Irving Allen

Through the 1950s, they each became known as one of the best independent film producers of the day, as the two men would sometimes work in tandem, but more often than not on independent projects for their joint enterprise producing multiple projects in a given year.

• Name — Irving Allen • Born — 24 November 1905 • Birthplace — Lemberg, Austria-Hungary • Died — 17 December 1987 • Place of death — Encino, California, United States • Resting Place — Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) • Awards — Best Short Subject, Two-reel 1947 Climbing the Matterhorn • Occupation — Film producer

Born in Lemberg (Austro-Hungary), Allen entered the film industry as an editor at Universal, Paramount and Republic in 1929. During the 1940s, he made a sequence of shorts, including the Academy Award-nominated Forty Boys and a Song (1941), which he directed. His short films often won more acclaim than his low-budget features. He later said "for two years after that Oscar I was out of work. Then I decided there was no profit in being a genius." In the late 1940s, Allen started concentrating more fully on being a producer.

Without Broccoli, Allen produced The Hellions (1961) in South Africa, and The Long Ships (1964) and Genghis Khan (1965) in Yugoslavia. In 1965 he announced he would make Clive of India with director Terence Young but it was not made.

Some years later, Allen cast about for his own spy series. He acquired the rights to Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm novels. Allen was responsible for the Matt Helm film series, The Silencers (1966), Murderers' Row (1966), The Ambushers (1967), and The Wrecking Crew (1969). In July 1967, Allen said "At this stage I'm only interested in making money. I'm not interested in kudos or getting good reviews - I've had all that. I'm just concerned with getting the greatest number of people into theatres." "I've done practically everything," he said. "There's no place I haven't been in the business. The only thing I can't do is write." Allen's Helm series had one major effect on Broccoli's Bond movies (produced at the time in partnership with Harry Saltzman). To get Dean Martin on board as Matt Helm, Allen had to make the actor a partner in the enterprise. Dean Martin ended up making more money on The Silencers (1966) than Sean Connery made on Thunderball (1965). This did not go unnoticed by Connery. Other Allen films included The Desperados (1969). Allen was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, California.