| Samuel Bronston Productions | |
| Foundation: | 1943 |
| Defunct: | 1964 |
| Fate: | Bankruptcy, Closed |
| Founder: | Samuel Bronston |
| Industry: | Entertainment |
| Products: | Motion pictures |
Samuel Bronston Productions was an independent American film production company, founded by Samuel Bronston in 1943.
The company produced several epic films, the most notable of which are, John Paul Jones (1959), King of Kings (1961), El Cid (1961), 55 Days at Peking (1963) and The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964).
The films were made in Spain in the company's newly created studios in Las Rozas, near Madrid.
Due to financial difficulties, the company ceased its business activities in 1964. During the ensuing bankruptcy proceedings, Bronston's answer that the company had once had a bank account in Zurich in response to a question under oath about whether he personally had had a Swiss bank account led to his prosecution for perjury. He was convicted, and the case was ultimately appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Bronston v. United States that literally truthful, but technically misleading, answers cannot be prosecuted.
| Series | Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature film | The Story of Nelson | According to The New York Times, John Farrow had signed a three picture-deal with Bronston, which included John Paul Jones and King of Kings. The third unproduced project was The Story of Nelson, a biography of Horatio Nelson written by William Henry Giles Kingston.[1] | |
| Feature film | The Sad Knight of La Mancha | In April 1960, Variety announced that Bronston was producing an adaptation of Don Quixote, tentatively titled The Sad Knight of La Mancha. Hugo Fregonese was to direct, with the final script revisions being made by Carlos Blanco, a Spanish screenwriter. Filming was reported to begin in the same year.[2] | |
| Feature film | Carmen | Also, in April 1960, the Los Angeles Times reported Bronston was also producing a film adaptation of the opera Carmen.[3] | |
| Feature film | Captain Kidd | In the same Los Angeles Times report, Bronston was stated to be developing a biographical film of Captain William Kidd. | |
| Feature film | The French Revolution | In September 1961, Bronston announced he was planning a trilogy of historical epics in Spain, which included 55 Days at Peking and The Fall of the Roman Empire.[4] The third unproduced film was tentatively titled The French Revolution. According to The New York Times, the project was to chronicle "the events and international consequences of the uprising from the beginning until the arrival of Napoleon upon the scene." Pre-production was scheduled to begin in the summer of 1962, with Nicholas Ray to direct and Philip Yordan to write the script. However, both men decided instead to work on 55 Days at Peking. | |
| Feature film | Dear and Glorious Physician | In September 1962, it was announced Bronston and Frank Capra had partnered to produce a film adaptation of Taylor Caldwell's 1959 biography of Luke the Evangelist.[5] | |
| Feature film | Paris 1900 | In 1962, Bronston had hired Vittorio De Sica to film an historical drama titled Paris 1900.[6] In December 1962, David Niven, who had co-starred in 55 Days at Peking, had been cast in a lead role.[7] Details about the project are scarce, but it was to center on the Belle Époque period.[8] The title also alludes to the 1900 Paris Exposition. | |
| Feature film | Nightrunners of Bengal | In May 1963, the Los Angeles Times reported that John Wayne was slated to film another project for Bronston Productions, titled Nightrunners of Bengal, which chronicled the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Henry Hathaway, who was directing Wayne in Circus World, was reportedly set to direct.[9] Hathaway later dropped out, and was replaced by Richard Fleischer. A limited partnership company called Bronston–Bengal had been formed for the film's production, with Pierre S. du Pont III as a partner. By February 1967, the project had stalled in development for nearly three years due to Bronston's bankruptcy problems. | |
| Feature film | The Blue and Grey Line on the Nile | In 1963, Bronston announced he was developing The Blue and Grey Line on the Nile, an adaptation of the 1961 historical book by William B. Hesseltine and Hazel C. Wolf. It tells of Union and Confederate veterans of the Civil War who were enlisted to fight for the Egyptian government.[10] In December 1963, Bronston Productions partnered with Paramount Pictures on a four-film distribution deal, which included producing and releasing the project.[11] | |
| Feature film | The Great Cyrus | In the same report, Bronston was stated to be developing a film adaptation of the book The Great Cyrus written by Harold Lamb. | |
| Feature film | Brave New World | By 1964, Bronston had planned to adapt Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World into a feature-length epic, with Jack Cardiff hired to direct.[12] Nigel Kneale had written a script adaptation. However, plans were shelved after Bronston filed for bankruptcy protection in June 1964.[13] | |
| Feature film | Isabella of Spain | In 1971, Bronston announced he was developing a biographical epic of Isabella of Spain. Ronald Neame was hired to direct and John Peebles had written a script. Glenda Jackson was cast in the title role while John Philip Law was to portray her spouse and co-ruler Ferdinand II.[14] However, by June 1971, the film's development had been halted, and Bronston was forced to auction all assets from within his studios.[15] |