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Tony Owen (May 2, 1907 – May 12, 1984) was an American agent and producer, who was married to Donna Reed.^[1]

Biography

Owen was born in Chicago and worked in that city as a journalist. In the late 1930s he produced game programs for the Detroit Lions, and in 1940 became a vice president of the football club.^[2]

He served in the army during the war, but was invalided out. He moved to Los Angeles in 1942 and got work as an agent.^[1]

He married Donna Reed in 1945 and they had four children (two were adopted).^[3]

Todon Productions

Owen and Reed formed their own company, Todon Productions. Owen moved into film production with Duel in the Jungle (1953). It established a formula of using two American leads, an American director, and 80% British crew, to qualify for the subsidies of being a British film and because it was cheaper to make. "As an independent I can give everybody a percentage", said Owen. "This includes a star who will take a cut in lieu of his regular salary of say, $300,000." Owen added that "I believe the American public loves seeing foreign backgrounds. They're a definite plus value."^[4]

Duel in the Jungle made $3 million. This launched Todon on a series of films.^[4]

He followed it with two films directed by Ken Hughes and distributed by Allied Artists: Little Red Monkey (1955), with Richard Conte, and Timeslip (1955) with Gene Nelson and Faith Domergue.

Then came Portrait of Alison (1956) with Terry Moore directed by Guy Green; Dial 999 (1956), with Gene Nelson directed by Montgomery Tully; and The Intimate Stranger (1956) with Richard Basehart and Mary Murphy.

In 1956, a report said Todon was "perhaps the biggest Anglo-American company next to Warwick."^[4] As he made Beyond Mombasa Owen said he'd produced six films and "all of them stink but they made money... But not the final one I made with my wife. In fact, this is the first one I've done that isn't lousy – and I'm worried."^[4]

"I'm no genius", he said later. "I just wanted to make commercial films."^[1]

In May 1956, Owen said Todon would make eight films with an overall budget of $9,250,000.^[5]

That month it was announced Maxwell Setton would run the company in London, to make six films, starting with The Nylon Web which became Town on Trial.^[6] Others included The Long Haul (1957) with Victor Mature and Diana Dors, directed by Hughes; I Was Monty's Double (1958) with John Mills directed by John Guillermin;^[7]

Owen said "the last one [film] died the death of a dog at the box office. So I came back and started working in television."^[1]

Owen developed a series for his wife where she would play the secretary of the Secretary of State. A number of scripts were written but they did not feel confident, and eventually developed a show where Reed played the wife of a pediatrician. This became the hugely successful The Donna Reed Show.^[1]

Filmography

The Traveling Saleswoman (1950)
Duel in the Jungle (1954)
The Case of the Red Monkey (1955) a.k.a. Little Red Monkey
Timeslip (1955) a.k.a. The Atomic Man^[8]
Postmark for Danger (1955) a.k.a. Portrait of Alison^[9]
Dial 999 (1955) a.k.a. The Way Out
Finger of Guilt (1956) a.k.a. The Intimate Stranger
Beyond Mombasa (1956)
Town on Trial (1957)
I Was Monty's Double (1958)
The Long Haul (1957)
The Donna Reed Show (1958–66)

Unmade films

Twist of Night (1956) from a book by Roger McDermott^[5]
The Man Inside (1956) from a novel bu Victor Canning^[5]
The Last Pursuit (1956)^[5]
It's Not Cricket (1956) by Lawrence Brollings^[5]
Wherever You Are (1956) by Stirling Silliphant^[5] to star Reed and Rosanno Brazzi^[10]
The Unhappy Warrior (1957) with Van Johnson^[4]
The Eddie Calvert Story (1956)^[4]
Wherever You Are (1957) – a drama of "transplanted eyes"^[4]
biopic of Joseph Conrad.^[11]
life story of pianist Roger Williams^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e John Crosby. (Dec 20, 1959). "What Makes Tony Run With 4-Speed Drive?". The Washington Post. p. G14.
^ "Memorial Service for Tony Owen". Desert Sun. 15 May 1984.
^ Lawrence Laurent. (Mar 10, 1959). "Donna May Shift Time But Not Her Schedule". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. B17.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Scheuer, Philip K. (Aug 26, 1956). "A TOWN CALLED HOLLYWOOD: Studio Has 4 McGowans, Not to Mention a Megowan". Los Angeles Times. p. D2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f THOMAS M. PRYOR (May 14, 1956). "TODON WILL MAKE 8 MOVIES IN YEAR: Independent Puts Production Costs at $9,250,000--Seeks Studio Space in London". The New York Times. p. 21.
^ Schallert, E. (May 26, 1956). "Drama". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166936851.
^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (June 6, 1956). "BRITISH WAR BOOK BOUGHT FOR MOVIE: Todon, Independent Concern, Obtains Rights to Story of Montgomery's 'Double' Ray and Ryan to Co-Star". The New York Times. p. 36.
^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (Jan 20, 1955). "METRO WILL FILM GRAZIANO STORY: Studio Buys Biography of Middleweight Ex-Champion Who Turned to Acting". New York Times. p. 35.
^ THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The (Oct 28, 1955). "2 STUDIOS ACQUIRE STORIES FOR FILMS: Paramount Lists French and U. S. Works -- Universal to Do 'Quantez,' Western". New York Times. p. 22.
^ Schallert, Edwin (Jan 11, 1956). "Drama: 'Cruel Tower' Will Star Ericson; Viking Queen Role Bids for Oberon". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
^ A.H. WEILER. (Dec 22, 1957). "BY WAY OF REPORT". New York Times. ProQuest 114291444.
^ THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to The (Jan 3, 1958). "STUDIO PLANNING ONE FILM A MONTH: AB-PT Announces Schedule of First Five -- Ryan to Do Third Security Movie". New York Times. p. 16.