Pine-Thomas Productions was a prolific B-picture unit of Paramount Pictures from 1940 to 1957, producing 81 films. Co-producers William H. Pine (February 15, 1896 – April 29, 1955) and William C. Thomas (August 11, 1903 – April 2, 1984) were known as the "Dollar Bills" because none of their economically made films ever lost money.Dick, Bernard F. (2001). Engulfed: The Death of Paramount Pictures and the Birth of Corporate Hollywood, University Press of Kentucky, p. 33John Payne – the Star Who Likes People: When He Isn't Making a Picture He's Out Meeting the Public and Winning Friends for Hollywood and for Himself. Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 14 Sep 1952: c2.'Senile celluloid': Independent exhibitors, the major studios and the fight over feature films on television, 1939-1956 Pierce, David. Film History; Sydney Vol. 10, Iss. 2, (1998): 141-164. "We don't want to make million dollar pictures," they said. "We just want to make a million dollars."William Paine, Filmmaker New York Times 30 Apr 1955: 17.
History
William Pine and William Thomas William Pine was a graduate of Columbia University who went to work as a publicist at Paramount in 1933 becoming head of publicity. He became an associate director for Cecil B. De Mille at the studio and worked on several films.
William Thomas was also a publicist who was working at Paramount producing "B" movies. Pine and Thomas struck up a partnership and swapped theories about how films could be produced for lower budgets.
First Three Films: Picture Corporation of America Pine and Thomas talked with Richard Arlen, who had become famous with Wings (1927) but whose most recent films had been lower budgeted productions. Arlen, who owned several planes and ran an aviation school, suggested they make an aviation film; he offered himself and his aircraft for a movie. Pine and Thomas selected three titles, Power Dive, Forced Landing and Flying Blind, and wrote scripts around them. (The producers later called these "Westerns of the air".) They approached Paramount and said they had a star and three scripts and asked for a distribution deal. Paramount were looking for some low-budget action movies and agreed, enabling Pine and Thomas to gain loans from the bank to finance the films. The other key elements of the team were Maxwell Shane, a writer, and Doc Merman, a production manager.
Power Drive (1941), starring Arlen and Jean Parker was made in ten days at a cost of $86,000 under the auspices of "Picture Corporation of America". Thomas produced the first film while Pine worked more an associate - he worked for Cecil B. De Mille. It earned almost a million dollars. Pine and Thomas saved money by shooting on location.WILLIAM THOMAS, 80; PRODUCER OF LOW-BUDGET '40S ACTION FILMS Burr Van Atta. Philadelphia Inquirer 6 Apr 1984: E.2.
Their second film, Forced Landing (1941) was another aviation film with Arlen; Eva Gabor made her debut. Arlen and Parker were in their third film, Flying Blind (1941), which was directed by John McDonald who would helm many of the company's early films.
All three films cost under $90,000 and returned six times its negative cost. Paramount were so pleased with these results they offered to finance the duo's films from then on.
Pine-Thomas Productions: Chester Morris Joins Company In June 1941, Pine and Thomas signed a six-picture deal with Paramount, three to star Richard Arlen and three to star Chester Morris.Chester Morris Will Act in Cinema Series Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 30 June 1941: A14. The Picture Corporation of America was dissolved and from this point on the company would be known as Pine-Thomas Productions.SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD, New York Times 30 June 1941: 13
Morris' first film for the company was No Hands on the Clock (1941), based on a novel by "Geoffrey Holmes" (Daniel Mainwaring). It was the first of three novels by Mainwaring which they optioned.Stage Actors Signed for 'The Male Animal'Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 19 July 1941: A9.
Pine-Thomas' early films focused on industry and aviation, areas not often dealt with in the movies. According to The New York Times: "The plots were usually built around a hazardous occupation, like deep-sea diving parachute jumping or auto car racing - and someone was always killed doing that particular job in the first reel to get the idea across." The screenwriters on their films often had to participate in the activities they were writing about.
They kept costs down by careful scripting and budgeting, use of location filming for production value, and employing stars whose careers were in decline such as Arlen and Chester Morris - so they still had name recognition for the public but did not cost much to employ.While the Films Reel By: Quickies Keep Alive Romance of Hollywood Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 20 Dec 1942: C3. They did not employ any permanent staff apart from themselves and one secretary, hiring people on a picture-by-picture basis.
The advent of World War Two saw Pine-Thomas go into military stories, although with action always at the forefront. Arlen's fourth film for the company Torpedo Boat (1942) was directed by John Rawlins, who became another key director for the company. The female lead, Jean Parker, frequently appeared in the early films.
Arlen was in Wildcat (1942) and Morris did I Live on Danger (1942) then both were teamed in Wrecking Crew (1942).
In March 1942, Pine-Thomas signed a contract to make six more films for Paramount. Variety said "the pair have shown showman's flair for turning out thrill-heavy action dramas. They have consistently led their production classification in BO returns." Arlen signed a deal with Pine Thomas to make four more films.
Pine-Thomas made four propaganda shorts including A Letter from Bataan (1942), which featured Arlen and a young Susan Hayward. William Pine directed these. Pine made his feature debut as director with Aerial Gunner (1942), which reteamed Arlen and Morris.
Morris then made High Explosive (1943) and Tornado (1943), and signed another three-picture contract.Chester Morris Wins Three-Picture Contract With Pine and Thomas Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 16 Mar 1943: 13.
Renewed Deal with Paramount By December 1942, the company had made 11 films. They announced they had renewed their deal with Paramount and would make one "A" film a year.DRAMA: Pine, Thomas Will Do One 'A' Film Annually Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 2 Dec 1942: 15. However, this did not happen for a number of years.
Their first film under the new deal was Alaska Highway (1943) with Arlen. The star was also in Submarine Alert (1943), Minesweeper (1943) and Timber Queen (1944). Arlen then left the company for some years.
In July 1943 Variety reported that Pine-Thomas films had an average gross in excess of $500,000.
In June 1943, Pine-Thomas signed a new contract with Paramount which included three musicals, and two bigger budgeted pictures, plus three wartime movies which would co-star Chester Morris and Russell Hayden as a team (replacing Morris and Richard Arlen). Jack Haley was signed to appear in two of the musicals with Mary Beth Hughes (see below).SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 26 June 1943: 11.Pine and Thomas to Increase Production at Paramount New York Times 28 June 1943: 16.
Morris and Arlen were in Gambler's Choice (1944), a bigger budgeted period film. However, for Morris' next film, Double Exposure (1944) he was teamed with Philip Terry.
Robert Lowery Pine-Thomas signed a contract with Robert Lowery who was in The Navy Way (1944), Dark Mountain (1944), Dangerous Passage (1944), High Powered (1945), They Made Me a Killer (1946), Danger Street (1947), some of the Big Town series (see below), and Jungle Flight (1947).
Some of these films were written by Daniel Mainwaring who later recalled: "Bill Thomas of Pine and Thomas, who made very small and very bad pictures at Paramount, gave me my first real screenwriting job. I wrote six pictures in one year, all of which I'd just as soon forget except Big Town . At the end of the year, I fled to the hills and wrote Build My Gallows High."
Jack Haley In 1944, the partnership signed Jack Haley to a multi-picture contract.Glenn Langan Awarded 'Bon Voyage' Male Lead Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 23 Aug 1944: A7. This meant the company moved into comedies for the first time with Take It Big (1944), followed by One Body Too Many (1944) with Bela Lugosi, Scared Stiff (1945) and People Are Funny (1946).
Also in 1944 they signed a three-picture contract with Johnny Weissmuller, whose Sol Lesser RKO Pictures contract led him to make other films. However, he only made one film for them, Swamp Fire (1946)SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 18 Feb 1944: 14. with fellow former Tarzan Buster Crabbe.
William Gargan William Gargan signed with the company and starred in Midnight Manhunt (1945), Follow That Woman (1945), Hot Cargo (1946), Waterfront at Midnight (1947) and Dynamite (1949).
Other stars for the company included Byron Barr (Tokyo Rose (1946)), Richard Denning (Seven Were Saved (1947), Caged Fury (1948), Disaster (1948)), William Eythe (Mr. Reckless, Special Agent (1949)).
Arlen returned to the company briefly to appear in Speed to Spare (1948).
Big Town Series Pine Thomas decided to make a film based on the radio show Big Town. Big Town (1947) starring Phillip Reed and Lowery was popular enough for three sequels: I Cover Big Town (1947), Big Town After Dark (1948) and Big Town Scandal (1948). The series was shelved after four films were made but only the first two released.
In June 1947, Paramount announced Pine-Thomas would make eight films for them over the coming year.
Pine and Thomas were both directing films by this stage. Shane made his directorial debut with Fear in the Night (1947) with Paul Kelly.
In a 1947 interview, Pine said, "We're not geniuses by a long shot and we don't propose to tell the industry how to make pictures. We're just a couple of businessmen who've learned by long experience how to put pictures together to achieve what we consider a maximum amount of entertainment at a minimum cost."TWO DOLLAR BILLS: LOOKING AT HOLLYWOOD WITH HEDDA HOPPER Chicago Daily Tribune 13 Apr 1947: h7
Pine said they usually had six scripts ready for production "at a moment's notice. That gives flexibility to our schedule." They also liked if possible to reuse sets on films. If a script was sent in, they would go over it with their production manager Doc Merman and inhouse writer to see if it was feasible to make. Background footage was important - they would often film this with a skeleton crew and using doubles which could substitute for the main cast. The cast was the last thing the producers would pick, once they knew how long the actors would be needed for. If they needed a star for only a week "we can afford to get a fairly big name and pay him well" said Pine. But if they needed someone for longer, they got a less expensive star. They did prefer to hire lead actors with some name recognition but would hire experienced bit players so they would not hold up production.
Pine said they often got ideas from the newspapers. They did not make many murder mysteries because the majors did them and they did not want to compete.
Pine says he and Thomas were paid out of the profits of their films. "Some day I believe the whole industry will get around to working as units," said Pine. He said thirty percent of their business came from England.
Rising Budgets After World War Two, television began to make inroads into Pine-Thomas' market, and costs were rising without a corresponding match in returns - for instance, Dynamite (1948) cost $200,000. Pine-Thomas said their average take from a "B" was $450,000 worldwide and $350,000 in the US. However, they said about once a year, one film would exceed expectations.