36. Lee Marcus to Ned. E. Depinet, 4 August 1938.
37. Lee Marcus, memorandum to J. J. Nolan, 7 March 1940.
38. “RKO Announces 54 Features and 199 Short Subjects for ‘38-'39,” Motion Picture Herald, 13 August 1938, p. 66.
39. “RKO Will Release 54 Feature Films,” New York Times, 11 August 1938, p. 12.
40. W. G. Van Schmus to Nelson Rockefeller, 2 June 1938, folder 679, box 90, RG 2 OMR, Business Interests series, Rockefeller Family Archives, RAC.
41. Nelson Rockefeller to Sidney Kent, 17 June 1938, folder 679, box 90, RG 2 OMR, Business Interests series, Rockefeller Family Archives, RAC.
42. W. G. Van Schmus to Nelson Rockefeller, 2 September 1938, folder 679, box 90, RG 2 OMR, Business Interests series, Rockefeller Family Archives, RAC.
43. Floyd Odlum, memorandum to Nelson Rockefeller and David Sarnoff, 30 September 1938, folder 679, box 90, RG 2 OMR, Business Interests series, Rockefeller Family Archives, RAC.
44. Ibid, “Exhibit A.”
45. Nelson Rockefeller, memorandum to Thomas Debevoise, 4 October 1938, folder 675, box 90, RG 2 OMR, Business Interests series, Rockefeller Family Archives, RAC.
46. “Schaefer Will Head RKO When Reorganization Plan Is Approved,” Motion Picture Herald, 15 October 1938, p. 16.
47. Leo Spitz to Pandro Berman, 7 October 1938.
48. Robert Sparks, memorandum to Sam Briskin, 9 April 1937.
49. Sam Briskin, memorandum to Robert Sparks, 14 April 1937.
50. “Daily Budget Reconciliation—Bringing Up Baby,” 6 January 1938.
51. “Shooting Schedule—Bringing Up Baby,” 27 December 1937.
52. Ligon Johnson to RKO-Radio Pictures, Inc., 16 June 1937.
53. Samuel Briskin to Leo Spitz, 20 August 1937.
54. Ned Depinet to Pandro Berman, 2 September 1938.
55. In 1943 Spitz would found International Pictures with William Goetz. Their company merged with Universal in 1946, and he became one of the leaders of Universal-International until 1953, when he retired from the film business.
56. “Republic, RKO Report 1938 Profits; Warner in $6,000,000 Refunding,” Motion Picture Herald, 11 March 1939, p. 25.
57. “Pressures from Without Headline Film Year,” Motion Picture Herald, 31 December 1938, p. 45.
58. Ibid.
59. “U.S. Sues Majors to Divorce Exhibition and End Block Sales,” Motion Picture Herald, 23 July 1938, p. 12.
60. “George Schaefer Takes Over at RKO; Hearings Are Delayed to Nov. 22,” Motion Picture Herald, 29 October 1938, p. 22.
CHAPTER 8
1. “Biography of George J. Schaefer” (publicity release), February 1939.
2. Dan O'Shea, telegram to Ned Depinet, 24 March 1936.
3. Howard Hawks, Ben Hecht, and Charles MacArthur to Sam Briskin, 27 October 1936.
4. Sam Briskin to Howard Hawks, 27 October 1936.
5. Sam Briskin, telegram to Howard Hawks, 2 November 1936.
6. Sam Briskin, telegram to Leo Spitz, 14 April 1937.
7. J. R. McDonough to Leo Spitz, 6 July 1938.
8. Mike Steen, “A Louis B. Mayer American Film Institute Oral History of Pandro S. Berman,” American Film Institute Archives, Los Angeles, n.d., p. 28.
9. J. R. McDonough to Leo Spitz, 1 September 1938.
10. Steen, “Oral History of Pandro S. Berman,” p. 28.
11. George Schaefer to Ned Depinet, 3 December 1938.
12. “Final Memorandum Showing Cost of ‘39-40’ Program as Discussed at La Quinta by Messrs. Schaefer, Depinet, and Berman,” 20 January 1939.
13. George Schaefer to Andrew Christensen, 23 January 1939.
14. George Schaefer to Lunsford P. Yandell, 6 February 1939.
15. “RKO and Wilcox Form Company to Produce in Hollywood and London,” Motion Picture Herald, 17 December 1938, p. 11.
16. George Schaefer to Pandro Berman, 27 February 1939.
17. Pandro Berman to George Schaefer, 1 March 1939.
18. Steen, “Oral History of Pandro S. Berman,” pp. 57-58.
19. J. R. McDonough to Ned Depinet, 21 October 1938.
20. Ibid.
21. Pandro Berman to Florence Lipkin, 14 April 1939.
22. Irene Castle [McLaughlin] to Pandro Berman, 4 April 1937.
23. Sidney Lipsitch, memorandum to George Haight, 23 June 1938.
24. Irene Castle [McLaughlin], memorandum to Pandro Berman, 5 October 1938.
25. Irene Castle [McLaughlin] to Pandro Berman, 16 December 1938.
26. J. R. McDonough, letter agreement with Irene Castle McLaughlin, 2 March 1939.
27. Astaire expert John Mueller argues that McLaughlin was right about Rogers and Plunkett's alterations, which, he asserts, were “mostly damaging” to dance sequences in the film. See John Mueller, Astaire Dancing (New York: Knopf, 1985), p. 151.
28. Croce, The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book, p. 165.
29. Abram Simon and Morton Garbus to R.K.O.-Radio Pictures, Inc., 27 February 1939.
30. J. R. McDonough, letter agreement with Irene Castle McLaughlin.
31. J. R. McDonough, telegram to George Schaefer, 15 June 1939.
32. “RKO Ends Convention Season, Announcing 58 in New Program,” Motion Picture Herald, 24 June 1939, p. 58.
33. Ibid., pp. 59-60.
34. Lillie Messinger to Leo Spitz, 16 December 1937.
35. Ross R. Hastings, memorandum to M. B. Silberberg, 13 March 1941.
36. Ross R. Hastings, memorandum to G. B. Howe, 1 December 1939.
37. Ross R. Hastings, memorandum to Pandro Berman, 28 July 1938.
38. Ginger Rogers to Pandro Berman, 2 March 1939.
39. Pandro Berman to Ginger Rogers, 3 March 1939.
40. George Schaefer, telegram to Ned Depinet, 15 May 1939.
41. “War Halts Hollywood's Last Big European Mart,” Motion Picture Herald, 9 September 1939, p. 15.
42. Ibid.
43. George Schaefer to Pandro Berman, 15 September 1939.
44. Steen, “Oral History of Pandro S. Berman,” p. 34.
45. “Cameras Shoot Hollywood into Complete Product Preparedness,” Motion Picture Herald, 9 September 1939, p. 18.
46. George Schaefer, memorandum to all RKO Employees, 25 September 1939.
47. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 5 September 1939.
48. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 14 September 1939.
49. Orson Welles, telegram to George Schaefer, 18 September 1939.
50. J. R. McDonough, memorandum to George Schaefer, 7 December 1939.
51. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 11 December 1939.
52. J. R. McDonough, telegram to George Schaefer, 16 December 1939.
53. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 31 October 1939.
54. “Judge Approves RKO Plan; Confirmation Now Awaited,” Motion Picture Herald, 21 January 1939, p. 28.
55. Court to Hear Appeals on RKO,” Motion Picture Herald, 25 February 1939, p. 32.
56. “Three Object to Plan for RKO,” Motion Picture Herald, 24 June 1939, p. 64.
57. “Court Backs Bondy on His RKO Plan Approval,” Motion Picture Herald, 22 July 1939, p. 65.
58. “Court Gets Details of New RKO Stock Plans,” Motion Picture Herald, 5 August 1939, p. 81.
59. “Atlas RKO Offer Ends; SEC Joins Case; Stirn Loses,” Motion Picture Herald, 9 September 1939, p. 26.
60. “Atlas in New RKO Plan; Change in Sales Staff,” Motion Picture Herald, 14 October 1939, p. 57.
61. “Atlas in New Underwriting Offer to RKO,” Motion Picture Herald, 16 December 1939, p. 52.
62. Ibid.
63. George Schaefer, telegram to J. J. Nolan, 28 December 1939.
64. Ross R. Hastings, memorandum to Pandro Berman, 30 March 1939.
65. J. R. McDonough to George Schaefer, 1 June 1939.
66. J. R. McDonough to George Schaefer, 13 July 1939.
67. Pandro Berman to George Schaefer, 15 December 1939.
68. George Schaefer to Pandro Berman, 15 Dec
ember 1939.
69. George Schaefer, telegram to J. J. Nolan, 19 December 1939.
70. The 1938-1939 production year generated $1,909,000 in profits for RKO, as well as containing several high-quality pictures.
71. After leaving RKO, Pandro Berman spent more than twenty-five years as a producer for MGM, where his record of tasteful, intelligent, and profitable motion pictures would continue to grow. He received the Irving Thalberg Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1977.
72. Herb Golden, “Films' $1,739,000 for Scripts in ‘39,” Variety, 3 January 1940, p. 7.
CHAPTER 9
1. Nelson Rockefeller became president of the Museum of Modern Art in 1939.
2. “President's Report, RKO Board Meeting—July 30, 1940, Memo Re: Policy of Distributing Independent Production,” p. 2, attached to letter from George J. Schaefer to Nelson Rockefeller, 1 August 1940, folder 681, box 90, RG 2 OMR, Business Interests series, Rockefeller Family Archives, RAC.
3. “New RKO Tees Off Clear of Debt; Gross Up $8,000,000 from 1933,” Variety, 31 January 1940, p. 5.
4. “RKO Reorg.; After 7 Yrs. in C't, Finally in Clear,” Variety, 10 January 1940, p. 2.
5. Ibid.
6. “New RKO Tees Off Clear of Debt.”
7. “Atlas Asks for 100,000 Shares,” Motion Picture Herald, 20 April 1940, p. 29.
8. “RKO Asks Cut in Allowances,” Motion Picture Herald, 22 June 1940, p. 16.
9. “Schaefer Asks Reduction on RKO Claims,” Motion Picture Herald, 20 July 1940, p. 50.
10. “Bondy Takes SEC ‘Tip,' Cuts RKO Fees to Bond,” Motion Picture Herald, 24 August 1940, p. 54.Ibid.
11. “RKO's Manpower Move,” Variety, 24 January 1940, p. 3.
12. “Joe Nolan New RKO VP and Studio Boss,” Hollywood Reporter, 17 February 1940, p. 1.
13. “RKO's Important Script Buys for Its Name Talent Cues Edington and Schaefer's Co. Plans for ‘40-41,” Variety, 21 February 1940, pp. 3, 18.
14. “53 Feature Films Scheduled by RKO,” New York Times, 28 May 1940, p. 29. For more on the Audience Research Institute, see Susan Ohmer, George Gallup in Hollywood (New York: Columbia University Press, 2006).
15. “Keough, Schaefer Hit Neely Bill,” Motion Picture Herald, 8 June 1940, p. 22.
16. “Industry Leaders Complete Setup in National Defense Cooperation,” Motion Picture Herald, 9 November 1940, p. 47.
17. “Newsreel History,” Motion Picture Herald, 28 September 1940, p. 11.
18. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 4 March 1940.
19. Harry Edington to Leda Bauer, 16 April 1940.
20. “RKO Plans 61-66, Record Number; 30 from UA to Cost 29 Millions,” Motion Picture Herald, 30 March 1940, p. 76.
21. Ibid.
22. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 6 March 1940.
23. Ibid.
24. J. R. McDonough to Ned Depinet, 9 September 1939.
25. J. R. McDonough to George Schaefer, 31 August 1939.
26. George Schaefer to Max Gordon, 24 October 1939.
27. George Schaefer to Ned Depinet, 25 October 1939.
28. Lee Clair, telegram to George Schaefer, 23 January 1940.
29. Frank S. Nugent, “Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” New York Times, 23 February 1940, p. 19.
30. George Schaefer to Harry Edington, 4 June 1940.
31. J. R. McDonough to George Schaefer, 5 April 1939.
32. Pandro Berman, telegram to George Stevens, 8 February 1939.
33. George Schaefer to Pandro Berman, 10 April 1939.
34. Pandro Berman to George Stevens, 22 April 1939. For more on Stevens's dispute with RKO, see Tom Kemper, Hidden Talent: The Emergence of Hollywood Agents (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010), pp. 99-101.
35. Dan Winkler, memorandum to Ross Hastings, 1 April 1940.
36. “Rambling Reporter,” Hollywood Reporter, 17 February 1940, p. 2.
37. “53 Features from RKO in 1940-41; A. W. Smith Named Sales Manager,” Motion Picture Herald, 1 June 1940, p. 28.
38. Dan Winkler, memorandum to J. J. Nolan, 5 August 1940.
39. Ibid.
40. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 8 April 1940.
41. George Schaefer to Harry Edington, 21 May 1940.
42. “53 Features from RKO in 1940-41; A. W. Smith Named Sales Manager.”
43. “An Address Delivered by George J. Schaefer President of RKO on the occasion of the General Staff Luncheon Held in connection with RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. Ninth International Sales Convention, 28 May 1940,” p. 2.
44. George Schaefer to J. R. McDonough, 2 July 1940.
45. George Schaefer to J. R. McDonough, 29 July 1940.
46. “New Season's Product Lineups, Costs, Reported to Date,” Motion Picture Herald, 20 April 1940, p. 13.
47. Lee Marcus to J. J. Nolan, 7 March 1940.
48. Ibid.
49. George Schaefer to Lee Marcus, 16 December 1940.
50. William Fadiman to Edgar Peterson, 14 June 1948.
51. For more examples of the journalistic taunting of Welles, see Joseph McBride, Whatever Happened to Orson Welles? (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2006), pp. 33-34.
52. “SMILER WITH A KNIFE, HEART OF DARKNESS or INVASION FROM MARS?” Audience Research Institute, Report XIII, 15 May 1940.
53. Harry Edington to George Schaefer, 27 May 1940.
54. George Schaefer to Harry Edington, 5 June 1940.
55. J. R. McDonough, memorandum to George Schaefer, 14 June 1940.
56. J. R. McDonough to George Schaefer, 18 June 1940.
57. Don Gordon, memorandum to Lillie Messinger, 19 February 1940; Ardel Wray, memorandum to Lillie Messinger, 19 February 1940.
58. Dan Winkler, memorandum to Ross Hastings, 2 March 1940.
59. Joseph Breen to J. R. McDonough, 25 March 1940.
60. George Schaefer to Joseph Breen, 8 April 1940.
61. J. J. Nolan, memorandum to Collier Young, 12 April 1940.
62. George Gallup to J. R. McDonough, 23 April 1940.
63. George Gallup to J. R. McDonough, 20 August 1940.
64. Ibid.
65. George Schaefer to Harry Edington, 7 October 1940.
66. Ned Depinet to George Schaefer, 31 October 1940.
67. Balio, United Artists, p. 171.
68. “Consent Decree Signing the Story of 1940,” Motion Picture Herald, 4 January 1941, p. 36.
69. Ibid.
70. Ned E. Depinet, “Ralph Hanbury Victim of Nazi Bomb,” The Radio Flash, 5 October 1940, p. 8, American Film Institute Library, Los Angeles.
71. Ralph Hanbury to G. J. Schaefer, 24 September 1940.
72. G. J. Schaefer to Phil Reisman, 10 December 1940.
73. Don Gordon, memorandum to Lillie Messinger, 15 September 1939.
74. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 20 December 1939.
75. George Schaefer to J. J. Nolan, 27 December 1939 and 9 January 1940.
76. “Kitty Foyle,” Audience Research Institute, Report XXXII, 29 October 1940.
77. This account of Parsons's phone call is drawn from Notes on a telephone conversation with Miss Louella Parsons, 9 January 1941. In her autobiography, Parsons states that Welles lied to her about the source of the Charles Foster Kane character and that her rival Hedda Hopper saw the film before she did and informed Hearst it was about him. See Louella Parsons, Tell It to Louella (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1961), pp. 131-132. Her account is corroborated in Hopper's autobiography. See Hedda Hopper, From Under My Hat (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1952), pp. 289-290.
78. “ ‘ U', RKO, Columbia Report Incomes; SEC Lists More Film Stock Deals,” Motion Picture Herald, 14 June 1941, p. 45.
79. “George J. Schaefer Will Stay at RKO Studio for a Year; Edington Leaving?” Variety, 1 January 1941, p. 5.
80. H. Golden, “The Changing World,” Variety, 7 January 1942, p. 26.
81. Lee Marcus continued to work in the industry. At Twentieth Century Fox he produced The Dancing Masters
(1943), They Came to Blow Up America (1943), Roger Tuohy, Gangster (1944), and other films.
82. “R.-K.-O. Pay Is Restored,” New York Times, 3 February 1941, p. 13.
83. For an in-depth case history of Citizen Kane and the attendant controversy, see Robert L. Carringer, The Making of Citizen Kane (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985).
84. “Miscellany,” Newsweek, 16 September 1940, p. 12.
85. J. J. Nolan to George Schaefer, 6 September 1940.
86. “Hearst Dislikes ‘Kane,’ ” Motion Picture Herald, 18 January 1941, p. 9.
87. “Decide Future of Welles' Pic by This Week,” Variety, 12 February 1941, p. 4.
88. George Schaefer to Orson Welles, 15 February 1941.
89. “Hearst Opens Blast on RKO—Schaefer; ‘Citizen Kane' Release Still Indef,” Variety, 19 February 1941, p. 2.
90. Orson Welles to George Schaefer, 7 March 1941.
91. George Schaefer, telegram to Orson Welles, 7 March 1941.
92. Ross R. Hastings, memorandum to Mendel Silberberg, 13 March 1941.
93. “Mr. Welles, in Militant State, Phones RKO: ‘I'll Be Suing You,’ ” Motion Picture Herald, 15 March 1941, p. 27.
94. “ ‘Kane’ Department,” Motion Picture Herald, 22 March 1941, p. 9.
95. Ross R. Hastings, memorandum to Mendel Silberberg.
96. David Nasaw, The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000), p. 568.
97. Bosley Crowther, Hollywood Rajah: The Life and Times of Louis B. Mayer (New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1960), p. 290.
98. George Stevens, Jr., ed., Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age (New York: Knopf, 2006), p. 462.
99. “Kane Revealed,” Motion Picture Herald, 12 April 1941, p. 9.
100. George Schaefer to C. B. McDonald, 14 April 1941.
101. “$10,000 Advance, $30,000 in Week for ‘Citizen Kane,’ ” Motion Picture Herald, 10 May 1941, p. 18.
102. “ ‘Kane’ 2-a-Day Disappointing,” Variety, 14 May 1941, p. 4.
103. Orson Welles, memorandum to George Schaefer, 3 July 1941.
104. George Schaefer, telegram to Orson Welles, 30 December 1941.
105. “RKO Exec Realignments Include Mallard, Donovan Resignations; Nolan, Youngman, Ullman Shifts,” Variety, 9 April 1941, p. 5.
106. Reg Armour, memorandum on the Ginger Rogers negotiations, 12 March 1941.
107. Reg Armour, memorandum to George Schaefer, 18 July 1941.
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