Tony Owen (producer)

Tony Owen (d 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, Todan 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 film 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

The Traveling Saleswoman (1950)
Duel in the Jungle (1954)
The Case of the Red Monkey (1955) aka Little Red Monkey
Timeslip (1955) aka The Atomic Man[8]
Postmark for Danger (1955) aka Portrait of Alison[9]
Dial 999 (1955) aka The Way Out
Finger of Guilt (1956) aka The Intimate Stranger
Beyond Mombasa (1956)
Town on Trial (1957)
I Was Monty's Double (1957)
The Long Haul (1957)
The Donna Reed Show (1958-66)

Unmade films

Twist of Night (1956) from a book by Roger McDermott[5]
The Man Inside (1956) from a novel bu Victor Canning[5]
The Last Pursuit (1956)[5]
It's Not Cricket (1956) by Lawrence Brollings[5]
Wherever You Are (1956) by Stirling Silliphant [5] to star Reed and Rosanno Brazzi[10]
The Unhappy Warrior (1957) with Van Johnson[4]
The Eddie Calvert Story (1956)[4]
Wherever You Are (1957) - a drama of "transplanted eyes"[4]
biopic of Joseph Conrad.[11]
life story of pianist Roger Williams[12]

References

What Makes Tony Run With 4-Speed Drive? By John Crosby. The Washington Post, Times Herald 20 Dec 1959: G14.
"Memorial Service for Tony Owen". Desert Sun. 15 May 1984.
Donna May Shift Time But Not Her Schedule By Lawrence Laurent. The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]10 Mar 1959: B17.
A TOWN CALLED HOLLYWOOD: Studio Has 4 McGowans, Not to Mention a Megowan Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]26 Aug 1956: D2.
TODON WILL MAKE 8 MOVIES IN YEAR: Independent Puts Production Costs at $9,250,000--Seeks Studio Space in London By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]14 May 1956: 21.
Schallert, E. (1956, May 26). Drama. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/166936851
BRITISH WAR BOOK BOUGHT FOR MOVIE: Todon, Independent Concern, Obtains Rights to Story of Montgomery's 'Double' Ray and Ryan to Co-Star By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. New York Times (6 June 1956: 36.
METRO WILL FILM GRAZIANO STORY: Studio Buys Biography of Middleweight Ex-Champion Who Turned to Acting By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. New York Times (20 Jan 1955: 35.
2 STUDIOS ACQUIRE STORIES FOR FILMS: Paramount Lists French and U. S. Works -- Universal to Do 'Quantez,' Western By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. New York Times28 Oct 1955: 22.
Drama: 'Cruel Tower' Will Star Ericson; Viking Queen Role Bids for Oberon Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 11 Jan 1956: B9.
By A.H. WEILER. (1957, Dec 22). BY WAY OF REPORT. New York Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/114291444
STUDIO PLANNING ONE FILM A MONTH: AB-PT Announces Schedule of First Five -- Ryan to Do Third Security Movie By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. New York Times 3 Jan 1958: 16.

External links

Tony Owen at IMDb

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[run-1] What Makes Tony Run With 4-Speed Drive? By John Crosby. The Washington Post, Times Herald 20 Dec 1959: G14.

[2] "Memorial Service for Tony Owen". Desert Sun. 15 May 1984.

[3] Donna May Shift Time But Not Her Schedule By Lawrence Laurent. The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]10 Mar 1959: B17.

[donna-4] A TOWN CALLED HOLLYWOOD: Studio Has 4 McGowans, Not to Mention a Megowan Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]26 Aug 1956: D2.

[year-5] TODON WILL MAKE 8 MOVIES IN YEAR: Independent Puts Production Costs at $9,250,000--Seeks Studio Space in London By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]14 May 1956: 21.

[6] Schallert, E. (1956, May 26). Drama. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/166936851

[7] BRITISH WAR BOOK BOUGHT FOR MOVIE: Todon, Independent Concern, Obtains Rights to Story of Montgomery's 'Double' Ray and Ryan to Co-Star By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The New York Times. New York Times (6 June 1956: 36.

[8] METRO WILL FILM GRAZIANO STORY: Studio Buys Biography of Middleweight Ex-Champion Who Turned to Acting By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. New York Times (20 Jan 1955: 35.

[9] 2 STUDIOS ACQUIRE STORIES FOR FILMS: Paramount Lists French and U. S. Works -- Universal to Do 'Quantez,' Western By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. New York Times28 Oct 1955: 22.

[10] Drama: 'Cruel Tower' Will Star Ericson; Viking Queen Role Bids for Oberon Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 11 Jan 1956: B9.

[11] By A.H. WEILER. (1957, Dec 22). BY WAY OF REPORT. New York Times (1923-Current File) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/114291444

[12] STUDIO PLANNING ONE FILM A MONTH: AB-PT Announces Schedule of First Five -- Ryan to Do Third Security Movie By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times. New York Times 3 Jan 1958: 16.