Maury M. Cohen
| Maury Cohen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Maurice Cohen c. 1913 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | March 15, 1979 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation | Producer |
| Years active | 1932–77 |
| Spouse(s) | Bonnie Jean Williams (1950-1979, his death) |
Maury Cohen (1913-1979), also known as Maury M. Cohen, was an American film producer most active during the 1930s. He owned one of the Poverty Row studios, Invincible films, which specialized in making low-budget feature films. After leaving film in the early 1940s, Cohen founded and ran the historic dance club in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Palladium.
In the early 1930s, Cohen founded one of the major Poverty Row studios, which specialized in low-budget films, Invincible Films. His company teamed with Chesterfield Pictures, headed by George R. Batcheller, and they were often referred to as "C and I" or "Chesterfield and Invincible". The two companies co-mingled both personnel and equipment.
Poverty Row production companies had budgets of around $10,000, and shot pictures in a matter of days, rather than weeks. They would utilize rented facilities, and would incorporate stock footage and musical numbers in order to lengthen their pictures. Low-budget companies like Chesterfield, Invincible, Mascot, and Tiffany were used by theater bookers for the lower half, or "B position", on a double bill. The combined company of Chesterfield-Invincible, was one of the longest-surviving Poverty Row companies, producing over 100 features, and giving a start to directors Richard Thorpe and Charles Lamont.
By 1933, C and I had a production and distribution deal with Universal Pictures which allowed them to use the resources of the major studio, including the studio's sets, film and recording equipment. The latter was especially important, enabling C and I to exceed the audible quality of the other independent studios. In 1936, Cohen led a contingent which negotiated a deal with Allied Artists Pictures Corporation, whereby Allied would provide Chesterfield and Invincible with financial support allowing them to create a higher caliber of picture than then had been producing during the early 1930s. Also in 1933, Cohen was at the forefront of a movement by independent producers to change the NRA code, in order to assure the validity of theaters being able to show a second feature on a program. Second features, or "B"-films, were the staple of independent film companies.
Cohen and Batchellor ended their deal with Universal in 1934, and entered into an agreement with Pathe, to utilize their facilities and equipment. Cohen announced in August 1934 that C and I would produce 18 films in the 1934-35 schedule. In early 1935 Cohen survived a health scare, when he had to undergo emergency appendectomy procedure. Rumors began circulating in May 1935 that Cohen's company, along with Batchellor's, were to merge with Republic Pictures. Cohen denied those rumors. In December 1936, it was reported that Cohen was seeking to sell Invincible and begin producing for one of the major studios. Less than two weeks later, Cohen had signed agreements with Samuel J. Briskin to leave Invincible and had signed on with RKO to produce, which led to Invincible being disbanded. The remnants of Invincible were one of a number of Poverty Row studios taken over by Herbert Yates in 1936 and merged into his newly formed Republic Pictures in an attempt to create a dominant low-budget producer with enough power to take on the major studios. His first film at his new studio was 1937's Living on Love (originally titled Love in a Basement), directed by Lew Landers. Cohen's stay at RKO was short-lived however, and after his year-long contract expired, he left RKO.
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