The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-01-12
Organizes Finance
Company to Produce
Pictures In NY. City
Chris Dunphy Aids Mayor LaGuardia in Challenging
E1OIIywOds Domination of Motion Picture
Industry-Plans Outlined

Waterburian and member Of a
well-known local family, Is playing
an important part in the efforts of
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia of New
York to have moving pictures pro-
duced in the east. Mr.. Dunphy, a
prominent figure ir the movie bust
ness for years, announced yesterday
that he has formed a finance COM
pany to produce two Glass A films
in the metropolis.
Mr.. Dunphy's announcement is
expected to be followed by several
similar announcements. His state
ment is the first actual step to-
ward the start of production in New
York.
The New York Times has the fol-
lowing account Of Mr. Dunphy's
plans:
Christopher J. Dunphy, former
executive of Paramount Pictures
and former Wall Street man, an
nounced yesterday the formation of
a finance company to produce two
Glass A motion pictures in a New
York studio at a total cost of not
less than 100000.
Mr.. Dunphy's announcement was
the first tangible evidence Of the
success of Mayor La Guardia'S drive
to bring the motion picture industry
to New York. Attributed directly to
negotiations which began with the
mayors invitation, Mr.. Dunphy new
ertheless, left some details to be an
nounced later because of pending
arrangements, he explained.
Stories for Films Bought
For this reason he declined to
name the director and producer who
will be In direct charge of the pro-
duction of the films. He said the
stories to be filmed had been bought
and were being transformed by a
writing staff into scripts. "A male
and a female star had been en-
gagged, he added.
Delay also seemed to be caused
by negotiations for a studio. The
old Biograph Studio in the Bronx is
in the control Of the Empire Trust
Company, while the best equipped
studio available is in Astoria,
Queens, and formerly was under
the control Of Paramount.
Mr.. Dunphy said the money fol-
the productions was ALREADY In the
bank" and was controlled by q
finance company which he had or
gani2ed. This, he added, precludet
any Offering Of stock to the public
because the necessary funds hao
been subscribed privately.
He said that with most of the
arrangements made-except for the
important one of a studio equipped
to take care of the production of
two films to cost about $3OO,0O
each - it was hoped that the Shoot
ing Of the pictures would be begun
not later than March % to April /,
and that production of the films
would not take more than sixty to
eighty days.
Distribution Arranged
Mr.. Dunphy declared that the
producer director with whom he
was dealing had made arrange
ments to have the pictures distrib-
uted by one Of the major companies
assuring national distribution
but again on this point he declared
that he could not make public the
details because of the necessity to
complete other negotiations first
Efforts to get comment from the
mayors office were unsuccessful.
Mr.. DYnphy was on the staff oil
Major General James G.. Hartford
during the World War. He was well
known as golf player, and at one
time was newspaper executive.
He was assistant to the publisher
Of The Washington Post, and later
III Wall Street as a member of the
firm Of Hallgarten and Company.
From Wall Street he went to
Hollywood, where, for q time he
was a director Of United Artists,
as the representative on that board
OF Gloria Swanson, and after that
the director Of advertising and pub
licity for Paramount, and also as
sistant to Adolph zukor, president
of the COMPANY.