Bryan Foy

'Bryan Foy' (qv) started in showbiz as a vaudevillian, touring nationally for ten years as one of the 'Seven Little Foys' (the oldest). He left the act in 1918 to embark on a solo career in Hollywood, at first devising gags for 'Buster Keaton' (qv) then filming two-reelers at Fox. In 1927, he began his long association with Warner Brothers where he famously produced the first all-talking feature, _Lights of New York (1928)_ (qv), at the cost of a mere $18,000. The film, shot in just eight days, grossed well over a million dollars for Warner Brothers and contributed to Foy being promoted head of the B-unit.Under his sobriquet 'Keeper of the B's', Foy turned out as many as 26 pictures a year for the next two decades. Some were prison films, such as _Crime School (1938)_ (qv) with 'Humphrey Bogart' (qv) and the Dead End Kids (another winner: it cost $210,000 and returned a million, not to mention reissues). Much of Foy's other output consisted of thrillers like the 'Torchy Blane' series, or its juvenile counterpart, 'Nancy Drew'. By the mid-30's, Warners were also competing with RKO and Columbia in the B-western stakes, turning out a series of oaters starring 'Dick Foran' (qv).After a spell at 20th Century Fox beginning in 1942 (which took in some of the last films made with 'Laurel & Hardy' (qv)), Foy returned to Warner Brothers to produce the most popular film associated with his name, the gimmicky but hugely enjoyable _House of Wax (1953)_ (qv), shot in 3-D and 'WarnerPhonic' sound. Curiously, the director 'André De Toth' (qv) was blind in one eye and thus unable to fully appreciate the fruits of his labour. A year later, Foy produced another 3-D low budgeter which featured the same combination of 'Vincent Price' (qv) (star), 'Bert Glennon' (qv) (cinematographer), and 'Crane Wilbur' (qv) (writer). _The Mad Magician (1954)_ (qv) wasn't quite on par with 'House of Wax' but still provided some decent entertainment for fans of the genre. Foy's last film as producer was the much criticised JFK biopic _PT 109 (1963)_ (qv), after which he decided to call it a day. Though he received little praise from the critics during the course of his career - a source of some bitterness on his part - he remained proud of his 'little' pictures and their proven record at the box office.::I.S.Mowis