Val Lewton

2.1. Birth and Childhood

Val Lewton was born as Volodymyr Ivanovich Hofschneider or Leventon (Владимир Иванович Левентон_{Vladimir Ivan Leventon}^Russian, Володимир Іванович Левентон_{Volodymyr Ivanovych Leventon}^Ukrainian), both with the surname Leventon, on May 7, 1904, in Yalta, Imperial Russia, which is now part of Ukraine. He was of Jewish descent, the son of Max Hofschneider, a moneylender, and Anna "Nina" Leventon, who was a pharmacist's daughter. The family later converted to Christianity. Lewton was the nephew of the renowned silent film actress Alla Nazimova, who was his mother's sister. His mother eventually separated from his father and moved to Berlin, taking Val and his sister, Olga, with her.

2.2. Immigration and Settlement in the US

In 1909, Lewton, his mother Anna Hofschneider, and his sister Olga emigrated from Hamburg, Germany, to the United States. They traveled as second cabin class passengers aboard the SS Amerika, arriving in New York City on May 8. Upon their arrival in New York, Anna Hofschneider and her children joined the household of her famous sister, Alla Nazimova, in Rye, New York. Anna then reverted to a version of her maiden name, Lewton, and began a career writing for films. The family later moved to Port Chester, New York, a suburb. Val eventually changed his name to Wladimir Ivan Lewton, which was later abbreviated to Val Lewton. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in a federal court in Los Angeles in June 1941, officially under the name Wladimir Ivan Lewton.

2.3. Education

In 1920, at the age of 16, Lewton experienced a setback in his early career when he lost his job as a society reporter for the Darien-Stamford Review. This occurred after it was discovered that a story he had written about a truckload of kosher chickens perishing in a New York heat wave was entirely fabricated. Despite this, he went on to pursue higher education, studying journalism at Columbia University. His academic background in journalism provided a strong foundation for his prolific writing career, leading him to author a total of 18 works across various genres including nonfiction, fiction, and poetry.

2.4. Early Career Development

Before his significant contributions to cinema, Val Lewton established himself as a successful writer. In 1932, he authored the best-selling pulp novel No Bed of Her Own, which later served as the basis for the film No Man of Her Own, starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. In 1933, Lewton clandestinely published Grushenka: Three Times a Woman, an erotic novel that was presented as a translation from Russian and purportedly brought from the Soviet Union. This was a deliberate ruse to protect the true author from legal repercussions given the strict moral standards of the time.

Lewton's professional journey also included a stint as a writer at MGM's publicity office in New York City. In this role, he was responsible for creating novelizations of popular movies for serialization in magazines, which were sometimes subsequently compiled into book form. He also crafted promotional copy for the studio. Following the considerable success of No Bed of Her Own, Lewton left his position at MGM. However, when three of his subsequent novels published in the same year failed to achieve similar success, he made the pivotal decision to move to Hollywood. He sought a job writing a screen treatment of Nikolai Gogol's Taras Bulba for David O. Selznick, a connection facilitated through his mother, Nina. Although a film adaptation of Taras Bulba did not immediately materialize, this connection led to his employment at MGM as a publicist and assistant to Selznick, marking his formal entry into the film industry.

3.1. Writer and Publicity Work

Val Lewton's initial foray into the film industry began at MGM's publicity office in New York City. In this capacity, he specialized in crafting novelizations of popular films, which were serialized in magazines and occasionally collected into book formats. He was also responsible for writing promotional materials for the studio. His success as a novelist, particularly with No Bed of Her Own, led him to leave this role. However, after subsequent literary efforts did not fare as well, he relocated to Hollywood, opening the door to greater opportunities in filmmaking.

3.2. Work with David O. Selznick

Lewton's journey in Hollywood continued as he was hired by MGM to work as a publicist and an assistant to the influential producer David O. Selznick. His first screen credit, though unheralded, was for arranging the "revolutionary sequences" in Selznick's 1935 adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities. He also served as an uncredited writer for Selznick's monumental production of Gone with the Wind, notably contributing to the memorable scene where the camera pulls back to reveal hundreds of wounded soldiers at the Atlanta depot. Beyond writing, Lewton's responsibilities for Selznick included working as a story editor, scouting for valuable literary properties for Selznick's studio, and acting as a liaison with the Hollywood censorship system. Despite his contributions, Lewton was famously critical of Gone with the Wind during its production, reportedly warning Selznick that the film was "unfilmable" and that attempting to make a successful movie out of it would be "the mistake of his life."

3.3. Head of RKO Horror Unit

In 1942, Val Lewton was appointed the head of the newly formed horror unit at RKO Pictures, starting with a salary of 250 USD per week. His tenure at RKO was defined by strict production guidelines: each film had to be completed with a budget of under 150.00 K USD and have a running time of less than 75 minutes. Additionally, Lewton's supervisors dictated the film titles before production even began. Despite these constraints, or perhaps because of them, Lewton developed a distinctive and innovative style. He focused on creating atmospheric tension, psychological suggestion, and exploring themes of existential ambivalence, allowing his artistic vision to flourish beyond the sensationalistic nature of the titles he was given. The remarkable commercial success of his first production, Cat People, played a crucial role in stabilizing RKO's finances, which had been struggling after the commercial disappointments of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons. This initial success afforded Lewton a degree of creative freedom for his subsequent films within the unit.

3.4. Production of Key Horror Films

Val Lewton's period at RKO Pictures yielded a series of influential low-budget horror films, celebrated for their unique blend of psychological depth and atmospheric terror. His first production, Cat People, released in 1942 and directed by Jacques Tourneur, was a critical and commercial triumph. Made for 134.00 K USD, it earned nearly 4.00 M USD, becoming RKO's top moneymaker that year. This success significantly boosted Lewton's standing within the studio.

Lewton frequently refined the final drafts of the screenplays for his films. However, he rarely took on-screen co-writing credits, except for The Body Snatcher (1945) and Bedlam (1946), for which he used the pseudonym "Carlos Keith." He had previously used this pseudonym for some of his novels, including Four Wives, A Laughing Woman, This Fool, Passion, and Where the Cobra Sings.

His notable productions during this period include:

• I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
• The Leopard Man (1943)
• The Seventh Victim (1943)
• The Ghost Ship (1943)
• The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
• Mademoiselle Fifi (1944)
• Youth Runs Wild (1944)
• Isle of the Dead (1945)

These films were characterized by their innovative approach, prioritizing ominous suggestion, psychological tension, and themes of existential dread over overt violence or gore, a departure from the more explicit horror films of the era.

3.5. Collaborations and Directing Opportunities

Val Lewton was renowned for his effective collaborations and for nurturing emerging directorial talent. He forged a particularly strong partnership with director Jacques Tourneur, who directed three of Lewton's most celebrated films for RKO: Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and The Leopard Man. Following Tourneur's promotion to direct A-films at RKO, Lewton played a pivotal role in providing first-time directing opportunities to two individuals who would go on to become highly respected filmmakers: Robert Wise and Mark Robson.

Lewton also collaborated with acclaimed actor Boris Karloff, who appeared in three Lewton-produced films at RKO between 1945 and 1946: Isle of the Dead, The Body Snatcher, and Bedlam. In a 1946 interview, Karloff credited Lewton with revitalizing his career, stating that Lewton had "rescued him from the living dead" and "restored, so to speak, his soul," a reference to Karloff's perception of being confined by the "overextended Frankenstein franchise" at Universal Pictures. This collaboration underscored Lewton's ability to not only guide artistic vision but also to positively impact the careers of those he worked with.

3.6. Work at Other Studios

Following the death of Charles Koerner, a key RKO executive and a staunch supporter of Lewton, in 1946, the studio underwent significant personnel and management changes. These upheavals ultimately left Val Lewton unemployed and experiencing health issues, including a minor heart attack. Through his connections, he managed to secure new opportunities.

He was given employment at Paramount Pictures through July 1948 after he rewrote an unused screenplay based on the life of Lucrezia Borgia. Actress Paulette Goddard at Paramount particularly favored Lewton's treatment. This script, though heavily rewritten, was eventually released as Bride of Vengeance in 1949, without Lewton's direct involvement in its final production. While at Paramount, Lewton also produced the film My Own True Love, which was released in 1949.

Subsequently, Lewton returned to work for MGM, where he produced the film Please Believe Me (1950), starring Deborah Kerr. During this period, Lewton attempted to establish an independent production company alongside his former protégés, Wise and Robson. However, the venture dissolved when a disagreement arose over which film property to produce first, leading to Lewton's exclusion from the partnership. Undeterred, Lewton spent time at home developing a screenplay about the famous American Revolutionary War battles at Fort Ticonderoga. Universal Pictures made an offer for his work, and although the specific screenplay was not ultimately used, Lewton was assigned producer duties on the film Apache Drums, released in 1951. This film is generally considered to be the most akin to Lewton's earlier, distinctive RKO horror films in its style and thematic elements.

4.1. Major Novels

Val Lewton authored several significant novels throughout his career, often demonstrating his range as a writer.

• The Improved Road (published by Collins and Sons, Edinburgh, in 1924).
• The Cossack Sword (published by Collins and Sons, Edinburgh, in 1926). This novel was later reissued in the United States under the new title Rape of Glory by Mohawk Press in 1931.
• The Fateful Star Murder (1931), co-written with Herbert Kerkow. The plot of this novel was inspired by the real-life Starr Faithfull murder case.
• Where the Cobra Sings (published by Macaulay Publishing Co in 1932), which he penned under the pseudonym 'Cosmo Forbes'.
• No Bed of Her Own (published by Vanguard Press in 1932). This particular novel achieved best-selling status as a pulp novel. Its success led to its translation into nine different languages and publication in 12 countries. Notably, its German title was Rose Mahoney: Her Depression, and it was infamously included on the list of books ordered to be burned by Adolf Hitler's regime. It was reissued by Triangle Books in the late 1940s.
• Four Wives (published by Vanguard Press in 1933), written under the pseudonym "Carlos Keith."
• Yearly Lease (published by Vanguard Press in 1933).
• A Laughing Woman (published by Vanguard Press in 1933), also written under the pseudonym "Carlos Keith."
• This Fool Passion (published by Vanguard Press in 1933), another work attributed to "Carlos Keith."
• Grushenka: Three Times a Woman (1933), an erotic novel which Lewton clandestinely published. It was presented as a translation from Russian and purported to have been brought from the Soviet Union, a strategic ruse employed to protect the true author from potential legal penalties given the societal norms of the period.

In total, Lewton authored 18 works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, showcasing his diverse literary output.

4.2. Short Stories

Val Lewton's literary contributions also extended to short stories, providing early glimpses of the horror techniques and thematic interests that would later define his film work. One notable example is "The Bagheeta," which was published in Weird Tales magazine in July 1930. This story was later reprinted in Marvin Kaye's 1988 anthology, Weird Tales: The Magazine That Never Dies. Critics have observed that "The Bagheeta" clearly exhibits Lewton's characteristic phobia of cats and his signature "fear-the-dark" horror techniques, showcasing them in an intact form that foreshadowed his cinematic achievements.

8.1. Positive Assessment

Val Lewton is widely acclaimed for his groundbreaking approach to horror filmmaking. His films, particularly those produced for RKO Pictures, stood in stark contrast to the explicit monster features prevalent at the time. Lewton opted for an innovative style that emphasized psychological suggestion, ominous atmosphere, and the power of the unseen, rather than relying on overt violence or monstrous creatures. This distinctive artistic vision, combined with his ability to work effectively within the strict constraints of low budgets and short runtimes imposed by the studio, allowed him to create films that were both critically lauded and commercially successful. His first production, Cat People, earned nearly 4.00 M USD on a budget of 134.00 K USD, making it RKO Pictures' top moneymaker in 1942 and proving that his unique approach could be highly profitable. This success granted him significant creative freedom for his subsequent projects within the horror unit. Furthermore, Lewton is celebrated for his collaborative spirit and his role in launching the careers of notable directors like Robert Wise and Mark Robson. The esteem in which he was held by his collaborators is exemplified by Boris Karloff, who credited Lewton with revitalizing his career and saving him from what Karloff perceived as the stagnant Frankenstein franchise at Universal Pictures.

8.2. Criticism and Controversy

While Val Lewton's horror films for RKO generally garnered critical acclaim and commercial success, his work in other genres or for other studios did not consistently meet the high expectations set by his horror unit's achievements. For instance, his non-horror productions occasionally failed to achieve the same level of critical or box office success as his horror output, indicating that his unique artistic vision, while perfectly suited for psychological horror, did not always translate as effectively to other film categories.

8.3. Influence

Val Lewton's innovative filmmaking techniques and thematic preoccupations have had a profound and lasting influence on cinema. His emphasis on psychological horror, the power of suggestion, and the cultivation of an ominous atmosphere deeply impacted subsequent generations of filmmakers, shaping the evolution of the horror genre.

His life and work have been the subject of considerable academic and critical attention, inspiring numerous books and documentary films. Notable among these is the 2007 documentary Martin Scorsese Presents: Val Lewton - The Man in the Shadows, which explores his significant contributions to film. Further testament to his enduring legacy includes a character in the 1952 film The Bad and the Beautiful, starring Kirk Douglas, who was partly based on Lewton. In recent years, his story has continued to captivate new audiences; in May 2017, "Shadows," an eleven-part podcast biopic series by Adam Roche detailing Lewton's life and work and featuring Mark Gatiss, began. In June 2021, it was announced that this podcast series would be adapted into a feature film, co-written by Roche and Laeta Kalogridis, with Kalogridis also producing alongside Bradley J. Fischer. These tributes and adaptations underscore Val Lewton's continued relevance and his revered status as a master of atmospheric storytelling in cinema.

9.1. Producer

Val Lewton served as producer for a significant number of films, primarily during his influential tenure at RKO Pictures, but also later for other major studios.

9.2. Writer

Val Lewton received writing credits for several films, including some under a pseudonym.

• No Man of Her Own (1932) - based on his novel No Bed of Her Own
• The Body Snatcher (1945) - credited as Carlos Keith
• Isle of the Dead (1945) - uncredited
• Bedlam (1946) - credited as Carlos Keith

9.3. Other Roles

Beyond his primary roles as a producer and writer, Val Lewton contributed to films in various other capacities.

• A Tale of Two Cities (1935) - uncredited second unit director for the storming of the Bastille sequence
• A Star Is Born (1937) - uncredited editing assistant
• The Year's Work (1940) - director, credited as Herbert Kerkow