Sam Katzman

Producer

About

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Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

July 07, 1901

Died

August 04, 1973

Biography

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An old-style Hollywood producer in the mid 20th century, Sam Katzman was a master of budget, helping to create and distribute a big portfolio of low-cost films that often made high returns for his employers. Born poor in New York City, he went to work at the age of 13 on local film sets. When Fox, his first company, let him go, Katzman became an independent producer while still in his ea...

Filmography

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Brothers of the West (1938)

Orphan of the Pecos (1937)

Lost Ranch (1937)

Sky Racket (1937)

Amateur Crook (1937)

Obey the Law (1933)

Assistant Director

Photos & Videos

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Rock Around The Clock (1956) -- (Movie Clip) The Great Pretender

Rock Around The Clock (1956) -- (Movie Clip) The Living End

Biography

An old-style Hollywood producer in the mid 20th century, Sam Katzman was a master of budget, helping to create and distribute a big portfolio of low-cost films that often made high returns for his employers. Born poor in New York City, he went to work at the age of 13 on local film sets. When Fox, his first company, let him go, Katzman became an independent producer while still in his early 30s. Within several years, he had gained enough of a reputation to be lured by other studios. He worked for low-budget production houses Victory Pictures and Puritan Pictures, making numerous films on the cheap, such as the 1938 horse opera "Lightning Carson Rides Again." He then graduated to that era's King of Cheapies, Monogram Pictures, and had a long and mutually fruitful working relationship with them. It was during this time that he helped form the East Side Kids, a comedy troupe that cranked out a host of low-cost comedies in a long series. His effectiveness as a budget-scraper came at a price, however; he developed a strong reputation as a "schlock" producer, to the point where Columbia president Harry Cohn would break an actor's contract by presenting him with the script to a Katzman movie. Despite that, the producer had a long and successful career, and over 250 titles have his name in the credits.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

Brothers of the West (1938)

Orphan of the Pecos (1937)

Lost Ranch (1937)

Sky Racket (1937)

Amateur Crook (1937)

Obey the Law (1933)

Assistant Director

Deception (1932)

Assistant Director

Producer (Feature Film)

The Loners (1972)

Executive Producer

How to Succeed with Sex (1970)

Executive Producer

Angel, Angel, Down We Go (1969)

Executive Producer

For Singles Only (1968)

A Time To Sing (1968)

The Young Runaways (1968)

Riot on Sunset Strip (1967)

The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967)

Hot Rods to Hell (1967)

The Love-Ins (1967)

Hold On! (1966)

Harum Scarum (1965)

When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965)

Kissin' Cousins (1964)

Get Yourself a College Girl (1964)

Your Cheatin' Heart (1964)

Hootenanny Hoot (1963)

The Wild Westerners (1962)

Don't Knock the Twist (1962)

Pirates of Tortuga (1961)

Twist Around the Clock (1961)

The Enemy General (1960)

The Wizard of Baghdad (1960)

The Last Blitzkrieg (1959)

The Flying Fontaines (1959)

Juke Box Rhythm (1959)

Crash Landing (1958)

Life Begins at 17 (1958)

Going Steady (1958)

The World Was His Jury (1958)

The Giant Claw (1957)

The Tijuana Story (1957)

Calypso Heat Wave (1957)

Escape from San Quentin (1957)

The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957)

The Night the World Exploded (1957)

Don't Knock the Rock (1957)

Utah Blaine (1957)

Zombies of Mora-Tau (1957)

Uranium Boom (1956)

The Werewolf (1956)

Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado (1956)

Miami Expose (1956)

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Executive Producer

Inside Detroit (1956)

Executive Producer

Rock Around the Clock (1956)

Cha-Cha-Cha Boom! (1956)

Rumble on the Docks (1956)

The Houston Story (1956)

Chicago Syndicate (1955)

The Crooked Web (1955)

It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)

Executive Producer

Pirates of Tripoli (1955)

Devil Goddess (1955)

Jungle Moon Men (1955)

Creature with the Atom Brain (1955)

New Orleans Uncensored (1955)

The Gun That Won the West (1955)

Seminole Uprising (1955)

Teen-Age Crime Wave (1955)

Duel on the Mississippi (1955)

Masterson of Kansas (1955)

Charge of the Lancers (1954)

Battle of Rogue River (1954)

Cannibal Attack (1954)

Jungle Man-Eaters (1954)

The Saracen Blade (1954)

The Iron Glove (1954)

Jesse James vs. the Daltons (1954)

Drums of Tahiti (1954)

The Miami Story (1954)

The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954)

Prisoners of the Casbah (1953)

Valley of Head Hunters (1953)

Killer Ape (1953)

Flame of Calcutta (1953)

Slaves of Babylon (1953)

Target Hong Kong (1953)

Executive Producer

Sky Commando (1953)

Conquest of Cochise (1953)

Siren of Bagdad (1953)

Serpent of the Nile (1953)

The 49th Man (1953)

Savage Mutiny (1953)

The Pathfinder (1953)

Jack McCall, Desperado (1953)

Prince of Pirates (1953)

The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd (1953)

The Lost Planet (1953)

Thief of Damascus (1952)

Voodoo Tiger (1952)

Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land (1952)

The Golden Hawk (1952)

A Yank in Indo-China (1952)

Last Train from Bombay (1952)

California Conquest (1952)

Brave Warrior (1952)

King of the Congo (1952)

Blackhawk (1952)

Revenue Agent (1951)

Purple Heart Diary (1951)

The Magic Carpet (1951)

Fury of the Congo (1951)

Jungle Manhunt (1951)

A Yank in Korea (1951)

When the Redskins Rode (1951)

Hurricane Island (1951)

Roar of the Iron Horse (1951)

Mysterious Island (1951)

Captain Video (1951)

Chain Gang (1950)

Tyrant of the Sea (1950)

Last of the Buccaneers (1950)

Captive Girl (1950)

Pygmy Island (1950)

Mark of the Gorilla (1950)

State Penitentiary (1950)

Chinatown at Midnight (1950)

Pirates of the High Seas (1950)

Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)

Cody of the Pony Express (1950)

The Lost Tribe (1949)

The Mutineers (1949)

Barbary Pirate (1949)

Manhattan Angel (1949)

Batman and Robin (1949)

Bruce Gentry (1949)

Jungle Jim (1948)

The Prince of Thieves (1948)

Racing Luck (1948)

Triple Threat (1948)

Mary Lou (1948)

Glamour Girl (1948)

I Surrender Dear (1948)

Congo Bill (1948)

Brick Bradford (1948)

Sweet Genevieve (1947)

Two Blondes and a Redhead (1947)

Little Miss Broadway (1947)

Last of the Redmen (1947)

Vacation Days (1947)

The Sea Hound (1947)

The Vigilante (1947)

Junior Prom (1946)

Betty Co-ed (1946)

High School Hero (1946)

Freddie Steps Out (1946)

Hop Harrigan (1946)

Chick Carter, Detective (1946)

Son of the Guardsman (1946)

Docks of New York (1945)

Trouble Chasers (1945)

Mr. Muggs Rides Again (1945)

Come Out Fighting (1945)

Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945)

Who's Guilty? (1945)

Jungle Raiders (1945)

Three of a Kind (1944)

Follow the Leader (1944)

Return of the Ape Man (1944)

Voodoo Man (1944)

Bowery Champs (1944)

Million Dollar Kid (1944)

Block Busters (1944)

Crazy Knights (1944)

The Ape Man (1943)

Spotlight Scandals (1943)

Mr. Muggs Steps Out (1943)

Kid Dynamite (1943)

Clancy Street Boys (1943)

Ghosts on the Loose (1943)

Smart Alecks (1942)

Mr. Wise Guy (1942)

The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Bowery at Midnight (1942)

Let's Get Tough! (1942)

Black Dragons (1942)

'Neath Brooklyn Bridge (1942)

Zis Boom Bah (1941)

Spooks Run Wild (1941)

Bowery Blitzkrieg (1941)

The Invisible Ghost (1941)

Flying Wild (1941)

Boys of the City (1940)

Pride of the Bowery (1940)

East Side Kids (1940)

Straight Shooter (1940)

That Gang of Mine (1940)

Trigger Fingers (1939)

The Fighting Renegade (1939)

Code of the Cactus (1939)

Texas Wildcats (1939)

Outlaw's Paradise (1939)

Brothers of the West (1938)

Lightning Carson Rides Again (1938)

Six-Gun Trail (1938)

Cheyenne Rides Again (1937)

Blake of Scotland Yard (1937)

Sky Racket (1937)

Feud of the Trail (1937)

Supervisor and pres

Lost Ranch (1937)

Orphan of the Pecos (1937)

Flying Fists (1937)

Supervisor and pres

Amateur Crook (1937)

Mystery Range (1937)

Shadow of Chinatown (1937)

Cheyenne Rides Again (1937)

Million Dollar Racket (1937)

Mystery Range (1937)

Taming the Wild (1936)

Silks and Saddles (1936)

Rip Roarin' Buckaroo (1936)

Silks and Saddles (1936)

Kelly of the Secret Service (1936)

Phantom of the Range (1936)

A Face in the Fog (1936)

Rio Grande Romance (1936)

Phantom of the Range (1936)

Two Minutes to Play (1936)

Taming the Wild (1936)

Two Minutes to Play (1936)

Rip Roarin' Buckaroo (1936)

Western Justice (1935)

Bars of Hate (1935)

Fighting Coward (1935)

Bars of Hate (1935)

Hot off the Press (1935)

Danger Ahead (1935)

The Brand of Hate (1935)

Danger Ahead (1935)

Tombstone Terror (1935)

Big Calibre (1935)

Hot off the Press (1935)

A Demon for Trouble (1934)

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

The Moth (1934)

Production Manager

The Big Race (1933)

Production Manager

The Ship of Wanted Men (1933)

Production Manager

His Private Secretary (1933)

Production Manager

Life Events

Photo Collections

The Werewolf - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from The Werewolf (1956). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Savage Mutiny - Movie Poster

Here is an original-release 6-Sheet movie poster from Savage Mutiny (1953), starring Johnny Weissmuller. 6-Sheets were large-format posters measuring 81" x 81".

Superman (1948) - Movie Posters

Here are a few American movie posters for Superman (1948), the 15-Chapter Columbia Pictures serial starring Kirk Alyn.

Videos

Rock Around The Clock (1956) -- (Movie Clip) The Great Pretender Introduced by Alan Freed, with Tony Williams singing lead and Zola Taylor among supporters, The Platters perform their first number one hit, written by their manager Buck Ram, in the Sam Katzman rock'n'roll showcase, Rock Around The Clock, 1956.

Rock Around The Clock (1956) -- (Movie Clip) The Living End Manager Corinne (Alix Talton) and agent Steve (Johnny Johnston) have just settled a long running feud over Bill Haley and the Comets, and brother-sister dance team Johnny and Lisa (Earl Barton, and later-ubiquitous TV actor Lisa Gaye), cueing the finalè and the only on-camera performance of the title song, released two years earlier, in producer Sam Katzman’s Rock Around The Clock, 1956.

Rock Around The Clock (1956) -- (Movie Clip) See You Later Alligator Disillusioned promoter Steve (Johnny Johnston) and ex big-band bass player Corny (Henry Slate) in fictional "Strawberry Springs" discover the genuine Bill Haley and His Comets, singing their hit tune by Robert C. Gurdy, in Rock Around The Clock, 1956.

Masterson Of Kansas (1954) -- (Movie Clip) No Peace In Dodge City Dense and informative (not-credited) narration from the story and screenplay by the prolific Douglas Heyes, introducing George Montgomery in the title role (Donald Murphy as pal Virgil Earp) and James Griffith locked-in as Doc Holliday, provoked by Gregg Martell, in the Columbia Technicolor Wester Masterson Of Kansas, 1954, directed by William Castle.

Masterson Of Kansas (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Hard, Fast Or Dead Exiting court in Dodge City, title character George Montgomery hears from good-guy rancher Merrick (John Maxwell), friend to the local Indians who’s just been railroaded for murder, who’s taken to jail by Wyatt Earp (Bruce Cowling), then clashes with Merrick’s daughter Amy (Nancy Gates), in Masterson Of Kansas, 1954.

Masterson Of Kansas (1954) -- (Movie Clip) The Laws Of The White Man More rapid plot progress, George Montgomery as the title-role sheriff of Dodge City confronts Jay Silverheels as neighboring chief Yellow Hawk, reluctant to hand over falsely-accused rancher and “Peacemaker” Merrick (John Maxwell), whose schoolteacher daughter Amy (Nancy Gates) offers support in jail, early in Masterson Of Kansas, 1954.

Masterson Of Kansas (1954) -- (Movie Clip) I'm Curiously Unmoved Title character George Montgomery, seeking info about villain Bennett, has made momentary peace with ailing gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday (James Griffith), to whom Bennett owes big money, aiming to clear framed rancher Merrick, whose dazzling daughter (Nancy Gates) soon appears, hoping to prevent his hanging, in Masterson Of Kansas, 1954.

Fastest Guitar Alive, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Title Song Opening from producer Sam Katzman’s bid, using a script rejected ten years earlier by Elvis Presley, to make singer Roy Orbison a movie star, with partner Sammy Jackson, and a wagon of showgirls (Joan Freeman, Maggie Pierce et al) in The Fastest Guitar Alive, 1967, which notably does not feature the soundtrack song, “There Won’t Be Many Coming Home,” used in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, 2015.

Fastest Guitar Alive, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Pistolero In his first song since the opening, about 20 minutes back, composed with longtime collaborator Bill Dees, the gulf between Roy Orbison’s qualities as an actor, as Confederate spy Johnny, and as a singer, is especially apparent, wielding his gimmick rifle-guitar, in the musical-Western-comedy from producer Sam Katzman, The Fastest Guitar Alive, 1967.

Kissin' Cousins (1964) -- (Movie Clip) There's Gold In The Mountains Happily received by the locals (Pamela Austin and Yvonne Craig as Selena and Azalea), Elvis Presley as Air Force man Josh, sent in to help arrange the purchase of property for an air base, finds a way to a song by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye in Kissin’ Cousins, 1964.

Kissin' Cousins (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Tender Feeling Knocked out in earlier action, Elvis Presley as Jodie, the blonde country-cousin side of his dual characters, is found by Midge (Cynthia Pepper) and delivers a tune by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye, in the MGM/Sam Katzman musical vehicle, Kissin’ Cousins, 1964.

Hold On! (1966) -- (Movie Clip) Title Song Straightforward as it can be, the title song from Herman’s Hermits of Manchester, with Peter Noone fronting, backed up by legit-musician members Karl Green, Keith Hopwood, Barry Whitwam and Derek “Lek” Leckenby, the song by P.F. Sloan, opening MGM’s Hold On!, 1966.

Riot On Sunset Strip (1967) -- (Trailer) With inflammatory language, and without finished graphics, from producer Sam Katzman, the trailer for his feature exploiting the 1966 Los Angeles “curfew riots,” featuring stars Aldo Ray and Mimsy Farmer, also bands The Standells and The Chocolate Watchband, from Riot On Sunset Strip, 1967.

Family

Jerry Katzman

Son

Producer.

Bibliography

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