Sapphire Films
British television production company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sapphire Films Ltd. was a British television production company, active from 1955 until 1961. Amongst their best-known series are The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, The Buccaneers, The Four Just Men and Sword of Freedom, produced for Lew Grade's ITC and screened on ITV in the UK, as well as being syndicated in the United States.[1]
| Industry | Television production |
|---|---|
| Founder | Hannah Weinstein |
Sapphire Films was founded by producer Hannah Weinstein with initial funds from the Hollywood branch of the Communist Party USA.[2] Weinstein hired nearly two-dozen blacklisted American writers to script The Adventures of Robin Hood (and later The Four Just Men) under pseudonyms, and instituted elaborate security measures to ensure that the writers' true identities remained secret.[2]
Sapphire Films ceased to function in late 1961 owing to financial problems caused by Weinstein's then husband, Jonthan Fisher.[3]
Television Productions
This list may not be complete
| Year | Title | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| 1955-1959 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | 143 |
| 1956-1957 | The Adventures of Sir Lancelot | 30 |
| 1956-1957 | The Buccaneers | 39 |
| 1958-1961 | Sword of Freedom | 39 |
| 1959-1960 | The Four Just Men | 39 |
