Pine-Thomas Productions

Dubbed “The Dollar Bills,” William H. Pine and William C. Thomas made 1940s Hollywood take notice with their B movies for Paramount that gave solid entertainment while cutting costs to the bone. In the 1950s, with television looming, Pine-Thomas Productions began making bigger-budget films with stars including James Cagney and Jane Wyman, and incorporating trends like 3-D. “The public is Hollywood’s boss,” Pine said, and the company gave moviegoers what they wanted.
Written with the assistance of the Pine and Thomas families, this book draws on Thomas’ never-published memoir, interviews with colleagues and relatives, and rarely seen photographs to document the story of Pine-Thomas and its founders.
An annotated filmography covers their 76 feature films and five shorts. Appendices give biographical sketches of such actors as Robert Lowery, Jean Parker and John Payne, as well as the directors, cinematographers and other crew members who made movies at top speed with more ingenuity than money.

David C. Tucker is the author of numerous books about classic film and television history. A retired public library administrator, he lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia.

David C. Tucker
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 253
Bibliographic Info: 59 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7743-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3710-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
The Dollar Bills 7
Feature Films 39
Short Subjects 205
Appendix I: ­Pine-Thomas Players 211
Appendix II: ­Pine-Thomas Crew 224
Chapter Notes 235
Bibliography 239
Index 241

• “A treat for serious film buffs and students”—Booklist
• “Tucker’s writing and research is always impeccable. He does not disappoint. Tucker treats the plot descriptions concisely and gives a clear picture of each production with some excellent background info. I really enjoy Tucker’s writing style and the subtle humor he exhibits in the captions and the text. If you love B movies, this is for you—on a subject not covered at any kind of length elsewhere. David C. Tucker did an exceptional job of bringing the Two Dollar Bills to life and honoring their work.”—Classic Images

Amazon Kindle
Google Play