Cosmopolitan Productions

Cosmopolitan Productions (later: Cosmopolitan Pictures Corporation ) was an American film production company. The company existed from 1918 to 1938 and was initially founded by media entrepreneur William Randolph Hearst for the sole purpose of producing the films of Marion Davies.

History

William Randolph Hearst founded Cosmopolitan 1918 as part of the International Film Service Company, Inc. in New York to force the film career of his mistress, the actress Marion Davies. The films were initially sold through the rental of apparatus Select Picture Corporation and Famous Players - Lasky then, the predecessor company of Paramount. The original plans of Hearst, to join the newly founded United Artists had previously failed. In return for cooperation, the films of Paramount in numerous print media of the Hearst empire received a preferred and usually always positive coverage.

After a dispute over the rental arrangements Hearst broke the connection with Paramount and changed over the Goldwyn Distribution Corporation finally to the newly formed MGM. 1934 also ended this connection, mainly because of conflicts over the role offers for Marion Davies. In particular, the dispute over the occupation of the Barretts of Wimpole Street Films The Marie- Antoinette and eventually led to the break after Irving Thalberg had the roles for his wife Norma Shearer secured. A new change brought Cosmopolitan eventually to Warner Brothers. In 1938 the company was liquidated due to financial problems of Hearst, the last movies came about 20th Century Fox in the rental.

As far as he was concerned, the films of Marion Davies, these were usually produced regardless of the cost. The budget for When Knighthood What in Flower 1922 was nearly 1.8 million U.S. dollars. Compared to the sometimes extremely harsh working conditions in the studios, the films turned away within 15 days and the actors from Monday to Saturday had to spend each 18 hours in the studio, there was on the set of Davies films always a relaxed atmosphere without time pressure. Bing Crosby, who in 1933 worked with Marion Davies in Going Hollywood, reported even decades later on working conditions. The shooting began was 10 clock morning and the work was discontinued already at 12 clock for a two-hour lunch break. In the afternoon the work already ended again by 16 clock. In the end, it took almost four months before the movie was filmed.

Films (selection )

( ) Refers to Marion Davies productions