Charles R. Rogers Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Charles R. Rogers, also known as Chas. R. Rogers, was an American film producer whose career spanned both the silent and sound film eras. He should not be confused with Charles "Buddy" Rogers, who was an actor and film producer, as well as being married to Mary Pickford. Rogers began his career on the 1924 silent film, A Cafe in Cairo, produced by the short-lived Hunt Stromberg Productions. After Stromberg ceased productions in 1925, Rogers would found his own independent company, Charles R. Rogers Productions. He would also produce for major studios such as RKO Radio Pictures, Universal, and United Artists. The pinnacle of his career would be from 1936-38 when he was chosen as the vice-president in charge of production for Universal Pictures. He died as the result of injuries sustained in a car accident in 1957.
Rogers moved into Carl Laemmle Jr.'s position after the Standard Capital Corporation called their $750,000 loan on money advanced for the production of Show Boat (1936). That loan contained an option to seize the studio for $5.5 million upon default. That film (which ironically became a hit), ran into production delays and the Laemmle's were unable to secure additional financing. On March 14, 1936 the Laemmle reign was over. Rogers was installed as V.P. in charge of production by Standard Capital's board chairman J. Cheever Cowdin, and immediately instituted harsh cost-cutting measures that were widely criticized at the time. To be fair, Rogers was responsible for bringing producer Joe Pasternak to Hollywood and he would sign soprano sensation Deanna Durbin (recently released from MGM in favor of Judy Garland) to a long term contract. She would single-handedly prevent the studio from imploding after an otherwise disastrous 1937-1938 season. Never popular, Rogers would resign from this position on May 20, 1938 and was replaced by ex-RKO executive Cliff Work.
He was harshly criticized by some for the way he handled producing chores at Universal Pictures in comparison to the Laemmles (father and son). He was partly responsible for the creative decision that resulted in the re-editing and re-shooting of scenes (by another director) in James Whale's The Road Back (1937) in order to placate those who threatened to disrupt its release due to it's anti-Nazi sentiment.
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Was Vice-President in Charge of Production at Universal Studios from 1936 to 1938.
$18 Million
