Tony Owen (producer)

Tony Owen (May 2, 1907 – May 12, 1984) was an American agent and producer, who was married to Donna Reed.[1]

Biography

Owen was born in Chicago and worked in that city as a journalist. In the late 1930s he produced game programs for the Detroit Lions, and in 1940 became a vice president of the football club.[2]

He served in the army during the war, but was invalided out. He moved to Los Angeles in 1942 and got work as an agent.[1]

He married Donna Reed in 1945 and they would go on to have four children (two were adopted).[3]

Todon Productions

Owen and Reed formed their own company, Todon Productions. Owen moved into film production with Duel in the Jungle (1953). It established a formula of using two American leads, an American director, and 80% British crew, to qualify for the subsidies of being a British film and because it was cheaper to make. "As an independent I can give everybody a percentage", said Owen. "This includes a star who will take a cut in lieu of his regular salary of say, $300,000." Owen added that "I believe the American public loves seeing foreign backgrounds. They're a definite plus value."[4]

Duel in the Jungle made $3 million. This launched Todon on a series of films.[4]

He followed it with two films directed by Ken Hughes and distributed by Allied Artists: Little Red Monkey (1955), with Richard Conte, and Timeslip (1955) with Gene Nelson and Faith Domergue.

Then came Portrait of Alison (1956) with Terry Moore directed by Guy Green; Dial 999 (1956), with Gene Nelson directed by Montgomery Tully; and The Intimate Stranger (1956) with Richard Basehart and Mary Murphy.

In 1956 a report said Todon was "perhaps the biggest Anglo-American company next to Warwick."[4] As he made Beyond Mombasa Owen said he'd produced six films and "all of them stink but they made money... But not the final one I made with my wife. In fact, this is the first one I've done that isn't lousy – and I'm worried."[4]

"I'm no genius", he said later. "I just wanted to make commercial films."[1]

In May 1956 Owen said Todon would make eight films with an overall budget of $9,250,000.[5]

That month it was announced Maxwell Setton would run the company in London, to make six films, starting with The Nylon Web which became Town on Trial.[6] Others included The Long Haul (1957) with Victor Mature and Diana Dors, directed by Hughes; I Was Monty's Double (1958) with John Mills directed by John Guillermin;[7]

Owen said "the last one [film] died the death of a dog at the box office. So I came back and started working in television."[1]

Owen developed a series for his wife where she would play the secretary of the Secretary of State. A number of scripts were written but they did not feel confident, and eventually developed a show where Reed played the wife of a pediatrician. This became the hugely successful The Donna Reed Show.[1]

Filmography

Unmade films

References
  1. John Crosby. (Dec 20, 1959). "What Makes Tony Run With 4-Speed Drive?". The Washington Post. p. G14.
  2. "Memorial Service for Tony Owen". Desert Sun. 15 May 1984.
  3. Lawrence Laurent. (Mar 10, 1959). "Donna May Shift Time But Not Her Schedule". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. B17.
  4. Scheuer, Philip K. (Aug 26, 1956). "A TOWN CALLED HOLLYWOOD: Studio Has 4 McGowans, Not to Mention a Megowan". Los Angeles Times. p. D2.
  5. THOMAS M. PRYOR (May 14, 1956). "TODON WILL MAKE 8 MOVIES IN YEAR: Independent Puts Production Costs at $9,250,000--Seeks Studio Space in London". The New York Times. p. 21.
  6. Schallert, E. (May 26, 1956). "Drama". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166936851.
  7. THOMAS M. PRYOR (June 6, 1956). "BRITISH WAR BOOK BOUGHT FOR MOVIE: Todon, Independent Concern, Obtains Rights to Story of Montgomery's 'Double' Ray and Ryan to Co-Star". The New York Times. p. 36.
  8. THOMAS M. PRYOR (Jan 20, 1955). "METRO WILL FILM GRAZIANO STORY: Studio Buys Biography of Middleweight Ex-Champion Who Turned to Acting". New York Times. p. 35.
  9. THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The (Oct 28, 1955). "2 STUDIOS ACQUIRE STORIES FOR FILMS: Paramount Lists French and U. S. Works -- Universal to Do 'Quantez,' Western". New York Times. p. 22.
  10. Schallert, Edwin (Jan 11, 1956). "Drama: 'Cruel Tower' Will Star Ericson; Viking Queen Role Bids for Oberon". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
  11. A.H. WEILER. (Dec 22, 1957). "BY WAY OF REPORT". New York Times. ProQuest 114291444.
  12. THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The (Jan 3, 1958). "STUDIO PLANNING ONE FILM A MONTH: AB-PT Announces Schedule of First Five -- Ryan to Do Third Security Movie". New York Times. p. 16.
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