Val Lewton

Born in the Russian Empire in 1904, Val Lewton (born Vladimir Ivanovich Leventon) moved with his mother and sister to Berlin in 1906, then to the United States in 1909. He wrote for newspapers, magazines, novels, pornography, etc. —often using pseudonyms to disguise their origin (the name Val Lewton was one such pseudonym, used first for some novels in the 1930s, then revived later in his career to take writing credit for two movies). In 1933 he got a job with David O. Selznick, where he spent many years as a story editor and jack-of-all-trades. Then in 1942 RKO hired him to head their new horror unit, where he made many famous and well-respected B-movies, for very low costs and high profits. In 1946, he “graduated” to A-movies, but increasing health problems, trouble working with big-money Hollywood, and other factors combined to force him to produce only three more movies before his death in 1951.

Val Lewton is known for work in production across film and television. New Release currently presents 19 verified screen credits connected to this profile. Selected work includes Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007), A Star Is Born (1937), Cat People (1942), The Body Snatcher (1945), The Curse of the Cat People (1944), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), Apache Drums (1951), Mademoiselle Fifi (1944). The recorded credits span 1932 to 2007, including 19 movies and 0 TV shows. The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.