Summary
Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions was an American film production company based in Beverly Hills, California. The principals, Jules V. Levy, Arthur Gardner, and Arnold Laven, met while serving in the Air Force's First Motion Picture Unit during World War II.[1] While serving, they decided to form their own production company after the war ended. The three men formed Levy-Gardner-Laven in 1951.
Production edit
Levy-Gardner-Laven's first production was the 1952 low-budget crime thriller film Without Warning!.[2]
Laven produced both films and television shows, and he directed many popular American television shows, including episodes of The A-Team, CHiPs, Mannix, The Big Valley, The Greatest American Hero and Hill Street Blues. Gardner was an actor prior to World War II, but chose to produce after the company was formed.[3] Along with Levy, who was a script supervisor prior to the war, Gardner wrote the story for a 1982 movie called Safari 3000. Levy-Gardner-Laven also produced classic T.V. series for Four Star Productions such as The Rifleman, The Big Valley, and The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, all for ABC.[4][5]
Levy-Gardner-Laven maintains an office in Beverly Hills, but their last production credit was in 1982.
Selected filmography edit
Feature films edit
- Without Warning! (1952)
- Down Three Dark Streets (1954)
- The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)
- Geronimo (1962)
- The Glory Guys (1965)
- Clambake (1967)
- The Scalphunters (1968)
- Sam Whiskey (1969)
- Underground (1970)
- The McKenzie Break (1970)
- The Hunting Party (1971)
- Kansas City Bomber (1972)
- White Lightning (1973)
- McQ (1974)
- Brannigan (1975)
- Gator (1976)
- Safari 3000 (1982)
Television edit
- The Rifleman (1958-1963)
- Law of the Plainsman (1959-1960)
- The Detectives (1959-1962)
- The Big Valley (1965-1969)
References edit
- ^ Bergan, Ronald (November 25, 2009). "Arnold Laven obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Dennis McLellan (19 September 2009). "Arnold Laven dies at 87; director and producer". Latimes.com. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ Parker, Ryan (December 20, 2014). "Hollywood producer Arthur Gardner dies at 104". Daily Press. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (September 16, 2009). "TV director, producer Arnold Laven dies at 87". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 8, 2011). "CBS To Reboot Western 'The Rifleman' With Laeta Kalogridis, Chris Columbus And Carol Mendelsohn". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ Deborah Vankin (20 December 2014). "Arthur Gardner dies at 104; produced TV's 'Rifleman,' 'Big Valley'". Latimes.com. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
External links edit