Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film

BMovies
Edgar G. Ulmer’s The Man from Planet X (1951) was shot in six days. EVERETT COLLECTION. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION.
B movies. Most created specialized units for the task,
such as the one headed by Brian Foy (1896–1977) at
Warner Bros. in the 1930s or the Pine-Thomas unit at
Paramount in the 1940s. B units also permitted the
majors to keep their workforce active, and even though
the profits from the flat rental of Bs were small, they were
consistent and reliable. The film historian and archivist
Brian Taves has developed a taxonomy of B movies that
includes: major-studio programmers, major studio Bs,
smaller company Bs, and Poverty Row quickies. Given
such a wide range of B product, it is impossible to
characterize B movies without considering who was making
them.
Bs AT THE MAJORS
Programmers were made by the majors, and as their
name indicates, they could fit in either the A or the B
slot on a program, depending on the needs of the individual
theater. For instance, MGM programmers such as
the Hardy Family series, with Mickey Rooney (b. 1920),
and the Dr. Kildare series maintained the gloss that
characterized MGM’s ‘‘A’’ product. During the 1930s,
budgets for major studio programmers could range from
$100,000 to $500,000, at a time when A films could run
from a conservative $200,000 up to $1 million, depending
on the studio. It was not uncommon for programmers
to develop from A features. MGM’s Tarzan
the Ape Man (1932), starring Olympic swimmer Johnny
Weissmuller, featured opulent production values and was
a considerable hit for the studio, and the film’s sequel,
Tarzan and His Mate (1934), was, if anything, even more
elaborate. But after the first two outings, the series moved
down to programmer status. For instance, Tarzan Finds a
Son! (1939) had a ninety-minute running time, allowing
it to serve as either the top or bottom half of a double
154 SCHIRMER ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM