What was the average cost of an A movie in 1927?
In 1927, a feature film from a major Hollywood studio cost between $190,000 at Fox and $275,000 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. These numbers defined the A movie category during that year.
Questions about B movie
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did B movie production reach its peak percentage of total output?
By the mid-1930s, approximately 75% of all Hollywood movies were classifiable as B films, totaling more than four thousand pictures annually. This period marked the height of B movie dominance before industry shifts occurred.
Which studio produced Val Lewton's moody horror unit featuring Cat People?
RKO stood out among the Big Five majors for its focus on B pictures, producing Val Lewton's moody horror unit which included Cat People (1942) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943). Director Anthony Mann worked within this system before becoming a major director himself.
Who founded American International Pictures and what was their strategy?
American International Pictures, founded in 1956 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff, became the leading studio devoted to B-cost productions. Their strategy involved pairing films like I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), made for about $100,000 but grossing over $1 million.
What year did Roger Corman receive his first screen credits?
Roger Corman received his first screen credits as writer and associate producer of Allied Artists' Highway Dragnet in 1954. He independently produced Monster from the Ocean Floor on a $12,000 budget with a six-day shooting schedule shortly after that credit.