Hugh McCollum: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Micropohnio.jpg|thumb|350px|right|In order to secure [[Edward Bernds]]' directing position at [[Columbia Pictures]], McCollum released the [[Three Stooges]] film ''[[Micro-Phonies]]'' first.]] |
[[Image:Micropohnio.jpg|thumb|350px|right|In order to secure [[Edward Bernds]]' directing position at [[Columbia Pictures]], McCollum released the [[Three Stooges]] film ''[[Micro-Phonies]]'' first.]] |
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Both McCollum and Bernds often butted heads with Jules White while at Columbia. As a result, Bernds feared that his directing days would be over as soon as they began if |
Both McCollum and Bernds often butted heads with Jules White while at Columbia. As a result, Bernds feared that his directing days would be over as soon as they began if ''A Bird in the Head'' featuring a sluggish Curly was released as his first entry. McCollum acted quickly, and reshuffled the release order of the films Bernds had directed (Bernds had also completed ''Micro-Phonies'' and ''[[The Three Troubledoers]]'' in addition to ''A Bird in the Head'' as well as). As a result, the superior ''[[Micro-Phonies]]'' (in which Curly was on his mark) was released first, securing Bernds directing position. Bernds would forever be indebted to McCollum for this act of kindness; hence, McCollum produced each and every one of Bernds' Stooge films. <ref>Fleming, Michael (1999). ''The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons'', p. 80, Broadway Publishing. ISBN 0767905567 </ref> |
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By 1952, White and McCollum could not stand one another, resulting in McCollum being fired outright. Out of loyalty to McCollum, Bernds resigned as well, leaving White to run the entire short subject department alone. After Columbia, McCollum became the production manager for [[Gene Autry]]'s Flying A Productions, a position he continued until his retirement. <ref>Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward; (1986). ''The Columbia Comedy Shorts'', p. 225, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0899501818 </ref> |
By 1952, White and McCollum could not stand one another, resulting in McCollum being fired outright. Out of loyalty to McCollum, Bernds resigned as well, leaving White to run the entire short subject department alone. After Columbia, McCollum became the production manager for [[Gene Autry]]'s Flying A Productions, a position he continued until his retirement. <ref>Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward; (1986). ''The Columbia Comedy Shorts'', p. 225, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0899501818 </ref> |
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Revision as of 14:23, 24 January 2008
Hugh McCollum | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1929-1960 |
| Spouse | Josephine Chippo |
Hugh McCollum (March 9, 1900 — March 16, 1968) was an American film producer best known for his credits on Three Stooges short subject comedies.
McCollum was born in the Philadelphia suburb of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. He attended the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia and later matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania for one year.[1] In 1929, McCollum was hired as a secretary to ruthless Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn. He gradually worked his way up the corporate ladder, and eventually became a producer in the prosperous short subject department by 1937.[2]
In 1945, McCollum gave Columbia sound man Edward Bernds his opportunity to direct the Three Stooges film A Bird in the Head. Bernds was excited at his big chance to direct, but was shocked when he realized that popular Stooge Curly Howard was ill, having suffered several minor strokes prior to filming (something Columbia short subject head/director Jules White failed to alert Bernds of).[3] Years later, Bernds discussed his trying experience during the filming of A Bird in the Head:
"It was an awful tough deal for a novice rookie director to have a Curly who wasn't himself.[4] I had seen Curly at his greatest and his work in this film was far from great. The wallpaper scene was agony to direct because of the physical movements required to roll up the wallpaper and to react when it curled up in him. It just didn't work. As a fledgling director, my plans were based on doing everything in one nice neat shot. But when I saw the scenes were not playing, I had to improvise and use other angles to make it play. It was the wallpaper scene that we shot first, and during the first two hours of filming, I became aware that we had a problem with Curly." [5]
Both McCollum and Bernds often butted heads with Jules White while at Columbia. As a result, Bernds feared that his directing days would be over as soon as they began if A Bird in the Head featuring a sluggish Curly was released as his first entry. McCollum acted quickly, and reshuffled the release order of the films Bernds had directed (Bernds had also completed Micro-Phonies and The Three Troubledoers in addition to A Bird in the Head as well as). As a result, the superior Micro-Phonies (in which Curly was on his mark) was released first, securing Bernds directing position. Bernds would forever be indebted to McCollum for this act of kindness; hence, McCollum produced each and every one of Bernds' Stooge films. [6]
By 1952, White and McCollum could not stand one another, resulting in McCollum being fired outright. Out of loyalty to McCollum, Bernds resigned as well, leaving White to run the entire short subject department alone. After Columbia, McCollum became the production manager for Gene Autry's Flying A Productions, a position he continued until his retirement. [7]
McCollum died on March 16, 1968.[8]
References
- ^ Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward; (1986). The Columbia Comedy Shorts, p. 224, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0899501818
- ^ Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward; (1986). The Columbia Comedy Shorts, p. 225, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0899501818
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook, p. 76, Citadel Press. ISBN 0806509465
- ^ Fleming, Michael (1999). The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons, p. 79, Broadway Publishing. ISBN 0767905567
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff; Howard Maurer, Joan; Lenburg, Greg; (1982). The Three Stooges Scrapbook, p. 76, Citadel Press. ISBN 0806509465
- ^ Fleming, Michael (1999). The Three Stooges: An Illustrated History, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons, p. 80, Broadway Publishing. ISBN 0767905567
- ^ Okuda, Ted; Watz, Edward; (1986). The Columbia Comedy Shorts, p. 225, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0899501818
- ^ Answers.com