Pine-Thomas Productions
Pine-Thomas Productions was a prolific B-picture unit of Paramount Pictures from 1940–1957, producing 81 films. Co-producers William H. Pine (February 15, 1896 – April 29, 1955) and William C. Thomas (August 11, 1903 – April 2, 1984) were known as the "Dollar Bills" because none of their economically made films ever lost money. "We don't want to make million dollar pictures," they said. "We just want to make a million dollars." History William Pine and William Thomas William Pine was a graduate of Columbia University who went to work as a publicist at Paramount in 1933 becoming head of publicity. He became an associate director for Cecil B. De Mille at the studio and worked on several films. William Thomas was also a publicist who was working at Paramount producing "B" movies. Pine and Thomas struck up a partnership and swapped theories about how films could be produced for lower budgets. First Three Films: Picture Corporation of America Pine and Thomas talked with Richard Arlen, who had become famous with Wings (1927) but whose most recent films had been lower budgeted productions. Arlen, who owned several planes and ran an aviation school, suggested they make an aviation film; he offered