Edward L. Alperson
Edward L. Alperson | |
---|---|
Born | November 13, 1895 |
Died | July 3, 1969 | (aged 73)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | movie producer |
Edward Lee Alperson (November 13, 1895 - July 3, 1969
Biography
Alperson was born on November 13, 1895, in Omaha, Nebraska. He started his Hollywood career as a film salesman for B. P. Schulberg's Preferred Pictures Corporation. Prior to the firm's 1925 bankruptcy, Alperson joined the film distribution section of Warner Bros. in 1924. During his time at Warners Alperson developed a close friendship with Spyros Skouras, then the head of Warner Bros. Theaters, eventually becoming his assistant.[2]
In 1934 Alperson formed Grand National Distributors initially to distribute films from independent producers and British films to be released in America. However, in 1936 he expanded Grand National into Grand National Pictures[3] to produce its own films and acquired the studio complex of the defunct Educational Pictures as a production facility. Grand National initially began with a variety of low-budgeted films, including westerns with Tex Ritter, a Renfrew of the Royal Mounted series, singing cowgirl Dorothy Page, adventure films shot in Cinecolor, melodramas such as In His Steps, based on the book of the same name, and it released British films such as Boris Karloff's Juggernaut.
What promised to be Alperson's good fortune turned out to be his downfall when he befriended
He had kept in contact with his friend and mentor Spyros Skouras over the years, and when Alperson acquired the film rights to
Finishing with Fox after
Alperson died on July 3, 1969, in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Notes
- ^ Edward L. Alperson on findagrave.com
- ^ p. 5 Billboard May 23, 1942
- ^ pp.41–54 Fernett, Gene Hollywood's Poverty Row 1930–1950 Coral Reef Productions 1973
- ^ p. 5 Billboard May 23, 1942
- ^ Edward L. Alperson Obituary Variety July 9, 1969
- ^ pp. 87–90 University of San Fernando Valley Law Review, Volume 1 University of San Fernando Valley Law Review., 1973
References
- Variety Obituaries July 29, 1969
External links
- Edward L. Alperson at IMDb