Producer George Raft

Hollywood, that “wheelbarrow full of surprises,” has come up with something new even for the citadel of filmdom- a producer who wouldn’t took at even one foot of film of his own picture.

This freak among movie moguls is George Raft who, like many another top Hollywood star, finally turns producer in his own right, in partnership with Sam Bischoff in Star Films, Inc. Their first stint, “Intrigue,” a story of sinister operations in Theatre through United Artists release.

Raft has absorbed and digested a not-to-be-sneezed-at background of production knowledge during his 17 years in front of the cameras and both Bischoff and director Edwin L. Marin found him an invaluable aid in story conferences and in helping unravel knotty production problems.

But he still preserves his actor’s tradition of never seeing himself on the screen, watched no rushes and left it entirely up to Bischoff, Marin and their production assistants to analyze cutting problems. And he still maintains, as he has on all his previous starring pictures, that he will never see the finished product on the screen.

Raft’s only explanation is the simple statement: “I know the sort of job I can do in a picture, and I know my limitations. I don’t see what I can add to my efforts by seeing these pictures. It would only make me uncomfortably self-conscious to watch myself on the screen and might hurt my future work by making me self-conscious on the set.”

There is another aspect of his work on which Raft is equally adamant. Many of his bitter arguments with studios in the past have been over scenes or bits of dialogue which he felt glorified the more ruthless aspects of the characters he played.

“Every star manages to attract a following of youngsters who think that everything in that star’s roles is worthy of emulation,” he says. “That poses a responsibility which can never be over-emphasized. The star must be careful not to allow himself to show crime or any illegal activities as attractive in any way.”

Raft points to a number of his roles in the past and shows that not only was the punishment drastic for the error of the character’s way, but that the element of good in the character always got the upper hand, turning on others and even on himself to see that right ultimately prevailed.

George Raft Now Clock-Watcher

Gone are the days when George Raft’s rugged individualism was a source of worry to assistant directors who sweated out his arriving on the set on time.

Now that George is in partnership with producer Sam Bischoff no “Intrigue,” the United Artists release coming to the King’s Theatre, he showed a novel punctilious attitude toward his daily routine.

The new metal set showed up on the first day of production when Raft had lunch in his dressing room with Bischoff and director Edwin L. Marin. Just before they attacked the soup, the star looked at his watch and warned:

“I’m giving you boys just 40 minutes to get through your lunch. With my dough in the picture, we’re going to get back on the set ahead of time and get the next shot right on schedule.”

It wasn’t that way in the old days.