British film producer (1920–2009)
Harry Alan Towers
Born (1920-10-19 ) 19 October 1920Died 31 July 2009(2009-07-31) (aged 88) Other names Peter Welbeck Occupation(s) Film producer ,screenwriter Spouse
Harry Alan Towers (19 October 1920 – 31 July 2009) was a Britishradio and independentfilm producer andscreenwriter . He wrote numerous screenplays for the films he produced, often under thepseudonym Peter Welbeck . He produced over 80 feature films and continued to write and produce well into his eighties. Towers was married to the actressMaria Rohm , who appeared in many of his films.
The son of a theatrical agent, Towers was born inWandsworth , and became a child actor after attending theItalia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts .[ 1] Royal Air Force during World War II becoming head of the RAF radio unit on theBritish Forces Broadcasting Service [ 1] Pilot Officer .[ 2]
In 1946, he and his mother Margaret Miller Towers started a company called Towers of London that sold various syndicated radio programmes around the world,[ 3] The Lives of Harry Lime The Black Museum Orson Welles ,Secrets of Scotland Yard withClive Brook ,Horatio Hornblower in whichMichael Hordern played the famouscharacter created byC. S. Forester , and a series based on theSherlock Holmes stories, featuringJohn Gielgud as Holmes,Ralph Richardson asWatson , and Orson Welles asProfessor Moriarty .
Based on his radio success, in the mid-1950s he produced television shows forITV [ 4] Armchair Theatre The Golden Fleece ,The Boy About the Place ,Teddy Gang ,The Lady Asks for Help ,The Scarlet Pimpernel The Suicide Club ,The Little Black Book ,The New Adventures of Martin Kane ,A Christmas Carol ,24 Hours a Day ,Down to the Sea ,Gun Rule ,Dial 999 (TV series)
On 7 April 1956,Billboard J. Elroy McCaw 'sWINS in New York made a deal with Towers for deejayAlan Freed to do a special taped 1/2-hour rock 'n' roll record show on Saturday nights overRadio Luxembourg , which beamed to most of the countries of Free Europe.
In 1961 Towers, with English girlfriend,Mariella Novotny , (real name Stella Capes), were charged with operating avice ring at a New York hotel, but he jumped bail and returned to Europe.[ 5] [ 6] Lobster Magazine [ 6] [ 7] Stephen Ward ,Peter Lawford , theSoviet Union , and a vice ring at theUnited Nations . Hearst Corporation newspapers had already mentioned Towers's name in a 1963 article featuring coded references to a liaison between a pre-White HouseJohn F. Kennedy and Novotny, a known prostitute.[ 8] [ 5]
Towers began producing feature films in 1962, sometimes writing the screenplay. Towers filmed in various countries such as South Africa, Ireland, Hong Kong, Bulgaria and others. A number of his films and scripts were based on the works ofSax Rohmer , such asSumuru Fu Manchu Christopher Lee . He also adapted the novels ofAgatha Christie (And Then There Were None Miss Marple series), theMarquis de Sade , and the works ofEdgar Wallace . Towers produced three separate film versions ofAnd Then There Were None Nat Cohen and it has been argued Towers made his best films with Cohen.[ 9]
He frequently collaborated with directorJesus Franco during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Towers had a hand in writing and/or producing numerous films directed by Franco, including99 Women The Girl from Rio Rio 70 (1969),Venus in Furs Marquis de Sade: Justine Eugenie… The Story of Her Journey into Perversion The Bloody Judge Count Dracula The Blood of Fu Manchu The Castle of Fu Manchu
In a letter from the New York literary agency Albert T Longden Associates, discussing the Sax Rohmer estate, reference was made to Towers producing a sixth Fu Manchu movie,The Children of Fu Manchu , for release in 2009; if the project existed, nothing came of it.[ 10]
In his last months, Towers was working withKen Russell on an adaptation ofMoll Flanders [ 6]
Year Film Based on Starring Notes 1961 Information Received – William Sylvester ,Sabine Sesselmann Shot in 1959 as an episode ofArmchair Theatre [ 11] 1963 Death Drums Along the River Sanders of the River (byEdgar Wallace )Richard Todd ,Marianne Koch ,Albert Lieven ,Walter Rilla ,Vivi Bach 1964 Victim Five – Lex Barker ,Ronald Fraser ,Ann Smyrner ,Walter Rilla ,Dietmar Schönherr 1965 Coast of Skeletons Sanders of the River (byEdgar Wallace )Richard Todd ,Dale Robertson ,Heinz Drache ,Marianne Koch ,Elga Andersen ,Dietmar Schönherr 1965 Sandy the Seal Heinz Drache ,Marianne Koch 1965 Mozambique – Steve Cochran ,Hildegard Knef ,Paul Hubschmid ,Vivi Bach ,Dietmar Schönherr 1965 24 Hours to Kill – Lex Barker ,Mickey Rooney ,Walter Slezak ,France Anglade ,Hans Clarin ,Wolfgang Lukschy 1965 City of Fear – Paul Maxwell ,Terry Moore ,Marisa Mell ,Albert Lieven 1965 The Face of Fu Manchu Dr.Fu Manchu (bySax Rohmer )Christopher Lee ,Nigel Green ,Joachim Fuchsberger ,Karin Dor ,James Robertson Justice ,Walter Rilla ,Tsai Chin ,Howard Marion-Crawford 1965 Ten Little Indians And Then There Were None Agatha Christie )Shirley Eaton ,Hugh O'Brian ,Stanley Holloway ,Dennis Price ,Wilfrid Hyde-White ,Daliah Lavi ,Leo Genn ,Fabian Forte ,Marianne Hoppe ,Mario Adorf 1966 Our Man in Marrakesh – Tony Randall ,Senta Berger ,Herbert Lom ,Klaus Kinski ,Terry-Thomas ,Margaret Lee ,Wilfrid Hyde-White ,Grégoire Aslan ,John Le Mesurier 1966 Circus of Fear The Three Just Men (byEdgar Wallace )Christopher Lee ,Leo Genn ,Heinz Drache ,Klaus Kinski ,Margaret Lee ,Suzy Kendall ,Cecil Parker ,Eddi Arent 1966 The Brides of Fu Manchu Dr.Fu Manchu (bySax Rohmer )Christopher Lee ,Douglas Wilmer ,Heinz Drache ,Marie Versini ,Rupert Davies ,Roger Hanin ,Harald Leipnitz ,Tsai Chin ,Howard Marion-Crawford 1967 The Million Eyes of Sumuru Sumuru Sax Rohmer )Shirley Eaton ,George Nader ,Frankie Avalon ,Klaus Kinski ,Wilfrid Hyde-White 1967 The Vengeance of Fu Manchu Dr.Fu Manchu (bySax Rohmer )Christopher Lee ,Douglas Wilmer ,Horst Frank ,Wolfgang Kieling ,Peter Carsten ,Tony Ferrer ,Tsai Chin ,Howard Marion-Crawford 1967 Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon From the Earth to the Moon Jules Verne )Burl Ives ,Troy Donahue ,Gert Fröbe ,Terry-Thomas ,Daliah Lavi ,Hermione Gingold ,Lionel Jeffries ,Dennis Price 1967 Five Golden Dragons – Robert Cummings ,Margaret Lee ,Rupert Davies ,Klaus Kinski ,Maria Perschy ,Sieghardt Rupp ,Christopher Lee ,George Raft ,Dan Duryea ,Brian Donlevy 1967 The House of 1,000 Dolls – Vincent Price ,Martha Hyer ,George Nader ,Ann Smyrner ,Wolfgang Kieling ,Herbert Fux 1968 Eve – Celeste Yarnall ,Robert Walker ,Herbert Lom ,Christopher Lee ,Fred Clark 1968 The Blood of Fu Manchu Dr.Fu Manchu (bySax Rohmer )Christopher Lee ,Richard Greene ,Götz George ,Loni von Friedl ,Tsai Chin ,Howard Marion-Crawford ,Shirley Eaton 1968 Sandy the Seal – Heinz Drache ,Marianne Koch Shot in 1965 1969 99 Women – Maria Schell ,Mercedes McCambridge ,Luciana Paluzzi ,Herbert Lom 1969 The Girl from Rio Sumuru Sax Rohmer )Shirley Eaton ,George Sanders ,Richard Wyler ,Herbert Fleischmann ,Walter Rilla 1969 Marquis de Sade: Justine Justine Marquis de Sade )Klaus Kinski ,Romina Power ,Harald Leipnitz ,Jack Palance ,Akim Tamiroff ,Horst Frank ,Sylva Koscina ,Mercedes McCambridge 1969 The Castle of Fu Manchu Dr.Fu Manchu (bySax Rohmer )Christopher Lee ,Richard Greene ,Maria Perschy ,Günther Stoll ,Tsai Chin ,Howard Marion-Crawford 1969 Venus in Furs Venus in Furs Leopold von Sacher-Masoch )James Darren ,Barbara McNair ,Klaus Kinski ,Margaret Lee ,Dennis Price 1970 Eugenie… The Story of Her Journey into Perversion Philosophy in the Bedroom Marquis de Sade )Marie Liljedahl ,Christopher Lee 1970 The Bloody Judge – Christopher Lee ,Maria Schell ,Leo Genn ,Margaret Lee 1970 Count Dracula Dracula Bram Stoker )Christopher Lee ,Herbert Lom ,Klaus Kinski ,Soledad Miranda 1970 Dorian Gray The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde )Helmut Berger ,Richard Todd ,Herbert Lom ,Marie Liljedahl ,Margaret Lee ,Isa Miranda 1971 Black Beauty Black Beauty Anna Sewell )Mark Lester ,Walter Slezak ,Uschi Glas ,Peter Lee Lawrence 1972 Treasure Island Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson )Orson Welles ,Lionel Stander ,Walter Slezak ,Rik Battaglia , Kim Burfield1972 The Call of the Wild The Call of the Wild Jack London )Charlton Heston ,Michèle Mercier ,Raimund Harmstorf ,George Eastman ,Rik Battaglia 1973 White Fang White Fang Jack London )Franco Nero ,Virna Lisi ,Fernando Rey ,Raimund Harmstorf ,John Steiner 1974 And Then There Were None And Then There Were None Agatha Christie )Oliver Reed ,Elke Sommer ,Richard Attenborough ,Charles Aznavour ,Gert Fröbe ,Stéphane Audran ,Herbert Lom ,Adolfo Celi 1976 Blue Belle – Annie Belle ,Charles Fawcett ,Al Cliver ,Rik Battaglia 1979 H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come The Shape of Things to Come H. G. Wells )Jack Palance ,Carol Lynley ,Barry Morse ,John Ireland 1979 King Solomon's Treasure King Solomon's Mines H. Rider Haggard )David McCallum ,John Colicos ,Patrick Macnee ,Britt Ekland ,Wilfrid Hyde-White 1980 Klondike Fever Jack London Jeff East ,Angie Dickinson ,Rod Steiger ,Lorne Greene 1983 Black Venus Honoré de Balzac Josephine Jacqueline Jones 1983 Fanny Hill Fanny Hill John Cleland )Lisa Foster ,Oliver Reed ,Wilfrid Hyde-White ,Shelley Winters 1984 Lady Libertine Frank and I (by an anonymous writer)Jennifer Inch, Christopher Pearson 1984 Christina – Jewel Shepard 1985 Black Arrow The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses Robert Louis Stevenson )Benedict Taylor ,Oliver Reed ,Fernando Rey ,Donald Pleasence ,Georgia Slowe 1986 Lightning, the White Stallion – Mickey Rooney ,Susan George 1987 Gor Gor John Norman )Urbano Barberini ,Rebecca Ferratti ,Oliver Reed 1988 Skeleton Coast – Ernest Borgnine ,Robert Vaughn ,Oliver Reed .Herbert Lom 1988 Platoon Leader Platoon Leader Michael Dudikoff 1988 Howling IV: The Original Nightmare The Howling Gary Brandner )Romy Windsor 1988 Outlaw of Gor Gor John Norman )Urbano Barberini ,Rebecca Ferratti ,Jack Palance 1989 Edge of Sanity Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Robert Louis Stevenson )Anthony Perkins ,Glynis Barber 1989 American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt – David Bradley ,Steve James 1989 River of Death River of Death Alistair MacLean )Michael Dudikoff ,Robert Vaughn ,Donald Pleasence ,Herbert Lom ,L. Q. Jones 1989 Ten Little Indians And Then There Were None Agatha Christie )Donald Pleasence ,Herbert Lom ,Brenda Vaccaro ,Frank Stallone 1989 The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera Gaston Leroux )Robert Englund 1990 Buried Alive The Premature Burial Edgar Allan Poe )Robert Vaughn ,Donald Pleasence ,John Carradine 1990 Oddball Hall – Don Ameche ,Burgess Meredith 1991 Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle )Christopher Lee ,Patrick Macnee ,Morgan Fairchild 1992 Incident at Victoria Falls Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle )Christopher Lee ,Patrick Macnee ,Jenny Seagrove ,Joss Ackland ,Richard Todd 1992 The Lost World The Lost World Arthur Conan Doyle )John Rhys-Davies ,David Warner 1992 Return to the Lost World The Lost World Arthur Conan Doyle )John Rhys-Davies ,David Warner 1992 Dance Macabre – Robert Englund 1993 Night Terrors – Robert Englund 1995 The Mangler "The Mangler " (byStephen King ) Robert Englund 1995 Bullet to Beijing Harry Palmer Len Deighton )Michael Caine ,Jason Connery ,Mia Sara ,Michael Gambon ,Michael Sarrazin 1995 Cry, the Beloved Country Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton )James Earl Jones ,Richard Harris 1996 Midnight in Saint Petersburg Harry Palmer Len Deighton )Michael Caine ,Jason Connery ,Michael Gambon ,Michael Sarrazin 1998 Owd Bob Owd Bob Alfred Ollivant )James Cromwell ,Colm Meaney ,Jemima Rooper , Dylan Provencher1999 Treasure Island Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson )Jack Palance 2000 Death, Deceit and Destiny Aboard the Orient Express – Richard Grieco ,Christoph Waltz ,Romina Mondello ,Götz Otto ,Nicky Henson 2001 High Adventure Thomas Ian Griffith ,Anja Kling 2001 The Sea Wolf Thomas Ian Griffith ,Gerit Kling also released asSeaWolf: The Pirate's Curse 2003 Sumuru Sumuru Sax Rohmer )Alexandra Kamp ,Michael Shanks 2004 Pact with the Devil The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde )Ethan Erickson ,Malcolm McDowell ,Christoph Waltz
^a b "Harry Alan Towers: Prolific radio, television and film producer and" .The Independent . 22 October 2011.^ Mann, DaveHarry Alan Towers: The Transnational Career of a Cinematic Contrarian McFarland, 2014, p. 13 ^ Pat Saperstein"B-movie guru Towers dies at 88" ,Variety , 2 August 2009 ^ "Teletronic | The History of ITV –The Birth of ITV" .teletronic.co.uk .^a b Cy Young"Harry Alan Towers: Prolific radio, television and film producer and screenwriter" ,The Independent , 4 November 2009 ^a b c Ronald Bergan Harry Alan Towers Obituary ,The Guardian , 1 October 2009^ Stephen Dorril "Maria Novotny: From Prague With Love",Lobster ^ JFK – The Scandals: Revealed , a tv documentary directed by Harvey Lilley for Quickfire Media, 2006.^ Vagg, Stephen (21 January 2025)."Forgotten British Moguls: Nat Cohen – Part Three (1962-68)" .Filmink . Retrieved21 January 2025 . ^ "The Page of Fu Manchu (in frames): The Sax Rohmer Site" .philsp.com .^ p. 43 Mann, DaveHarry Alan Towers: The Transnational Career of a Cinematic Contrarian McFarland, 20 October 2014
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