Joseph E. Levine

Joseph E. Levine (September 9, 1905 – July 31, 1987) was an American film producer.

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His Embassy Pictures Corporation was an independent studio and distributor responsible for such films as Hercules (1958 film), The Carpetbaggers, Harlow, The Graduate, A Bridge Too Far and The Lion in Winter.

Levine is famous in the industry for his massive advertising campaigns, starting with Hercules in 1959. He is also responsible for bringing the movie Godzilla to the U.S. public. Levine had hired Terry Turner, a former RKO Pictures exploitation expert of the late 1920's and 1930's where he exploited King Kong amongst other films.^[1]Levine and Turner's exploitation campaigns were designed to appeal both to the general public but also the film industry and exhibitors as well.^[2]

In 1964, Levine received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in recognition of his lifetime achievement in motion pictures.

Joseph E. Levine died in 1987 in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Producer credits

• Tattoo (1981)
• Magic (1978)
• A Bridge Too Far (1977)
• My Name Is Trinity (1970)
• The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966)
• Harlow (1965)
• Where Love Has Gone (1964)
• Only One New York (documentary) (1964)
• The Carpetbaggers (1964)
• Contempt (1963)
• The Empty Canvas (1963)
• Le Meraviglie di Aladino (1961)
• Morgan, the Pirate (1961)
• Gaslight Follies (documentary) (1945)

Executive producer credits

• The Day of the Dolphin (1973)
• Thumb Tripping (1972)
• Rivals (1972)
• Trinity Is STILL My Name! (1971)
• Carnal Knowledge (1971)
• C.C. and Company (1970)
• Macho Callahan (1970)
• Soldier Blue (1970)
• The Adventurers (1970)
• Sunflower (1970)
• Don't Drink the Water (1969)
• Mad Monster Party? (1969)
• The Lion in Winter (1968)
• The Producers (uncredited) (1968)
• The Graduate (1967)
• Robbery (1967)
• The Tiger and the Pussycat (1967)
• Woman Times Seven (1967)
• The Caper of the Golden Bulls (1967)
• A Man Called Adam (1966)
• The Daydreamer (1966)
• The Oscar (1966)
• Where the Bullets Fly (1966)
• Sands of the Kalahari (1965)
• Darling (uncredited) (1965)
• The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965)
• Marriage Italian-Style (uncredited) (1964)
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
• Zulu (1964)
• The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)
• Boys' Night Out (1962)
• Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)
• Two Women (uncredited) (1960)
• Jack the Ripper (1959 film) Levine provided a new soundtrack by Pete Rugolo and added colour to a sequence of blood to the black and white film
• Tempi duri per i vampiri (1959)
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
• Walk Into Paradise (1956) that Levine retitled Walk into Hell for its American release^[3]

Quotes

You can fool all of the people if the advertising is right^[4]

Popular Culture

• In an issue of the Fantastic Four (#48), The Thing mentions upon seeing the sky aflame that it could be just Joseph E. Levine advertising one of his movies.^[5]

References

1. ^ http://etheses.nottingham.ac.uk/549/1/Complete_Thesis.pdf
2. ^ ibid
3. ^ Joseph E.Levine, A Towering Figure In Movie Making,Is Dead - New York Times
4. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/01/obituaries/joseph-elevine-a-towering-figure-in-movie-makingis-dead.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
5. ^ Fantastic Four Volume 1 Issue 48

This biographical article related to cinema of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e