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{{short description|Motion picture production company}}
'''United States Pictures''' (also known as '''United States Productions''') was the name of the [[motion picture]] production company belonging to [[Milton Sperling]]. Sperling was a highly experienced [[screenwriter]] and [[producer]] with [[20th Century Fox]] and other studios who had just returned from his [[World War II]] service in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] Photographic Unit. Sperling was [[Harry Warner]]'s (of the [[Warner Brothers]] studio) son-in-law. Warner Brothers offered Sperling an independent production company that would use [[Warner Brothers]] studio resources and financing to make [[motion pictures]] that would be released by [[Warner Brothers]]. In the post World War II era the [[Hollywood]] [[major studios]] were finding the idea of purchasing completed motion pictures from independent [[film production]] companies more economical than producing the films themselves.
{{refimprove|date=July 2015}}
'''United States Pictures''' (also known as '''United States Productions''') was the name of the [[motion picture]] production company belonging to [[Milton Sperling]] who was [[Harry Warner]]'s (of the [[Warner Bros.]] studio) son-in-law.


==History==
Beginning with [[Fritz Lang]]'s ''[[Cloak and Dagger (1946 film)]]'', followed by [[Raoul Walsh]]'s ''[[Pursued]]'', Sperling's United States Pictures made a total of 14 films. The last two, [[Samuel Fuller]]'s ''[[Merrill's Marauders (film)]]'' (1962) and [[Ken Annakin]]'s ''[[Battle of the Bulge (film)]]'' (1965) were filmed in the [[Philippines]] and [[Spain]] respectively. Sperling found that the Filipino and Spanish governments and film companies thought they were dealing with a branch of the [[United States Government]] due to the name of the company and provided superb cooperation.
Sperling was a highly experienced [[screenwriter]] and [[Film producer|producer]] with [[20th Century Fox]] and other studios who had just returned from his [[World War II]] service in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]] Photographic Unit. Warner Bros. offered Sperling an independent production company that would use [[Warner Bros.]] studio resources and financing to make [[motion pictures]] that would be released by the studio. In the post World War II era, the [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] [[major studios]] were beginning to find the idea of purchasing completed motion pictures from independent [[film production]] companies more economical than producing the films themselves (although [[United Artists]] had done this decades earlier, acting as a distributor for independent films since its establishment in 1919).<ref>Sperling, Cass Warner, Millner, Cork, and Warner Jr, Jack ''Hollywood Be Thy Name'' Prima Publishing (1994)</ref>


Beginning with [[Fritz Lang]]'s ''[[Cloak and Dagger (1946 film)|Cloak and Dagger]]'' (1946), followed by [[Raoul Walsh]]'s ''[[Pursued]]'' (1947), Sperling's United States Pictures made a total of 14 films. The last two, [[Samuel Fuller]]'s ''[[Merrill's Marauders (film)|Merrill's Marauders]]'' (1962) and [[Ken Annakin]]'s ''[[Battle of the Bulge (1965 film)|Battle of the Bulge]]'' (1965) were filmed in the [[Philippines]] and [[Spain]] respectively. Sperling found that the Filipino and Spanish governments and film companies thought they were dealing with a branch of the [[United States Government]] due to the name of the company and provided superb cooperation.
Much of the United States Pictures catalog (with certain exceptions, like ''Battle of the Bulge'', which [[Warner Brothers]] still owns) is now owned by Republic/Paramount Pictures.


==Filmography==
The United States Pictures marked with an (*) signifies Milton Sperling contributed to the screenplay.
The United States Pictures marked with an (*) signifies Milton Sperling contributed to the screenplay.


* ''[[Cloak and Dagger (1946 film)]]'' - directed by [[Fritz Lang]]
* ''[[Cloak and Dagger (1946 film)|Cloak and Dagger]]'' (1946) - directed by [[Fritz Lang]]
* ''[[Pursued]]'' (1947) - directed by [[Raoul Walsh]]
* ''[[Pursued]]'' (1947) - directed by [[Raoul Walsh]]
* ''[[My Girl Tisa]]'' (1948) - directed by [[Elliott Nugent]]
* ''[[My Girl Tisa]]'' (1948) - directed by [[Elliott Nugent]]
* ''[[South of St. Louis]]'' (1949) - directed by [[Ray Enright]]
* ''[[South of St. Louis]]'' (1949) - directed by [[Ray Enright]]
* ''[[Three Secrets]]'' (1950) - directed by [[Robert Wise]]
* ''[[Three Secrets]]'' (1950) - directed by [[Robert Wise]]
* ''[[The Enforcer (1951 film)]]'' - directed by [[Bretaigne Windust]] & [[Raoul Walsh]] (uncredited)
* ''[[The Enforcer (1951 film)|The Enforcer]]'' (1951) - directed by [[Bretaigne Windust]] & [[Raoul Walsh]] (uncredited)
* ''[[Distant Drums]] (1951) - directed by [[Raoul Walsh]]
* ''[[Distant Drums]]'' (1951) - directed by [[Raoul Walsh]]
* ''[[Retreat, Hell!]]'' (1952)- directed by [[Joseph H. Lewis]]*
* ''[[Retreat, Hell!]]'' (1952) - directed by [[Joseph H. Lewis]]*
* ''[[Blowing Wild]]'' (1953) - directed by [[Hugo Fregonese]]
* ''[[Blowing Wild]]'' (1953) - directed by [[Hugo Fregonese]]
* ''[[The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (film)]]'' (1955) - directed by [[Otto Preminger]]*
* ''[[The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (film)|The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell]]'' (1955) - directed by [[Otto Preminger]]*
* ''[[The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond]]'' (1960) - directed by [[Budd Boetticher]]
* ''[[The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond]]'' (1960) - directed by [[Budd Boetticher]]
* ''[[The Bramble Bush]]'' (1960) - directed by [[Daniel Petrie]]*
* ''[[The Bramble Bush]]'' (1960) - directed by [[Daniel Petrie]]*
* ''[[Merrill's Marauders (film)]]'' (1962) - directed by [[Samuel Fuller]]*
* ''[[Merrill's Marauders (film)|Merrill's Marauders]]'' (1962) - directed by [[Samuel Fuller]]*
* ''[[Battle of the Bulge (film)]]'' (1965) - directed by [[Ken Annakin]]*
* ''[[Battle of the Bulge (1965 film)|Battle of the Bulge]]'' (1965) - directed by [[Ken Annakin]]*


==Categories==
== References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Film]]

[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 09:20, 9 September 2023

United States Pictures (also known as United States Productions) was the name of the motion picture production company belonging to Milton Sperling who was Harry Warner's (of the Warner Bros. studio) son-in-law.

History

[edit]

Sperling was a highly experienced screenwriter and producer with 20th Century Fox and other studios who had just returned from his World War II service in the U.S. Marine Corps Photographic Unit. Warner Bros. offered Sperling an independent production company that would use Warner Bros. studio resources and financing to make motion pictures that would be released by the studio. In the post World War II era, the Hollywood major studios were beginning to find the idea of purchasing completed motion pictures from independent film production companies more economical than producing the films themselves (although United Artists had done this decades earlier, acting as a distributor for independent films since its establishment in 1919).[1]

Beginning with Fritz Lang's Cloak and Dagger (1946), followed by Raoul Walsh's Pursued (1947), Sperling's United States Pictures made a total of 14 films. The last two, Samuel Fuller's Merrill's Marauders (1962) and Ken Annakin's Battle of the Bulge (1965) were filmed in the Philippines and Spain respectively. Sperling found that the Filipino and Spanish governments and film companies thought they were dealing with a branch of the United States Government due to the name of the company and provided superb cooperation.

Filmography

[edit]

The United States Pictures marked with an (*) signifies Milton Sperling contributed to the screenplay.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sperling, Cass Warner, Millner, Cork, and Warner Jr, Jack Hollywood Be Thy Name Prima Publishing (1994)