Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Earl St. John | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 14, 1892 |
| Died | February 26, 1968 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1950–1964 |
| Known for | Executive producer, Rank Organisation |
Earl St. John (14 June 1892 – 26 February 1968) was an American film producer in overall charge of production for The Rank Organisation at Pinewood Studios from 1950 to 1964.
He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father wanted him to become a soldier but he ran away from a military academy aged 17 and began his career as a prop boy for Sarah Bernhardt's company.[1][2]
St John had an uncle in the film business who he went to work for when he was 21. He took two religious films around the US and Mexico. He formed a film unit to photograph scenes from the Mexican Civil War and met Pancho Villa.[3] He fell out with his uncle and went to work for the Mutual Film Company.[2]
St John served in France with the Texas division during World War One. He demobilised in Liverpool, England, and elected to stay on in that country.
St John ran a small picture theatre in Manchester and became successful.[1] In 1924 he joined Paramount, building up its circuit and opening the Plaza and Carlton cinemas. Paramount was bought out by Odeon in 1938 and St John joined the Rank Organisation. In 1939 he became personal assistant to John Davis.[4]
In 1948 he was appointed Executive Producer at the studios by Rank's Managing Director John Davis with a brief to reign in financial losses.[5]
Under his austere and autocratic control, location filming was cut back, and no film was permitted to exceed a budget of £150,000. Despite this, a number of successful productions emerged from Pinewood including Genevieve, Reach for the Sky and A Night to Remember. [6]
According to a 1954 profile:
His highly-paid job gives him power to say what films will be made, how they will be made and who will make them. He works with 12 producer - director teams, 21 contract artists, a varying number of guest artists, a story department consisting of an editor, two assistants and three readers, and three contract scriptwriters. Pinewood Studios' quota of 15 films a year, for which St. John is responsible and which average £150,000 each, is the largest in Britain today. In his films, St. John has fostered such stars as Petula Clark, Kay Kendall, Anthony Steele, Terence Morgan, Dirk Bogarde and John Gregson and he has helped to promote Jack Hawkins, Glynis Johns and Norman Wisdom. In the past four years he has supervised the making of more han 50 films... St. John has earned a reputation for being a driving showman with a gift for succinct expression.[2]
"I started out as manager of a small out-of-town cinema, and I viewed films from the out-of-London angle," he explained. "This experience made me realise that the ordinary people in the remotest places in the country were entitled to see the works of the best modern British playwrights."[7]
"He is like a ringmaster who is happy as long as his charges are performing correctly," said producer Peter Rogers.[2]
St John retired in 1964. He died while on vacation in Spain, survived by his wife who he married in 1946.[8][9]
*Doctor in Love (1960)
