Expansion
In July 1962, Seven Arts announced plans to produce twenty films for MGM over the following years, describing the agreement as "the largest single pact ever negotiated with a major distributor by an independent producing company." The company also entered into a four-picture deal with 20th Century Fox, a three-picture deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, and a two-picture deal with Columbia Pictures, in addition to its existing arrangement with the Mirisch Corporation to make films for United Artists.[22]
The MGM deal included titles such as Lolita, The Main Attraction, Tamahine, The Night of the Iguana, A Global Affair, Sunday in New York, Of Human Bondage, The Careful Man (directed by Joshua Logan), A Candle for St. Jude by Rumer Godden, This Property Is Condemned, Film of Memory (based on a French play), The Wild Affair, Meet Me in Monte Carlo (a musical with Alain Delon and Nancy Kwan), Not That Kind of Girl, and The New Adventures of Robin Crusoe.
The 20th Century Fox agreement covered Gigot, The Other Side of the Mountain by John Patrick, The Disenchanted, and The Hunt for Kimathi. The Warner Bros. slate included The Count of Monte Cristo, Panic Button, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. Columbia's agreement involved The Enchantress with Robert Mitchum and Assault on a Queen, produced by Mel Ferrer. The latter was eventually transferred to Warner Bros. and retitled Rampage.
In addition, Seven Arts announced investments in a number of projects, including The Anatolian Smile from Elia Kazan, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne from John Huston, an untitled film by Vittorio De Sica, Robert Rossen's adaptation of The Hostage by Brendan Behan, Dr. Strangelove, Richard Brooks' The Streetwalker, Sammy Going South, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and adaptations of Reflections in a Golden Eye and Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad. The company was also developing Broadway projects, including a planned musical version of Casablanca with producer David Merrick.[22]
Not all of these projects were realised, while others were produced by different studios. Several, however, were completed, including the commercially successful What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? In May 1963, the Los Angeles Times described Seven Arts as "a deep, dark mystery" in Hollywood. At the time, the company had contract actors including Nancy Kwan, Sue Lyon, Keir Dullea, Victor Buono, Alain Delon, and Sandy Dennis.[23]
In October 1963, Seven Arts announced plans to release three art-house films: Gentleman's Companion, Les Mystifiés, and Sammy Going South. At the same time, it was developing No Strings, Reflections in a Golden Eye, Settled Out of Court, A Candle for St. Jude, This Property Is Condemned, and Conspiracy of Silence.[24]
Seven Arts also distributed feature films and television programs for broadcast. In 1960, Warner Bros. licensed its post-1949 library to Seven Arts for television syndication. Similar arrangements were made with 20th Century Fox and Universal Pictures.[25] The company also acquired theatrical reissue rights to some Fox titles.[25]
Lou Chesler's involvement in Seven Arts was controversial.[26] In April 1964, Chesler resigned as chairman and board member to focus on his business interests in the Bahamas. As part of this transition, Seven Arts sold its stake in the Grand Bahamas Holding Company.[27] According to some accounts, Eliot Hyman may have pushed for Chesler's departure due to Chesler's alleged connections to organised crime figures such as Meyer Lansky.[28]
Bryanston
Seven Arts signed a co-production agreement with the British company Bryanston. The partnership produced two films, Sammy Going South and The Small World of Sammy Lee, both of which performed poorly at the box office. Seven Arts also handled the U.S. release of Bryanston's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, which was another box-office disappointment.
The two companies considered co-producing Tom Jones, but withdrew due to rising production costs. The film was subsequently acquired by United Artists and went on to achieve both critical acclaim and commercial success.[29]
