Inc. > United Artists Associated, Inc. © | UA-TV |
Raw Deal | 1948 | Peerless Television Productions, Inc. > Television
Programs of America, Inc. > Independent Television Corp. Reissued in 1954 by Favorite Films Corp. © |
AE |
Close-Up | 1948 | Associated Artists Productions, Inc. (the new AAP, no
longer associated with MPTV) > Trans-Lux Television Corp. |
SATC |
Adventures of Gallant Bess | 1948 | Hygo Television Films, Inc. > Screen Gems, Inc. Reissued
in 1956 by Premier Pictures Company. |
SG |
Sword of the Avenger | 1948 | Hygo Television Films, Inc. > Screen Gems, Inc. | |
Assigned to Danger | 1948 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. © | NTA |
Cobra Strikes, The | 1948 | Essex Films, Inc./Flamingo Films, Inc. > Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. © | NTA |
Corrections and comments are welcome. Revised February 18, 2017.