Cinema: The New Pictures, Oct. 22, 1956

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The product of a turn-of-the-century San Francisco theatrical family, Stevens got his Hollywood start at 19 as a cameraman after his father nipped a budding shortstop by forbidding him to play pro baseball. Young Stevens shot dozens of two-reel comedies, became a gag writer, developed into a director of shorts, made the shorts longer and longer until he had built himself into a director of full-length features. By that time he had a passion for realism and a contempt for cine-moguls. To achieve realism, Stevens has terrified horses into rearing in a mad frenzy for his camera (by turning men disguised as bears on them), stampeded cattle into hurling themselves in panic at wooden barriers (by playing an air hose on them), made babies howl with grief for a comic effect (by ripping toys out of their hands). To ensure his independence, he once had a contract forbidding Columbia Boss Harry Cohn to so much as speak to him about his pictures.

If Producer Stevens had not been as good a businessman as Director Stevens is an artist, Giant might never have been made. Hearing the high Hollywood price on Novelist Ferber's bestseller, Stevens did not even consider bidding for Giant, although he admired it as a story. Later, hearing that there were no Hollywood takers for the novel, he decided to do it if the money went into the film rather than into buying the property. So he persuaded Author Ferber to become his production partner for a percentage of the profits—if there were any. At this point it looks as if Novelist Ferber has made a good bargain too.