Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios

383 Pages·2013·7.75 MB·English

by  Frederic Lombardi

Allan Dwan and the
Rise and Decline of the
Hollywood Studios

Allan Dwan and the
Rise and Decline of the
Hollywood Studios
Frederic Lombardi
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
Frontispiece:Allan Dwan as The Thinker,
ca. 1920 (courtesy Robin Allana Wallace).
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Lombardi, Frederic.
Allan Dwan and the rise and decline of the
Hollywood studios / Frederic Lombardi.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7864-3485-5
softcover : acid free paper
1. Dwan, Allan, 1885–1981. 2. Motion picture producers
and directors—United States—Biography. I. Title.
PN1998.3.D95L55 2013 791.4302'33092—dc23 [B] 2012030281
BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE
© 2013 Frederic Lombardi. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, i ncluding photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without p ermission in writing from the p ublisher.
On the cover: Allan Dwan publicity shot for Republic Studios,
which he joined in 1946 (Photofest); background image
Dwan’s gangster drama Big Brotherwas shot on the
streets of New York (courtesy Kevin Brownlow)
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
To Lucy
This page intentionally left blank
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
PREFACE 1
Part One: The Lusty Child 3
1. Prelude 4
2. Pioneering 12
3. The Age of Fairbanks 52
4. The Pursuit of Independence 96
5. Swanson and Swan Song 121
Part Two: Keep Your Head Down! 169
6. Fox and Trot 170
7. Escape Into Comedy 222
8. The Sands of Republic 249
9. Apotheosis with Bogeaus 278
10. The Final Act 306
FILMOGRAPHY 331
CHAPTER NOTES 345
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 360
INDEX 363
vii
“Consequently, there may be much more to be said
about Dwan.”—Andrew Sarris, The American Cinema
Acknowledgments
I have spent more than seven years working on this book he has done everything possible to give me access to material
and had little idea when I started just how daunting a task it I needed, including his personal papers and the Dwan inter-
would be. Allan Dwan’s staggeringly large body of work was view that appeared in his books The Last Pioneer and Who
just part of the challenge. There were such formidable obstacles the Devil Made It,and permitted me to use it in this volume.
as the fact that Dwan left a slim paper trail and had no children, Marilyn Moss, who resides in Los Angeles, was introduced
and that the vast majority of his associates were dead by the to me by Joe McBride, again by e-mail. Fortunately, I did
time I embarked on this project. In addition, Dwan garnered get to meet Marilyn during her research trip to New York as
relatively little press coverage in the second half of his career. she worked on her biography of Raoul Walsh. As Walsh and
Various archives, libraries, and museums became the major Dwan were friends and associates, we were able to swap infor-
part of my focus. But my climb was made less steep by the mation that was mutually beneficial. Our emerging friendship
assistance and kindness of a remarkable group of individu- and exchange of e-mails were also most helpful in getting
als. this book finished. As we both toiled on our books, it was a
I must cite first the eminent biographer and film historian great morale-booster to be communicating with someone
Joseph McBride. No one has so consistently and frequently who was going through the same experience.
been in contact with me regarding this book as Mr. McBride. Tracey Goessel is, for my money, the greatest living spe-
Although we only had some brief contacts when both of us cialist on all things relating to Douglas Fairbanks. She was
were working at Variety on opposite coasts, I on the East kind enough to share information with me and even to pro-
Coast and Joe in L.A., Joe has offered a helping hand to me vide me with a very rare photograph for this book. My chap-
since the inception of this project. Although he has a very ter on Fairbanks is much the better for having been submitted
busy schedule both lecturing and writing, he has periodically to her scrutiny. She is presently working on the definitive
taken the time to advise me and to read several of my chapters biography of Fairbanks.
which he then critiqued. He has also shared with me his own For information and insight on Dwan’s first years as a direc-
reminiscences of Allan Dwan. Joe and I have communicated tor, I was most fortunate to make the acquaintance of Dana
only by e-mail and have never met, but he has made me feel Driskel, who has been studying the pioneering Flying A
I have found a true friend. Company since 2002. It was a great pleasure to compare notes
I have also been gratified and totally overwhelmed by the with Dana and discuss different theories about what was
generosity of such formidable figures as Peter Bogdanovich going on behind the scenes in those years. Dana’s great expe-
and Kevin Brownlow. These two men, who introduced Allan rience in this realm made his input invaluable. He also gra-
Dwan to a new generation of film fans, have helped spread ciously permitted me to read the transcript of his interview
the notion that cinema’s past and even its distant past should with Allan Dwan and to quote from it in this book.
be just as loved and savored as the most current film release I am deeply indebted to Larry Suid for generously supply-
that catches our fancy. ing me with his interviews with the major participants of
Kevin Brownlow has, of course, done more than any other Sands of Iwo Jima, both from the military and motion picture
individual to revive interest in the silent film medium, trum- spheres, as well as sharing with me his letter from John
peting it as a source of great artistic expression despite all the Wayne. These were but a portion of the primary sources for
technological changes that have followed. This is an essential his fascinating book Guts & Glory: Great American War
element in appreciating the contributions of Dwan. Brown- Movies. This material should also prove invaluable to future
low has been most kind in sharing with me his vast knowledge historians.
and collection of material. He also read portions of my man- I am also very grateful for the feedback provided me by
uscript and offered very helpful comments and corrections. my former Varietycolleague John Dempsey after he read sev-
Peter Bogdanovich is one prominent film director who has eral of my chapters. It was good to get the perspective of a
never forgotten what he owes to the filmmakers of earlier non–film historian as well as listen to his suggestions on
generations. His book-length interview with Dwan is a land- improving the quality of the writing based on his meticulous
mark achievement as well as a gateway to a larger and more standards. Another friend and former Variety reporter, Bob
complex story that exists beyond it. In addition to granting Marich, was very helpful in keeping me abreast of news and
me two interviews and providing numerous e-mail responses, information relevant to my book.
ix